Mark Watson-Gandy


Mark Watson-Gandy is a British lawyer and educationalist, specialising in UK insolvency law.
Since 2019 he is Chairman of the Biometrics and Forensic Ethics Group, a Home Office non-departmental public body, formerly known as the National DNA Database Ethics Group.

Background and education

The only son of Alastair Watson-Gandy and Barbara née Madry, of the Watson-Gandy-Brandreth gentry family. In Scotland, he is accorded the courtesy territorial designation "of Myrton" as a feudal baron.
Watson-Gandy was educated at Dr Challoner's Grammar School before going to the University of Essex, where he graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Laws.

Career

in 1990 at the Inner Temple then, in 2013, to the Eastern Caribbean Bar, since 2017 Watson-Gandy is also a member of the Dubai Bar Association. Appointed, in 2000 by Lord Williams of Mostyn, he served as a Junior Counsel to the Crown until 2012.
A member of Three Stone Chambers, since 1999, as a Visiting Professor of the University of Westminster, he has pioneered its LLM degree in Corporate Finance Law, and is a Special Lecturer at Cass Business School.
In 2013, Watson-Gandy represented Craig Whyte in litigation over the financing of his ill-fated acquisition of Rangers Football Club. He also served as counsel to the court-appointed trustee in litigation leading to the overturning of the UK bankruptcy of Tom McFeely, a property developer and former IRA hunger striker, as too was he counsel for the court-appointed amicus curiae in litigation over the collapse of the Stanford International Bank in Antigua and of Fairfield Sentry in the British Virgin Islands.
Counsel to the Conference of Bishops for the State Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom in 2010, he then advised Gurkha veterans for the All-Party Parliamentary Group Enquiry on Gurkha Welfare.
His appointments to boards of companies as well as not-for-profit organizations include:

Books

Watson-Gandy has co-edited Butterworths Corporate Law Service, LexisNexis, having previously been assistant editor of the Family Court Reporter, local government editor of Justice of the Peace Magazine and editor of Litigation, the legal journal.

Writing and speaking

Since 1997 he contributes a monthly column to Business Money, the commercial finance magazine.
Watson-Gandy writes and speaks regularly in the media on legal matters and business education.

Personal life

On 30 April 1997, he married Emanuella Giavara, advocate on EU copyright legislation and daughter of Dott. Dionisi Giuseppe Giavara.
Professor Watson-Gandy and his wife live at Blackheath, London SE3, and have two children.

Honours and arms