Barristers

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE:

Matthew studied law at Oxford University (New College) and spent 24 years at Allen & Overy before being called to the Bar in England & Wales. He was Chairperson of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre from 2017-2020 and was previously co-chair of the LCIA Young International Arbitration Group.  He is now a Vice-President of the LCIA Court. Matthew is also a Hong Kong solicitor-advocate. 

Matthew has particular experience of acting in arbitrations across Asia, having been principally based in Hong Kong. He acts as counsel and arbitrator. He has a long history of coming to Western Australia for work and personal reasons and has acted in a number of arbitrations related to projects in Western Australia.

In Chambers Global 2022, he is ranked as a Global Market Leader for Arbitration (International), in the Spotlight Table for arbitration in the Asia Pacific region and in band 1 for his arbitration work in Singapore. His arbitration expertise in China, India and Philippines is also recognised in the guide. Matthew is also ranked in Band 1 for Dispute Resolution: Arbitration: The English Bar – Singapore, in the Spotlight Table for International Arbitration across Asia Pacific and in Experts Based Abroad – Philippines, in Chambers Asia Pacific 2022. In recognition of his contribution to the Asian legal community, in 2019, Chambers & Partners awarded Matthew the Outstanding Achievement Award.  He has also been listed in the Hall of Fame for International Arbitration in Hong Kong by The Legal 500 and is currently ranked by the directory for his commercial work across the Asia Pacific region.

Matthew’s experience extends to both commercial and investment treaty arbitrations, including under various rules such as ICC, UNCITRAL, SIAC, HKIAC, KLRCA, SCC, LCIA and ICSID, and in a variety of sectors including technology, financial services, energy, natural resources and manufacturing.  For example, he is acting for British Gas plc (now part of the Shell group) and Reliance Industries Limited in their long running dispute with the Government of India concerning two offshore fields in the Mumbai basin, Union of India v Reliance Industries Limited and another [2022] EWHC 1407 (Comm), and earlier related decisions, https://www.italaw.com/cases/6627.

In terms of his work as arbitrator, Matthew’s appointments are wide-ranging, across a full range of contractual matters, a variety of seats around the world and many different sets of institutional rules, as well as investment treaty matters (see for example, https://investmentpolicy.unctad.org/investment-dispute-settlement/cases/1196/zhongshan-fucheng-v-nigeria).

He also edits Russell on Arbitration, a leading textbook on arbitration.