Mark Watson-Gandy OBE

Mark is hugely knowledgeable of insolvency. He is great at putting clients at their ease, is a strong advocate and a good cross-examiner.
Legal 500 (2025)
Mark Watson-Gandy is a distinguished barrister, with a considerable restructuring and insolvency practice. He is routinely instructed as sole counsel to handle complex and high value claims, concerning investor disputes, insolvent companies, liquidation and administration.
Chambers UK Bar (2026)
He is an excellent advocate and is well versed in insolvency matters and commercial litigation.
Chambers UK Bar (2026)
He is unflappable and gives good advice to his clients.
Chambers UK Bar (2026)
His technical knowledge is excellent, but he's also very client-friendly and is able to take very complex legal principals and facts and apply them in a digestible way.
Chambers UK Bar (2026)

Overview

Professor Mark Watson-Gandy was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1990. He was a Junior Counsel to the Crown from 2000 to 2012. In 2013, he was also called to the Eastern Caribbean Bar (British Virgin Islands, where he is on the panel of government counsel) and in 2018 to the DIFC (Dubai) Bar.

He is a Visiting Professor at the University of Westminster (where 20 years ago he founded its Corporate Finance Law LLM) and at the Université de Lorraine in France. He is a member of the Court at the University of Essex. His books have included “Simple Contract Law”, “Corporate Insolvency Practice”, “Personal Insolvency Practice” and “Watson-Gandy on Accountants”. He is one of the Editors of “Butterworths Corporate Law Service” and “Tolley’s Insolvency Law”.

As a barrister, Mark successfully defended the appeal over a US $1.5 billion recoupment claim in the Stanford International Bank liquidation in Antigua and was counsel for the amicus in the Fairfield Sentry liquidation (Bernie Madoff) in the BVI. He also successfully represented the administrators in the Cambridge Analytica administration in the UK. He drafted the legislation on auditors for DIFC (Dubai). Both Chambers Directory and Legal 500 rated him as a leading junior for insolvency in their 2026 edition.

Until September 2025 he served as Chair of the UK Home Office’s Science & Technology Ethics Advisory Group, a non-departmental public body advising Home Office Ministers on ethics in the areas of forensics, biometrics, AI and big data. He was also a member of the Home Office Scientific Advisory Council and the advisory board of NSTiX, the UK government National Security Technology and Innovation Exchange.

His Holiness Pope Benedict knighted him in recognition of “his work as a barrister and law professor for the Catholic Church” in 2007 (KSG). He was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2024 New Year’s Honours List.

