About Our Team

For almost a decade, attorneys from our firms have worked together to take on the largest accounting, law, and investment firms in the world and hold them accountable for the various fraudulent tax shelters they developed, marketed, and sold. These highly publicized tax shelter cases were brought against Ernst & Young, BDO Seidman, Deutsche Bank, BankOne, Jenkens & Gilchrist, and KPMG, among others. Indeed, our firms were class counsel in two of the only three tax shelter class actions ever certified and settled and were major players in helping resolve the third. We also represented approximately 400 individuals who participated in these shelters. Our clients gained the benefit of our collective experience and resources as we prosecuted these claims of malpractice, fraud, and civil conspiracy and were able to thoroughly assess all of their options and make informed choices that were in their best interests. Through our tireless efforts and commitment, victims of these fraudulent schemes obtained settlements totaling in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

David R. Deary

davidd@lfdlaw.com
214-572-1702

David Deary is passionate about his work as a trial lawyer. David’s dedication to his clients — whether a plaintiff or a defendant — has made him a “go to” trial lawyer in high-stakes litigation.

Over the past 16 years, David has earned the reputation as a fierce competitor who is relentless in his pursuit of success for his clients. David’s unsurpassed preparation and attention to detail combined with his ability to dissect complex issues and clearly and persuasively advocate his client’s position to a judge and/or jury has resulted in successful outcomes for his clients in state and federal courts across the country.

As a senior partner in the firm, David has been called upon to represent individuals, partnerships and corporations in complex litigation nationwide. David has a wealth of experience in representing clients in complex litigation involving a wide-range of commercial/business disputes, including but not limited to, contracts, partnerships, professional liability, intellectual property, real estate, tax and accounting, financial/investment and tax shelters. David also has substantial experience representing clients in disputes involving products liability, wrongful death, personal injury and consumer fraud. Finally, David has earned national recognition as lead counsel in several high-profile class action cases.

David was selected to be included in the 2011, 2010, 2009, and 2008 editions of The Best Lawyers in America, a listing of the top lawyers in America based on more than two million confidential evaluations of lawyers by lawyers nationwide.

David has been recognized by his peers in Texas as a Texas Super Lawyer in 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005.

W. Ralph Canada, Jr.

rcanada@canadaridley.com
817-329-2003

Mr. Canada is a partner with Canada Ridley, LLP, based in Grapevine, Texas (near DFW Airport). He is a member of the Dallas, Tarrant County, and American Bar Associations. He graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1979, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Environmental Law Review. Previously, Mr. Canada has been a partner in and the litigation head of the Dallas offices of two different national law firms. Since 2003, he has been involved in representing plaintiffs in numerous tax shelter matters, in courts and arbitration tribunals throughout the country, and has twice spoken at ABA Tax Section Meetings on civil litigation involving tax shelters.

Mr. Canada has significant litigation and trial experience. His areas of practice include a diverse array of complex commercial disputes, including business torts, contract disputes, securities fraud, tax, copyright infringement, real estate development, construction and landlord-tenant disputes, and professional malpractice.

Mr. Canada is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas; the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas; and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second, Fifth and Ninth Circuits. He has previously been licensed by the NASD (now FINRA) as a registered representative and a registered principal.

Jeven R. Sloan

jsloan@lfdlaw.com
205-314-0627

Mr. Sloan is senior counsel at Loewinsohn Flegle Deary L.L.P . Having represented both plaintiffs and defendants over the course of his career, Mr. Sloan enjoys a unique perspective in representing his clients and dealing with hurdles along the way. While Mr. Sloan has experience in a broad array of areas including business torts, contract disputes, copyright infringement, and commercial disputes, he has focused for the last 6 years on representing taxpayers in actions against the advisors and professionals that lured them into abusive and fraudulent tax shelters. Mr. Sloan has appeared in courts and tribunals across the country on behalf of his clients and has been a feature speaker on the topics of contract law and arbitration.

Mr. Sloan is a graduate of Emory University School of Law (J.D., 2000) and Abilene Christian University (B.B.A., 1997). Mr. Sloan is a member of the State Bars of Alabama, Georgia and Texas and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas, Northern District of Georgia, and Northern District of Illinois. Mr. Sloan is also a member of the Alabama Association for Justice.