Overview

Matthew qualified as a solicitor in 1977 and practised with London law firms in domestic and international business disputes and commercial property cases.

He became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in 1992 and in 1996 obtained a Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration. He sat regularly as sole arbitrator in domestic and international arbitrations and conducted arbitrations for parties under a variety of rules including ICC and LCIA.

In 2002 he was appointed as a Recorder.

In 2012 he became a Chancery Master and Chief Master in 2014. He has recently retired from that role although continues to sit as a Deputy Chancery Master. Matthew has experience in the full range of work conducted in the Chancery Division including business disputes, banking, professional negligence, real estate, trusts and probate.

Matthew has wide experience in dispute resolution as a solicitor acting for parties in mediations. He set up the Chancery Financial Dispute Resolution procedure in the Chancery Division which uses a mix of facilitation and evaluation. While he was Chief Master he conducted Chancery FDRs in a range of cases.

Matthew is an accredited mediator.

In 2015 he was appointed an Honorary Bencher of Gray’s Inn.

He is available to accept appointments as a sole arbitrator or as a member of a panel.

Notable recent cases

Notable recent cases while a Chief Master

Real estate

UBS AG v Rose Capital Ventures Ltd [2018] EWHC 3137 (Ch)

Commerz Real Investmentgesellschaft mbh v TFS Stores [2021] EWHC 863 (Ch)

Riverside CREM 3 Ltd v Virgin Active Health Clubs  [2021] EWHC 746 (Ch)

Trusts and Estates

Harris v Earwicker [2015] EWHC 1915 (Ch)

Long v Rodman [2019] EWHC 753 (Ch)

Schumacher v Clarke [2019] EWHC 1031 (Ch)

London Capital & Finance plc v  Global Security Trustees Ltd [2019] EWHC 3339 (Ch)

Henchley v Thompson [2017] EWHC 225 (Ch)

Bhusate v Patel [2018] EWHC 2362 (Ch)

Gelber v Sunderland Foundation [2018] EWHC 2344 (Ch)

Ninian v Findlay [2019] EWHC 297 (Ch)

Cotterell v Allendale [2020] EWHC 2234 (Ch)

Re Studdert deceased [2020] EWHC 1869 (Ch)

Tax

Kyte v HMRC [2018] EWHC 1146 (Ch)

Banking

Standish v RBS [2019] EWHC 3116 (Ch)

Broomhead v National Westminster Bank [2020] EWHC 1005 (Ch) and [2021] EWHC 105 (Ch)

Boyse International Ltd  v NatWest Markets Ltd [2020] EWHC 1267 (Ch)

Pensions

Sovereign Trustees Ltd v Lewis [2016] EWHC 2593 (Ch) [2016] Pen LR 345

Unipart Group Ltd v UGC Pension Trustees Ltd [2018] EWHC 2124 [2018] Pen LR 18

Blatchford Ltd v Blatchford [2019] EWHC 2743 (Ch) [2020] Pen LR 5

SPS Technologies Ltd v Moitt  [2020] EWHC 2421 (Ch) [2021] Pen LR 6

Lloyds Banking Group Pensions Trustees Ltd v Lloyds Bank Ltd [2020] EWHC 3135 (Ch)