# Mark Watson-Gandy

Mark Watson-Gandy OBE (born 8 November 1967), is a British lawyer and educationalist, specialising in UK insolvency law. He serves as Chairman of the Biometrics and Forensic Ethics Group, a position he has held since 2019.

## Early life and education

Born in 1967 to Alastair Watson-Gandy and Barbara née Mądry, scion of the Watson-Gandy-Brandreth gentry family, he was educated at Dr Challoner's Grammar School before going up to the University of Essex, where he graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Laws (LLB).
In Scotland, Watson-Gandy is accorded the territorial designation "of Myrton" as Baron of Myrton in the Baronage of Scotland. Watson-Gandy does not use the title professionally.

## Career

Watson-Gandy was called to the Bar in 1990 at the Inner Temple and in 2013 to the Eastern Caribbean Bar (British Virgin Islands). He is a member of Three Stone Chambers. A Visiting Professor of the University of Westminster since 1999, he has pioneered its LLM degree in Corporate Finance Law, and is a Special Lecturer at Cass Business School.
In 2000, Wason-Gandy was appointed by Lord Williams of Mostyn as a Junior Counsel to the Crown where he served until 2012. In 2010, he was Counsel to the Conference of Bishops for the State Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom. He then advised Gurkha veterans for the All-Party Parliamentary Group Enquiry on Gurkha Welfare.
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. He was counsel for the court-appointed amicus curiae in litigation over the collapse of the Stanford International Bank in Antigua and of Fairfield Sentry (Bernie Madoff's investment fund) in the British Virgin Islands. He later successfully represented the court-appointed administrators of Cambridge Analytica.
A member of the Home Office Science Advisory Council, beginning in 2019, Watson-Gandy serves as Chairman of the Biometrics and Forensic Ethics Group; formerly known as the National DNA Database Ethics Group, it is a Home Office non-departmental public body. He is also the former Chairman of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England and the Pure Cremation Group.
In 2022, the Catholic Herald featured Watson-Gandy in its list of “Catholic Leaders of Today”, the UK’s 100 most influential lay Roman Catholics.

## Honours and appointments

Appointed a CStJ in 2020, Watson-Gandy was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for public and voluntary service.
Watson-Gandy's appointments to boards of companies as well as not-for-profit organisations include:
* Chairman of Kids MBA Ltd;
* Non-Executive Director of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers;
* Chancellor of the British Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
* Liveryman (now Immediate Past Master) of the Scriveners' Company.

## Publications
### Books

* Simple Contract Law - published in London 2020
* KidsMBA: How to build a successful business - published in London 2018
* Personal Insolvency Practice: Litigation Procedure & Precedents 2nd Edition - published by Wildy & Sons, London, 2018
* Corporate Insolvency Practice: Litigation Procedure & Precedents 2nd Edition - published by Wildy & Sons, London 2017
* Tolley's Company Secretary's Review – Corporate Precedents: Directors - published by Wildy & Sons, London 2013
* Personal Insolvency Practice: Litigation Procedure & Precedents – published by Wildy & Sons, London 2012
* Corporate Insolvency Practice: Litigation Procedure & Precedents – published by Wildy & Sons, London 2010
* Watson-Gandy on Accountants – Law, Practice and Procedure, 2nd Edition, published by Wildy & Sons, London 2008
* Watson-Gandy on Accountants – Law, Practice and Procedure, 1st Edition, published by Wildy & Sons, London 2000
* Beyond the Peradventure, published in London 1991.

### Editorships

Watson-Gandy has co-edited Butterworths Corporate Law Service, LexisNexis (Company Law: co-editor since 2008), 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 Watson-Gandy has contributed a monthly column to Business Money, the commercial finance magazine. He also writes and speaks regularly in the media on legal matters and business education.

## Personal life

On 30 April 1997, Watson-Gandy married Emanuella Giavara, advocate on EU copyright legislation.
Watson-Gandy and his wife live at Blackheath, London, and have two children.

## Honours and arms

* OBE: Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
* CStJ: Commander of the Most Venerable Order of Saint John
* SMOM: Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
* Holy See: Knight of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great
* Two Sicilies: Knight of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
* SMOM: Cross pro Merito Melitensi;
* House of Solomon: Officer Order of Menelik II
** Freeman of the City of London
** Freeman of the Goldsmiths' Company
** Master Scrivener for 2022/23.
Coat of arms of Professor Mark Watson-Gandy of Myrton :
* AdoptedGrant (Heralds' College, England) and matriculated, Lyon Court, Scotland (2005)
* CoronetThe chapeau of a Scottish feudal baron
* CrestUpon the Battlements of a Tower Proper a Lamb passant Or holding in its dexter foreleg a Staff also Proper flying therefrom a Pennon Argent charged with a Cross Gules
* EscutcheonQuarterly, 1st and 4th, Per pale Sable and Or five Mascles in cross counterchanged (for BRANDRETH); 2nd, Per pale Argent and Or on a Chevron Azure between in chief a Crescent of the Last between two Martlets Sable and in base a Crescent of the Third a Martlet between two Crescents of the Second (for WATSON); 3rd, Per fess nebuly Gules and Argent in chief two Pairs of Swords in saltire Proper pommel and hilts Or and in base a Saltire couped of the First (for GANDY)
* MottoEsto quod esse videris (Latin)
* OrdersThe circlet of the Order of St John surrounding the Shield and suspended beneath the OBE decoration
* Other elementsAs Master Scrivener, Professor Watson-Gandy was entitled to impale the Scriveners' arms (dexter) with those of his family (sinister)