Professor Rob Bradgate 1957-2014

Rob Bradgate was Edward Bramley Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Sheffield School of Law. Rob studied law at the University of Cambridge, and joined the University of Sheffield as lecturer in law in 1989. He was appointed to a Chair in Commercial Law in 2002, and became Edward Bramley Professor of Commercial Law in 2008, a post which he held until his retirement in 2010.

Rob published widely in the fields of commercial law, specialising in commercial and consumer transactions. His Oxford University Press monograph, Commercial Law, is one of the leading authorities on English commercial law. Among his many contributions to his discipline, Rob served as the convener of the contract, commercial and consumer law group of the Society of Legal Scholars for many years. He brought together legal scholars from around the world. In March 2011, he gave a valedictory lecture on What's the Point of Commercial Law, which was enjoyed by academic staff and practices from Sheffield and elsewhere. A symposium was held in Sheffield in his honour in September 2011, and a book, dedicated to him, was published by Cambridge University Press as a result.

Rob's contributions to the Law School, throughout his faithful 21 years of service, are too many to recount. They include significant contributions to the life of the School, such as developing its Undergraduate Curriculum and serving as its Director of Research.

Unfortunately, Rob was forced into early retirement due to being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2006. His wife and soulmate, Margaret, cared for him until his untimely death in 2014. He will be remembered by students and colleagues alike for, among other things, his highly entertaining and informative lectures, his incisive intellect and analytical approach, and his sharp and extremely dry sense of humour.