The Garden City Group, Inc. (GCG) Acquires Settlement Services, Inc. (SSI)

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Garden City Group, Inc. (GCG), the recognized  leader in legal administration services for class action settlements, Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings and legal notice programs, has acquired Settlement Services, Inc. (SSI), a Tallahassee, Fla.-based firm that specializes in the administration of labor and employment class action settlements. Among other things, the acquisition will strengthen GCG's expansion into this niche area of class action settlement administration.

"The labor and employment class action market continues to grow," said David A. Isaac, chief executive officer of GCG. "SSI is a well-respected name in this highly specialized area of class action practice, and the company's value-added approach to legal settlement administration fits perfectly with our approach to our clients and the markets we serve."

Thomas A. Warren, owner of SSI, will continue as president of the company under an employment agreement with GCG. "Tommy is well known in the class action bar for his legal acumen and administration expertise and has cultivated strong relationships with clients and the legal community," Isaac said. "We believe Tommy and the entire team at SSI will be an exceptional addition to our organization."

"GCG and SSI both focus on providing quality and value to clients, and we are excited by the prospect of joining forces with a recognized leader in class action administration," Warren said. "We have watched with interest as GCG has grown over the years and have admired their well-earned reputation for excellence in the legal community. It is truly exciting to now be part of the team and able to access GCG's resources to both serve our clients and grow our employment class action settlement business."

Warren has more than 30 years of experience in class action and fair employment/civil rights law and has been class counsel in some of the country's largest employment class action cases. He formed SSI in 1992 to administer claims for class action cases he was handling as an attorney. Since then, SSI has administered settlements amounting to more than $1 billion cumulatively in a wide range of cases all over the United States.

About The Garden City Group, Inc. (GCG)

GCG is the recognized leader in legal administration services for class action settlements and other claims administration, bankruptcy cases and legal noticing programs, with more than 1,000 employees in offices coast-to-coast. GCG has been named Best Claims Administrator by the New York Law Journal for two years in a row. The firm has been engaged in many high-profile distribution matters, including the General Motors bankruptcy, the $6.05 billion WorldCom settlement, the $3.5 billion Visa/MasterMoney Antitrust settlement, the $3.4 billion Native American Trust Settlement and the $20 billion Gulf Coast Claims Facility.

About Crawford

Based in Atlanta, Ga., Crawford & Company (www.crawfordandcompany.com) is the world's largest independent provider of claims management solutions to the risk management and insurance industry as well as self-insured entities, with an expansive global network serving clients in more than 70 countries. The Crawford System of Claims Solutions(SM) offers comprehensive, integrated claims services, business process outsourcing and consulting services for major product lines including property and casualty claims management, workers compensation claims and medical management, and legal settlement administration. The Company's shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbols CRDA and CRDB.

SOURCE The Garden City Group, Inc. (GCG)