Ford C. Ladd

FORD C. LADD is recognized as a Super Lawyer in the areas of Business and Securities Litigation, and Transportation & Maritime Law.  He represents clients in areas that include securities, corporate governance, unfair trade practices (business torts and contact), tax, transportation, and related litigation.  Mr. Ladd’s backgrounds in engineering and finance allow him to present a wide range of complex issues effectively.  He has litigated in federal and state courts in over 15 States, federal and state agencies, French tribunals, and arbitration forums.

Mr. Ladd has led seminars with U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, Congressman Michael Oxley, and Prof. John Coffee on the Sarbanes Oxley Act and corporate governance and securities market oversight.  He has authored and presented Virginia and DC Continuing Legal Education courses on fiduciary duties owed under the Uniform Prudent Investor Act.

Mr. Ladd developed new products and managed distribution with national accounts in the energy industry from 1975 to 1978, prepared patent applications and appeals for NASA and was a financial consultant to the SBA while earning his M.B.A. and J.D.  From 1983 to 1991, He represented small to medium size businesses in commercial matters that ranged from anti-trust and securities litigation to structuring transactions with foreign entities.

While at the U.S. Department of Justice from 1991 to 1999, Mr. Ladd defended aviation-related claims.  He is a licensed pilot, AOPA Panel Attorney, and has lectured at Wings Seminars with the Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, Virginia Department of Aviation and Cirrus Design.

Practice areas:

• Corporate governance
• Securities law
• Securities litigation
• Commercial litigation
• Civil litigation
• Class actions
• Aviation regulation
• Aviation accidents
• Aircraft finance and leasing
• Freight loss and damage
• Taxation
• FINRA arbitration

Admitted:

• 1983, Virginia
• 1983, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
• 1984, District of Columbia
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Virginia
• U.S. Tax Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth and District of Columbia Circuits

Education:

• J.D., University of Richmond, 1983
• M.B.A., College of William & Mary, Investing, Accounting, and Finance, 1980
• B.S., Purdue University, Mechanical Engineering, 1975

Membership:

• District of Columbia Bar Association
  • Chairman, Securities Law Committee
• Virginia Bar Association
• Aircraft Owners & Pilot Association
• National Transportation Safety Board Association

Honors & awards:

• Outstanding Committee Program Award, from Bar Association of the District of Columbia (June 2009)
• National Commander’s Commendation Award for Outstanding Duty Performance 2007 and 2008
• Wing Commander’s Commendation Award for Outstanding Duty Performance 2006
• Outstanding Committee Chair and Certificate of Appreciation, Bar Association of the District of Columbia 2003

Publications & seminars:

• Seminar with U.S. Senator Richard Shelby and Prof. John Coffee; Response to Treasury Blueprint and Changes in Oversight of the Securities and Financial Markets (BADC Nov. 2008)
• Televised Seminar with Congressman Michael Oxley on Impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, sponsored by Bar Association of District of Columbia and CSPAN (Nov 2002);
• Overview of the Uniform Prudent Investor Act (Virginia CLE June 2000)
• Impact of Uniform Prudent Investor Act (Bar Association of District of Columbia, Jan 2000).
• Securities Law Seminar with U.S. Senator Richard Shelby and Prof. John Coffee ; Response to Treasury Blueprint and Changes in Oversight of the Securities and Financial Markets (BADC Nov. 2008);
• EAA Aviation Safety and Law Seminar (Stafford, VA May 2008);
• AOPA/AFS Safety and Legal Seminar, sponsored with Va. Dept of Aviation (Richmond, VA Oct 2007);
• FAA Wings Safety Seminar, sponsored by FAA, Duty of Care owed by CFIs and related civil liability (Sept 2007).
• FAA Wings Safety Seminar, sponsored by Civil Air Patrol with FAA, NTSB, and Cirrus Design (Apr 2006).
• Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, Chairman of televised Panel Discussion with Congr. Michael G. Oxley, sponsored by Bar Association of District of Columbia and CSPAN (Nov 2002)
• Emerging Issues Under the Federal Securities Laws in a Volatile Market (Bar Association of District of Columbia and the D.C. Bar May 2001)
• Panel Discussion with SEC Commissioner Isaac Hunt (2000).

Reported decisions:

• Administrator v. DeShazer , NTSB SE-18042 (Jul 2008);
• In re BearingPoint, Securities Litigation, Civil Action 1:05 CV 00618 (E.D. Va.)
• Westerfeld v. Wachovia Securities et al., NASD-DR 03-02046 (2006);
• Rubens v. American Express Financial Advisors, NASD-DR- 03-07266 (2005);
• Weston v. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. et al. , NASD-DR 02â??02017 (2003);
• Park v. Prudential Securities, Inc. et al. , NASD-DR 01â??02160 (2003);
• Pigford v. Veneman, 141 F.Supp.2d 60 (D.D.C. 2001);
• Adkins v. Teseo, 180 F.Supp.2d 15 (D.D.C. 2001);
• Lowry v. Commonwealth of Canada, 917 F. Supp. 290 (D. Vt. 1996);
• Black Hills Aviation, Inc. v. United States, 34 F.3d 968 (10 th Cir. 1994); and
• Schmidt v. United States, 994 F.2d 843 (8 th Cir. 1993).

Lead Plaintiff and Discovery Motions in Securities Class Actions include:

• Kling v. Amerigroup Corporation, et al., Civil Action 2:05-CV-601 (E.D. Va. 2005);
• In re Cisco Systems Securities Litigation, Civil Action 1:05-MC-64 (E.D. Va. 2005);
• In re BearingPoint, Inc., Securities Litigation II, Civil Action 1:05CV454 (E.D. Va. 2005);
• In re Cable & Wireless, PLC, Securities Litigation, Civil Action 1:02CV1860 (E.D. Va. 2004);
• In re Royal Ahold Securities Litigation, Civil Action 1:03CV216 (E.D. Va. 2003); and
• In re AOL Time Warner, Inc. Shareholder Litigation, MDL Docket No. 1500 (2002).