Mark Watson-Gandy

Born in 1967 to Alastair Watson-Gandy and Barbara née Madry, scion of the Watson-Gandy-Brandreth gentry family,[4] 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 courtesy territorial designation "of Myrton" as a feudal baron.[5][6]

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.[7] Since 1999, he has been a visiting professor of the University of Westminster, he has pioneered its LLM degree in Corporate Finance Law,[8] and is a Special Lecturer at Cass Business School.[9]

In 2000, he was appointed by Lord Williams of Mostyn as a Junior Counsel to the Crown where he served until 2012.[10] In 2010, he was counsel to the Conference of Bishops for the State Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom.[11] He then advised Gurkha veterans for the All-Party Parliamentary Group Enquiry on Gurkha Welfare.[12]

In 2013, Watson-Gandy represented Craig Whyte in litigation over the financing of his ill-fated acquisition of Rangers Football Club.[13] 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.[14] 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.[15]

Beginning in 2019, Watson-Gandy became Chairman of the Biometrics and Forensic Ethics Group.[2] Formerly known as the National DNA Database Ethics Group, it is a Home Office non-departmental public body.[3] He is also a member of the Home Office Science Advisory Council.[16] He is also the former Chairman of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England[17] and the Pure Cremation Group.[15]

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.[18]

On 30 April 1997, Watson-Gandy married Emanuella Giavara, advocate on EU copyright legislation.[28]

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

• CStJ: Commander of the Most Venerable Order of Saint John[29]
• SMOM: Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta[30]
• Holy See: Knight of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great[31]
• Two Sicilies: Knight of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George[32]
• SMOM: Cross pro Merito Melitensi;[33]
  • Freeman of the City of London[34]
  • Freeman of the Goldsmiths' Company[35]
  • Master Scrivener for 2022/23.[36]