J. Kennard Neal

• Developed Alston Discovery, which integrates technology, attorney review, and financial consulting to provide the most effective and efficient solutions for electronic stored information and discovery.
• Counsel for one of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers in product liability class action litigation. 
• E-discovery counsel for a national manufacturer of household fixtures in product liability class action litigation. 
• Compliance counsel for a national manufacturer of health services products. 
• Member of the national coordinating co-counsel for a Fortune 500 auto parts distributor for asbestos litigation. 
• Developed and implemented document retention policies for companies of all sizes and industries.

Kennard Neal concentrated on complex business litigation, e-discovery, products liability, compliance issues, and document management questions. He is a member of the Litigation & Trial Practice Group and the former co-chair of Alston Discovery, the firm’s electronic discovery unit. 

Kennard represented a wide variety of clients in courts throughout the Southeast, including chemical companies, agricultural products businesses, component parts manufacturers, hospitals, automobile companies, and energy and communication businesses and served as both national litigation and regional coordinating counsel for numerous businesses. Kennard is the author of Georgia Products Liability and has written and lectured on trial and case management issues throughout the country. 

Kennard primarily focused his practice on assisting clients in efficiently managing e-discovery responsibilities and issues, which includes litigation holds and preservation, document collection, conducting document reviews and productions both domestic and internationally, and implementing strategies to reduce costs, increase efficiencies, and improve accuracies of electronic discovery. 

Kennard also focused on assisting companies in developing or improving document retention and management programs and compliance plans. He worked directly with clients on a wide variety of compliance issues, including structuring compliance programs, compliance audits, internal investigations, document retention programs, and governmental inquiries. Kennard also pioneered the development of web-based compliance training programs for clients of the firm.

Bar Admissions

• Georgia

Education

• University of Georgia (J.D., 1984)
• William & Mary (B.A., 1981)

Memberships