Areas of expertise

Cases of interest

Seneschall v Trisant Foods [2023] EWHC 109 (unfair prejudice).
Khan v Sing-Sall [2022] Bus LR 1045 (discretion to annul bankruptcy).
Mshila v Pontes [2021] EWHC 3756 (striking out of a just and equitable petition).
Focal Image Ltd v Al-Jaber [2021] Represented the Sheikh on summary judgement applications over a £4 million loan.
Cambridge Analytica [2019] 2 B.C.L.C. 664, [2019] B.P.I.R. 833, [2018-19] Counsel for the administrators in the Cambridge Analytica / SCL administrations.
Stanford International Bank [2020] 1 B.C.L.C. 446 [2015-2019] (Admitted pro tem as an attorney-at-law at the Antigua and Barbuda Bar to appear as leading counsel) representing the court appointed amicus curiae on first instance and on the liquidator’s appeals to the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal and to the Privy Council on a $1.3 billion recoupment claim over the 2nd largest Ponzi scheme ever.
Fairfield Sentry [2018] Appeared as counsel for the amicus curiae on this case over proposed allocations by the liquidator between the Bernie Madoff investment funds.
Natrass v UKIP [2013] Represented the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) in over the fairness of their election process after the de-selection of their former Deputy Leader, Mike Nattrass as a MEP candidate.
Ticketus v Whyte [2013] Represented Craig Whyte in the £27 million claim brought by Ticketus in relation to the financing of his acquisition of Rangers Football Club.
McGuinness v Feely [2012] bankruptcy forum shopping claim.
Schofield v Schofield [2011] 2 BCLC 319 Court of Appeal decision on the Duomatic principle.
Kaupthing Capital Partners [2010] All ER (D) 191 validity of the administration of the investment fund of Iceland’s largest Bank.
Re: Marrache [2010] specially admitted to the Gibraltar Bar to appear as leading counsel in this high profile bankruptcy case before the Gibraltar Court of Appeal
Papal Visit [2010] – Counsel for the Bishops’ Conference on the Papal Visit.
R (Singh) v HMRC [2010] All ER (D) 39, [2010] UKUT 174 (TCC); [2010] B.T.C. 1548; [2010] S.T.I. 1723 Acted for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs on this case on the effect of bankruptcy on a tax judicial review.
Watersheds v DaCosta [2009] 2 BCLC 515 financial services and the recoverability of corporate finance finders fees.
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board v ST-CMS (2008) Lloyds Rep 93 jurisdictional dispute over a £170m power station in India. Led by Steven Gee QC.
Feetum v Levy (2006) The Times, 2nd January: bar on administrative receivers under Enterprise Act 2002; £50m project finance exception. Led by John McDonnell QC.
Dubai Financial Services Authority – Assisted in the drafting of new regulations governing the profession of auditor in Dubai.
Society of Lloyd’s v Levy [2004] All ER (D) 1860 (Comm): Lloyd’s Names challenge to premium claims under the Audit Directive.
R (on the application of Barnett) v Inland Revenue Commissioners [2003] All ER (D) 429, [2003] SWTI 1875 judicial review over the powers of the general commissioners on tax appeals.
DTI v Daniel (2002) The Times 8th April, (2002) All ER (D) 354, (2002) Law Society Gazette 16th May, 31, (2002) 146 SJLB 93: acted for DTI both at first instance and before the Court of Appeal in this human rights test case on the reverse burden of proof in bankruptcy prosecutions. Led on appeal by James Eadie.
Berlusconi v The Economist: advised Silvio Berlusconi in his claim for libel against the Economist over allegations that he was unfit to be President of Italy.

Qualifications & appointments

2023 – British Virgin Islands Government Legal Services Panel Counsel.
2021 – Abu Dhabi Global Market Arbitration Centre – Panel of Arbitrators.
2019 – Present – Great Legal Services Champion, Ministry of Justice.
2019 – 2025: Chair – Science & Technology Ethics Advisory Committee.
2018 – Present – Visiting Professor – Université de Lorraine.
2003 – 2006: A List, Prosecuting Counsel to the Crown (B List 2002).
2000 – 2012: Junior Counsel to the Crown (Civil) – reappointed 2003, 2005 & 2007.
1999 – 2002: Prosecuting Counsel, Department of Trade & Industry.
2016 – Present: Chairman – Disciplinary Appeals Committee, Institute of Financial Accountants
2015 – Present: Member of Court, University of Essex
2007 – Present: Special Lecturer, Cass Business School, City University
1999 – Present: Visiting Professor, University of Westminster
1999 – Present: Honorary President – London Arbitration Centre

Memberships

Association of Business Recovery Professionals (“R3”), Fellow (FBRPA)
Insolvency Lawyers Association, Member
Chancery Bar Association, Member

Publications

Simple Contract Law: A brief introduction to English Contract Law – KDP, 2020
Watson-Gandy on Personal Insolvency Practice: Litigation Procedure & Precedents – Wildy’s Legal Publishing – 3rd edition, 2023
Watson-Gandy on Corporate Insolvency Practice: Litigation Procedure & Precedents – Wildy’s Legal Publishing – 3rd edition, 2025
International Trends of Criminal Compliance, Professors Tai & Tageguchi, Shinyama-Sha, Japan, 2015, (UK Contributor)
Tolley’s Company Secretary’s Review – Corporate Precedents: Directors, Lexis Nexis 2013
Butterworths Corporate Law Service, Lexis Nexis (Company Law: co-editor since 2008)
Watson-Gandy on Accountants – Law, Practice and Procedure, 1st Edition, Barry Rose Law Publishers – 2000, 2nd Edition Hammicks Legal Publishing – 2008
Tax Advocacy, ICAEW Tax Digest – 2000
Thomson Tax Guide (tax encyclopaedia – co-editor – 1998, Avoidance, Evasion and Tax Investigations)
Beyond the Peradventure, Barry Rose Law Publishers – 1991