Matthew is often instructed by corporate entities and insurers to represent defendant companies and/or directors in health and safety, fire safety, food safety and environmental prosecutions, many of which involve complex technical issues and expert evidence. Many of these cases are heard at the Crown Court and at appeal. In addition, he provides advice on corporate governance issues including bribery and corruption. Matthew has been led in multiple cases by King’s Counsel. In addition, Matthew is very experienced in representing clients prosecuted by KC’s as well as co-defending with them.

Matthew enjoys a busy and diverse clinical negligence practice. Matthew has acted in claims involving NHS Trusts, general practitioners, surgeons, dentists and other medical professionals. These instructions cover work across maternity, pain management, gynaecology, orthopaedic surgery, neurology, dental surgery, orthodontics, gastroenterology and other medical fields.

Matthew is very comfortable dealing with experts and advising on matters of breach and causation.  He takes a very practical and pragmatic approach in the advice he provides on tactics.

Matthew is regularly instructed both for Claimants and Defendants to deal with road traffic accidents with elements of credit hire. He is often instructed to advise on evidence and tactics or conduct trials in such cases. He is familiar with all arguments commonly raised in credit hire cases including enforceability, need, period and rate. Matthew is regularly involved on the multi-track in large claims involving the hire of prestige vehicles or taxi claims where hire has exceeded £50,000.

Matthew is regularly instructed on a broad range of probate disputes, including challenges to the validity of wills, and to the disposition of the deceased’s estate by claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.

He regularly acts on contentious and non-contentious matters relating to the administration of estates, including undue influence, lack of knowledge and approval, and lack of capacity.

Matthew has experience in other chancery matters, including proceedings for removal and replacement of executors.

Matthew regularly acts for insurance interests arising from a variety of claims such as personal injury, fire, property damage, fraud, MIB and Article 75 issues, and general indemnity issues.

Matthew has a particular interest in fraud claims, which dovetails with his criminal and personal injury practices as claims involve dishonesty and liability issues falling within these areas of expertise.

Indeed, Matthew was instructed in the successful private criminal prosecution brought by an insurer against three defendants for defrauding an insurance company arising from a fraudulent claim for personal injuries.

Matthew regularly acts for defendant insurers in multi-track claims and undertakes work in all areas of the personal injury field, particularly those which involve complex technical issues and expert evidence beyond that of clinicians. He acts for a number of local authorities and public bodies, local and national transport companies, as well as private companies and individuals.

Matthew acts for both regulatory bodies and regulated professionals. He is frequently instructed by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, the Health and Care Professional Council, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council in substantive hearings.

Matthew’s experience regularly includes cases involving vulnerable witnesses, allegations of serious sexual misconduct and dishonesty.

Matthew also sits as Chairman of the Appeals Tribunal of the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain, adjudicating on disputes that are often of a commercial and technical nature.

Matthew acts for a variety of professions, including solicitors who find themselves at risk of negligent conduct of litigation, such as under settlement in personal injury matters, as well as for negligent conduct of non-contentious business.

Matthew is frequently instructed in property damage cases, many of which are subrogated insurance claims for insurers, involving expert engineering evidence.

Instructions include fire damage claims with expert engineering evidence on the cause of the fire; accidental damage claims; water damage claims; damage from falling objects; and significant storm damage claims.

Engineering evidence has often been disputed, resulting in Matthew drafting  Part 35 questions and joint agendas for expert engineers.

Matthew regularly advises and defends individuals prosecuted for causing death whilst driving. He has unique experience in this area as he can straddle both the criminal, coronial and civil court jurisdictions and understands the tactical issues faced by lay clients and their insurers when facing linked criminal and civil prosecutions.

In addition, Matthew has significant prosecution experience being a Category 3 prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service. He regularly prosecutes serious matters in the North West of England and North Wales, such as serious fraud, conspiracies involving the production and distribution of controlled drugs, serious violence and death by driving.

In the past Matthew has been engaged by the Serious Fraud Office as Disclosure Counsel. Matthew has been led in multiple cases by King’s Counsel. In addition, Matthew is very experienced in representing clients prosecuted by KC’s as well as co-defending with them.

Matthew has significant litigation experience representing claimants and defendants in respect of accidents that result in injury or death; this includes dealing with claims that have a foreign element or jurisdictional issue. He is a member of PEOPIL.

He has appeared in many cases involving accidents which have occurred abroad, holiday sickness claims illness, road traffic accidents, Montreal and Athens Convention claims and claims against foreign insurers, including claims brought in the Admiralty Division.

Most recently, he has had to consider jurisdictional matters arising from accidents at sea, such as on a sailing yacht in territorial waters; as well as incidents in the air, e.g. claim arising out of engine failure on a commercial aircraft resulting in injury; advising on contribution proceedings in the Republic of Korea.

• Manchester Metropolitan University, BVC.
• College of Law, PgDL.
• University of Manchester, Russian Studies BA (Hons).
• Moscow State Linguistic University.
• Marlborough College, Wiltshire.
• Birkbeck, University of London, MSc in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics  

• Health and Safety Lawyers Association.
• Criminal Bar Association.
• Personal Injury Bar Association.
• London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association.

Married with children. Matthew enjoys motorcycling and skiing.