Mark Watson-Gandy

Professor Mark Watson-Gandy (born 8 November 1967) is a British lawyer and educationalist, specialising in UK insolvency law.[1]

Mark Watson-Gandy
Born	November 8, 1967 Buckinghamshire, UK
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Essex University
Occupation	Barrister-at-law
Known for	Corporate law
Spouse(s)	Emanuella Johanna Christina née Giavara (m. 1997)
Children	1 son, 1 daughter
Relatives	Admiral Alec Tyndale-Biscoe; Gyles Brandreth.

Since 2019 he is Chairman of the Biometrics and Forensic Ethics Group,[2] a Home Office non-departmental public body, formerly known as the National DNA Database Ethics Group.[3]

Background and education

The only son of Alastair Watson-Gandy and Barbara née Madry, scion of the Watson-Gandy-Brandreth gentry family.[4] In Scotland, he is accorded the courtesy territorial designation "of Myrton" as a feudal baron.[5][6]

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 (LLB).

Career

Called to the Bar in 1990 at the Inner Temple then, in 2013, to the Eastern Caribbean Bar (British Virgin Islands), since 2017 Watson-Gandy is also a member of the Dubai Bar Association.[7] Appointed, in 2000 by Lord Williams of Mostyn, he served as a Junior Counsel to the Crown until 2012.[8]

A member of Three Stone Chambers,[9] since 1999, as a Visiting Professor of the University of Westminster, he has pioneered its LLM degree in Corporate Finance Law,[10] and is a Special Lecturer at Cass Business School.[11]

In 2013, Watson-Gandy represented Craig Whyte in litigation over the financing of his ill-fated acquisition of Rangers Football Club.[12] 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,[13] 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 (Bernie Madoff's investment fund) 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,[14] he then advised Gurkha veterans for the All-Party Parliamentary Group Enquiry on Gurkha Welfare.[15]

His appointments to boards of companies as well as not-for-profit organizations include:

• Chairman of Kids MBA Ltd;[16]
• Chairman of Pure Cremation UK Ltd;[17]
• Chairman of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England;[18]
• Fellow and Head of Professional Standards for the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers;[19]
• Liveryman (now Warden) of the Scriveners' Company.[20]

Publications

Books

• 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[21]
• Corporate Insolvency Practice: Litigation Procedure & Precedents – published by Wildy & Sons, London 2010[22]
• Watson-Gandy on Accountants – Law, Practice and Procedure, 2nd Edition, published by Wildy & Sons, London 2008[23]
• Watson-Gandy on Accountants – Law, Practice and Procedure, 1st Edition, published by Wildy & Sons, London 2000[24]
• Beyond the Peradventure, published in London 1991.[25]

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.[1]

Writing and speaking

Since 1997 he contributes a monthly column to Business Money, the commercial finance magazine.[26]

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[27] and daughter of Dott. Dionisi Giuseppe Giavara.[28]

Professor Watson-Gandy and his wife live at Blackheath, London SE3, and have two children.

Honours and arms

• 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;
  • Freeman of the City of London
  • Freeman of the Goldsmiths' Company.

Coat of arms of Professor Mark Watson-Gandy of Myrton

Adopted Matriculated, Lyon Court (2005)[29] Crest Upon 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. Escutcheon Quarterly, 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).

References

1. "Mark WATSON-GANDY OF MYRTON". Debretts. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
2. "Biometrics and Forensics Ethics Group announces new chair". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
3. "Professor becomes chair for Biometrics and Forensics Ethics Group | Planet Biometrics News". www.planetbiometrics.com. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
4. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition 2003, Volume 2, page 2848
5. "Court of Lord Lyon - mygov.scot". www.mygov.scot.
6. "Change of Name and/or Arms". www.thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
7. "Mark Watson-Gandy - Barristers - Three Stone".
8. "Attorney General's Civil Panel Counsel: appointments, membership lists and off panel counsel". GOV.UK.
9. "Mark Watson-Gandy | Barristers". Three Stone.
10. "Prof Mark Watson-Gandy - University of Westminster - Academia.edu". westminster.academia.edu.
11. "Cass Professor nominated for 2009". www.cass.city.ac.uk.
12. "Ex-Rangers owner Craig Whyte begins appeal against Ticketus ruling". HeraldScotland.
13. "Developer McFeely bankruptcy overturned following challenge".
14. "In the City: Edward Fennell".
15. "Gurkha Pensions - The Tri-Partite Agreement". www.army.mod.uk.
16. Singh, Rani. "'We Need An MBA For Kids,' Says Advocate".
17. "Leading UK Direct Cremation Specialist | Pure Cremation™". Pure Cremation.
18. "Fortuna 50: The UK's fastest growing women-led small businesses - The Centre for Entrepreneurs".
19. "Professional Conduct". www.bookkeepers.org.uk.
20. "Scriveners Company in London". www.scriveners.org.uk.
21. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/law/columnists/article2616098.ece
22. Fennell, Edward. "In the City: happy days are here again — or is that just for the legal profession?".
23. "Wildy & Sons Ltd — The World's Legal Bookshop Search Results for isbn: '9781858116006'". www.wildy.com.
24. "Wildy & Sons Ltd — The World's Legal Bookshop Search Results for isbn: '9781858116006'". www.wildy.com.
25. "Beyond the peradventure | Books | Encyclopedia of law".
26. "City barrister Professor Mark Watson-Gandy explains about early neutral evaluation". www.business-money.com.
27. "History - European Bureau of Library Information and Documentation Associations (EBLIDA)". www.eblida.org.
28. "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com.
29. "Change of Name and/or Arms". www.thegazette.co.uk.