Judge Dean M. Gandy was born in Dallas, Texas. While working at Stewart Title Company in Dallas, he received his B.B.A. in 1948 and his J.D. in 1950, both from SMU.

Upon graduation from law school, he practiced law in Sherman, Texas, representing clients in title and insurance disputes.  In 1953, Judge Gandy returned to Dallas and participated in all phases of the oil and gas business, last as executive vice-president of Magna Oil Corporation.  In 1966 Judge Gandy began practicing bankruptcy and business reorganization law with William J. Rochelle in Dallas. On October 1, 1970, he was appointed Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Texas.

He became a member of the National Bankruptcy Conference (an organization formed in the 1930’s to work with Congress in regards to bankruptcy laws), and served as a member of the Executive Committee on Membership and the Nominating Committee. He also served as president of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges from 1981 to 1982, was a member of the Bankruptcy Committee of the Fifth Circuit, and chairman of the Bankruptcy Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. He taught at seminars for new bankruptcy judges and at regional seminars for sitting bankruptcy judges from 1974 to 1984.

Judge Gandy was actively involved in the passage of the Bankruptcy Code of 1978, which, among other things, created the Office of U.S. Trustee.  He testified before three House and two Senate Committees, appeared on the MacNeil-Lehrer Report on PBS, CBS Morning News, ABC Nightline and Meet 
the Press, writing, publishing and lecturing in support of the new Code that was enacted to replace the 1898 Act.  

In June 1983, he resigned from the bench and became partner and head of the Bankruptcy Section of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld until 1992. At that point, he had a limited bankruptcy practice and was engaged in the acquisition of property offered to the public by FSLIC and the FDIC until 1996.  Then Judge Gandy retired to the Hill Country, where he now hunts wild pigs and occasionally testifies as an expert witness in reorganization cases.