Matthew joined Twenty Essex in 2019 after successfully completing his pupillage. He is developing a broad commercial practice in line with Chambers’ profile. In particular, during pupillage, he gained experience in matters relating to arbitration, shipping and international trade, civil fraud, banking, and the conflict of laws.
Before coming to the Bar, Matthew read law at the University of Oxford, where he obtained a first class degree and ranked second in the year. He then went on to complete the Bachelor of Civil Law at Oxford with Distinction and the Bar Professional Training Course at City Law School, where he achieved the second best results in the year. He also gave tutorials to law undergraduates as a lecturer of Somerville College, Oxford.
Matthew is a native speaker of Mandarin Chinese and has a good understanding of the Asian markets. In particular, he maintains a keen interest in the legal industry in Singapore, where he grew up.
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Example cases
- Assisted in a High Court claim involving alleged fraud and forgery in respect of financing transaction documents, including a swap agreement under the ISDA Master Agreement.
- Assisted in Commercial Court proceedings for an anti-suit injunction to restrain foreign proceedings; injunction was obtained on the ‘quasi-contractual’ basis despite foreign proceedings having been on foot for more than a year.
- Assisted in a Commercial Court application to enforce a Stockholm arbitral award worth in excess of £100 million against a European state, raising issues as to the impact of Slovak Republic v Achmea BV (Case C-284/16) in the light of Brexit.
- Assisted in an application to intervene in a Supreme Court appeal relating to the removal of an arbitrator for lack of impartiality.
- Assisted in a Commercial Court return-date hearing concerning the grant of interim anti-suit injunctions, including on the ‘quasi-contractual’ basis.
- Assisted in a section 68 challenge to an ICC award in the Commercial Court.
- Assisted in an UNCITRAL arbitration concerning the conduct of a tender for the supply of equipment for the development of a Kazakh oilfield.
- Assisted in a GAFTA arbitration concerning non-delivery under an f.o.b. contract and an ancillary application for a worldwide freezing order.
- Assisted in an ad hoc arbitration concerning cargo owners’ liability for shipping dangerous goods, which raised an issue as to the proper operation of section three of the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1992.
Arbitration
Matthew has experience of arbitrations under ICC, SCC, UNCITRAL and GAFTA rules as well as of arbitration-related court applications. Examples include:
- Assisted in a Commercial Court application to enforce a Stockholm arbitral award worth in excess of £100 million against a European state, raising issues as to the impact of Slovak Republic v Achmea BV (Case C-284/16) in the light of Brexit.
- Assisted in an application to intervene in a Supreme Court appeal relating to the removal of an arbitrator for lack of impartiality.
- Assisted in a section 68 challenge to an ICC award in the Commercial Court.
- Assisted in an UNCITRAL arbitration concerning the conduct of a tender for the supply of equipment for the development of a Kazakh oilfield.
- Assisted in a GAFTA arbitration concerning non-delivery under an f.o.b. contract and an ancillary application for a worldwide freezing order.
- Assisted in an ad hoc arbitration concerning the withdrawal of a vessel under a time charterparty following late payment of hire.
- Assisted in an ad hoc arbitration concerning a claim for the price under a ship sale contract and allegations of sham.
- Assisted in an ad hoc arbitration concerning cargo owners’ liability for shipping dangerous goods, which raised an issue as to the proper operation of section 3 of the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1992.
Banking and financial services
- Assisted in a High Court claim involving alleged fraud and forgery in respect of financing transaction documents, including a swap agreement under the ISDA Master Agreement.
Civil fraud and asset tracing
- Assisted in a High Court claim involving alleged fraud and forgery in respect of financing transaction documents, including a swap agreement under the ISDA Master Agreement.
- Assisted in a GAFTA arbitration concerning non-delivery under an f.o.b. contract and an ancillary application for a worldwide freezing order.
Commodities & international trade
- Assisted in a GAFTA arbitration concerning non-delivery under an f.o.b. contract and an ancillary application for a worldwide freezing order
- Assisted in advising an international trade association on its by-laws and arbitral procedures.
Energy and infrastructure
- Assisted in an UNCITRAL arbitration concerning the conduct of a tender for the supply of equipment for the development of a Kazakh oilfield.
Jurisdiction, conflicts and enforcement
- Assisted in a Commercial Court application to enforce a Stockholm arbitral award worth in excess of £100 million against a European state, raising issues as to the impact of Slovak Republic v Achmea BV (Case C-284/16) in the light of Brexit.
- Assisted in a Commercial Court claim for an anti-suit injunction to restrain foreign proceedings; injunction was obtained on the ‘quasi-contractual’ basis despite foreign proceedings having been on foot for more than a year.
- Assisted in a Commercial Court return-date hearing concerning the continuation of interim anti-suit injunctions, including on the ‘quasi-contractual’ basis.
Shipping
- Instructed in an LMAA arbitration concerning a charterparty claim arising from owner’s breach of seaworthiness obligation (with Karen Maxwell).
- Assisted in an ad hoc arbitration concerning the withdrawal of a vessel under a time charterparty following late payment of hire.
- Assisted in an ad hoc arbitration concerning a claim for the price under a ship sale contract and allegations of sham.
- Assisted in an ad hoc arbitration concerning cargo owners’ liability for shipping dangerous goods, which raised an issue as to the proper operation of section 3 of the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1992.
- Assisted in advising on a demurrage claim under a voyage charter.
