Barbara Halliday graduated from the University of Glasgow, qualified as a solicitor in Scotland and then moved to Hong Kong, where she was admitted to practice.

After nine years in Hong Kong, specialising in intellectual property, she returned to London as a partner in Denton Hall and then in Willoughby & Partners. 

She also served as an executive at Rouse and Co International, an intellectual property law consultancy.

She joined the University of Southampton in July 2003 and remained there until her retirement, in July 2022.

From July 2003 until February 2019, she was director of legal services at Southampton University, setting up an in-house legal and advisory service with a broad remit, covering commercial, procurement, employment, property and construction law, litigation, mediation, dispute resolution, intellectual property, data protection, freedom of information, education and student issues, and charity law. 

She provided training for on legal and governance issues and also acted as the university’s data protection officer.

In February 2019, Barbara was promoted to role of General Counsel and University Secretary, acting as the university’s principal legal advisor, leading legal services and responsible for advising the executive, members of the University Council and colleagues in academic and professional services, in relation to issues of strategic relevance.

Barbara is also a trustee of the HMS Victory Preservation Company.