Posted on May 20, 2025 by Barry Zalma
I’ve known Jeff Zinder for more than 40 years. We were colleagues, co-counsel, friends, lawyers and clients. I thought Jeff was invincible. He had broken wild horses and almost every bone in his body. I could not believe the notice from his wife that he had passed. I went to the funeral expecting Jeff to jump up on the podium and yell “surprise!” but it didn’t happen. It was only, until after, in the Jewish way, I put a shovel of dirt into his grave that I finally believed he was gone. I will miss him as long as I live.
Lawyers find it difficult to make friends. Outside my wife I have made two good friends. They are both gone now and as an Octogenarian it is difficult to make new friends.
When I was a young, inexperienced lawyer in the late 1970’s I was sent to a mediation by a client whose insured was involved in a very serious wrongful death case as the coverage lawyer and first met with trial lawyer, Jeffrey Zinder, who had been retained to defend the insured, a security company. Working together, as strangers, we convinced the insurers for the other defendants to contribute the lions share of a very long settlement to the pleasure of our mutual client, the insurer. That meeting created a long friendship. Over the years we worked together on several different kinds of cases, as lawyers, as friends, and as an expert witness for some of his cases.
I was never a great or even very good trial lawyer. I was a coverage lawyer. Jeff was the kind of lawyer who wanted answer ready to a trial court every Monday morning. He was exceptional and new how to talk to juries.
Jeff was the consummate trial lawyer but more, he was a great friend. He will be missed by me and everyone who knew him. The funeral was a paean to a great life and his children, friends and family did him proud.
I don’t know what will do when I need someone to talk to about law, troubles, family, health or just a need to have someone to listen to me.
If I was a good Jew I would say a loud and clear Kadish for him often but my Hebrew is less than competent so I just say it silently to G-d and Jeff.
I miss you now old friend and hope to see you again while you ride your horses through the heavenly plains.
Barry Zalma