Sir Gordon Langley went to Westminster School, then studied law at Balliol College, Oxford. He was called to the Bar by Inner Temple in 1966, and practiced commercial law as a member of Fountain Court Chambers. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1983, and was a Recorder from 1986 to 1995, when he was made a Judge of the Queen's Bench Division and was nominated to sit in the Commercial Court. After retiring from the Bench in 2007, he served successively as Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the Panel On Takeovers & Mergers between. He practices as a commercial arbitrator.

Sir Gordon enjoys music and sport.