The Garden City Group, Inc. Expands Capabilities

MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jeffrey N. Leibell, Esq., CPA, and Kay E. Sickles, Esq. have joined The Garden City Group, Inc. (GCG) the recognized leader in class action administration, legal notification programs and Chapter 11 business reorganization. Leibell, a nationally recognized expert in class action litigation and settlement and a published author, spent thirteen years at Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP, one of the nation’s leaders in representing institutional and other investors in securities fraud and derivative litigation. Most recently he was the partner responsible for negotiating the terms of documenting and administering Bernstein Litowitz’s class action settlements. In that role Leibell was responsible for effecting and administering over $13.5 billion in class action recoveries, most notably in such high profile cases as: In re WorldCom Inc. Securities Litigation; In re Nortel Networks Corp. Securities Litigation; Ohio Public Employees Retirement System v. Freddie Mac; In re Williams Securities Litigation; In re Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. Securities Litigation; and In re Refco, Inc. Securities Litigation.

Leibell also has worked closely with the Securities and Exchange Commission having coordinated joint claims administration and distributions in connection with, among others, the Bristol-Meyers Squibb settlement. He has also developed highly complex plans of allocation, including in settlements that involved multiple securities with different federal securities claims against different settling defendants for varying claims periods. “I could have gone to various firms,” said Leibell “but I chose GCG because, as a former client, I knew that GCG provides the highest level of service in the industry. I saw firsthand the results this team achieved on the Worldcom matter – the Court had to be impressed with an audit result of 99.97% processing accuracy – I know I was.”

A Certified Public Accountant, Leibell received his B.S., cum laude, in Accounting from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, and a J.D. from Columbia University, where he was the Senior Notes Editor of the Columbia Business Law Review and a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Prior to attending law school, Leibell spent over ten years as an auditor for Deloitte & Touche LLP, where he audited “Fortune 500” and other companies. He is a member of the New York, and American Bar Associations and is admitted to practice in New York; the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the Eastern District of Michigan, the District of Colorado; and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fourth and Sixth Circuits.

Ms. Sickles comes to GCG after nearly six years with Schiffrin Barroway Topaz & Kessler, LLP, where she was a Partner/Department Head in charge of its securities settlements. In that capacity, Sickles was one of a handful of attorneys across the country specializing in the settlement process for class action litigation and handled more than 75 settlements, including In re Tyco International Ltd. Securities Litigation, In re Delphi Securities Derivative and ERISA Litigation, and In re Tenet Healthcare Corporation Securities Litigation. Prior to joining Schiffrin Barroway Topaz & Kessler, LLP, Sickles was a Complex Litigation Associate at Sandals & Langer, LLP, where she handled all phases of ERISA, Antitrust, Consumer, and RICO class actions. Ms. Sickles brings a decade of class action litigation experience, which she will draw upon in advising both GCG and its clients. According to Sickles, "I am committed to applying the expertise gained through 10 years' experience as a class action litigator for the benefit of GCG and its clients."

Ms. Sickles received her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law in 1994, and graduated with honors with a B.A. in history from Colgate University in 1991. She has been admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh and Ninth Circuits. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, Sickles was named a “Pennsylvania Rising Star” by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Philadelphia Magazine. Ms. Sickles is a member of the Philadelphia and American Bar Associations.

“Jeff’s and Kay’s decision to join GCG is further validation of our market leadership,” said GCG Chief Executive Officer David Isaac. “Adding Jeff and Kay to our experienced team further guarantees clients’ ‘peace of mind’.”

“No one in the industry can bring GCG’s resources to national and international class action cases,” said Neil L. Zola, GCG president and chief operating officer. “Having worked closely with Jeff and Kay for many years, I know they are two of the top class action attorneys in the country. Their addition to GCG further distinguishes us from the competition.”

The Garden City Group, Inc. (www.gardencitygroup.com), a subsidiary of Crawford & Company, administers class action settlements, designs legal notice programs, manages Chapter 11 administrations, and provides expert consultation services.

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Crawford & Company (www.crawfordandcompany.com) is the world's largest independent provider of claims management and related solutions to the risk management and insurance industry as well as self-insured entities, with a global network of more than 700 locations in 63 countries. Major service lines include property and casualty claims management; warranty inspections; integrated claims and medical management for workers' compensation; legal settlement administration, including class action and bankruptcy claims administration; and risk management information services. The Company's shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbols CRDA and CRDB.