JND’s Neil Zola Announces Retirement

As Co-Founder and Executive Managing Director, Zola’s leadership was instrumental in driving the rapid growth and success of JND Legal Administration

SEATTLE, Jan. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — JND Legal Administration (“JND”) today announced that Co-Founder Neil Zola will be retiring on April 30, 2026, following 35 years in the Class Action field, the last 25 of which have been dedicated to legal administration. During his time at JND and before that at The Garden City Group (“GCG”), Neil established himself as one of the most respected voices in the legal administration market.

During his career, Zola played important roles in some of the landmark settlements in our country’s history, including the administrations of the $512 million Auction Houses Settlement, the $6.15 billion Worldcom Settlement, the $3.05 billion Visa/MasterCard settlement, and the $2.67 billion Blue Cross Blue Shield settlement, among thousands of other matters. 

After receiving his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania and his Law degree at UCLA, Zola began his career at boutique securities litigation firm Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP in New York City in 1990. After making partner at the end of 1997, Zola was recruited by David Isaac and Mike Sherin, then President and Chairman of GCG, respectively, to join GCG in 2000 as its first ever General Counsel. He quickly rose through the ranks becoming Chief Operating Officer in 2003 and President in 2005. His first charge at GCG was to establish a securities administration practice. He was immediately successful. During his tenure, GCG administered the Worldcom, Lucent, Global Crossing, Bank of America, Nortel, IPO and many other industry-shaping settlements. His career at GCG culminated in the role GCG played in the BP Oil Spill settlement, where he, along with his partner Jennifer Keough, launched and oversaw the 90,000 square-foot Hammond, Louisiana mail, phone and processing center, which was called the Gold Standard of the administration program by Special Master Patrick Juneau.

In early 2016, Zola, along with partners Jennifer Keough and David Isaac, launched JND, which quickly transformed from a start-up into one of the leading administration firms in the country. Zola’s roles at JND have been varied and essential. Among other areas of responsibility: he designed JND’s website, oversaw all marketing, handled various legal issues, supervised the securities department, leveraged his contacts for business development, oversaw numerous IT initiatives, supervised the New York office, and played vital roles in many of JND’s high-profile administrations. Based on JND’s explosive growth, it attracted many suitors and was acquired by Sedgwick in 2021. Under Sedgwick’s ownership, but continued leadership by the JND Founders, JND has continued to flourish. 

Reflecting on his departure, Zola emphasized the importance of knowing when to step aside. “You can never be afraid of training people to be ready to take over. JND has a cadre of talented people who are poised to move to the next level. Moreover, CEO Jennifer Keough is the leading player in our market today. JND will always be in good hands in her hands. Having completed 35 years in the class action space and 25 years in the administration space, it seemed like the right time to move on to the next phase when I am still young enough to enjoy all the fun and excitement retirement can offer. I have been working hard for many years. Taking a break seems like a good idea. After that, other professional challenges may lie ahead.” Zola also thanked his partners, Keough and Isaac, for their friendship and commitment through the years.

JND CEO Jennifer Keough praised Zola as a mentor and a leader. “He has taught me so much about this business and about how to look at the big picture. I will miss his steady guidance, support and wisdom. Neil is a true giant in this field, and I could not have achieved what I have in my career without him.”

Zola intends to remain with the company until the end of April to ensure a smooth transition of his responsibilities. He will continue to lend his name to the company as Founder Emeritus.

About JND

JND Legal Administration is the nation’s foremost legal services management and settlement administration solutions provider in the U.S. Founded by industry veterans Jennifer Keough, Neil Zola, and David Isaac, the company serves plaintiff and defendant law firms, global corporations, and U.S. government entities across five main service lines and has offices in Seattle, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York. For more information, see JNDLA.com.

Media Contact: 
Joe Sexton
joe.sexton@jndla.com 

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SOURCE JND Legal Administration