Matthew has a national practice that covers all aspects of employment, industrial, and occupational health and safety law. It also includes public law and criminal law.
Matthew acts for clients across a broad range of industries, including building and construction, mining, aviation, financial services, health, education, transport, retail, manufacturing, power generation and stevedoring. He also acts for various State and Federal government agencies.
Matthew was recognised in Doyle's Guide's Leading Employment Law Junior Counsel - Australia (2021), Leading Employment Law Junior Counsel - Victoria (2021, 2020, 2019), Leading Workplace Health & Safety Law Junior Counsel - Victoria (2021, 2020, 2019) and as Emerging Employment & WHS Junior Counsel in 2017.
Matthew is a Victoria Legal Aid Criminal Trial Preferred Barrister, an accredited specialist criminal law advocate under the Victorian Bar's Indictable Crime Certificate program, and a member of the Complex Criminal Law Panel of the Legal Services Commission in South Australia. Matthew has also represented individuals in inquisitorial and coercive proceedings.
A selection of Matthew's cases include:
Industrial
- CFMMEU v Qube Ports Pty Ltd [2021] FWC 732
- Dr Ngoc Le v Western Health [2020] FWC 6461
- Lloyd v Department of Justice and Community Safety [2019] FWCFB 7804; [2019] FWC 5020
- Australian Municipal, Administrative, Clerical and Services Union v Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd [2019] FWC 7960
- Application by Independent Purchasing Company (Australasia) Limited (AG2019/1966)
- Civil Air Operations Officers' Association of Australia v Airservices Australia [2019] FWC 5369
- AMWU v Stramit Corporation Pty Ltd [2019] FWC
- CFMMEU v Townsville Marine Logistics Pty Ltd & Ors [2019] FWCFB 3589 (with F Parry QC)
- Tiger Airways Australia Pty Ltd T/A Tigerair Australia v Australian Federation of Air Pilots [2018] FWC 7845
- National Patient Transport Pty Ltd T/A National Patient Transport v United Voice; Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation [2018] FWC 2068
- Electrical Home-Aids Pty Limited t/a Godfreys v Employee represented by the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association [2018] FWC 237
Occupational Health & Safety
- VWA v Arrow Wood Products Pty Ltd [2020] MCV
- VWA v Clifford Hallam Healthcare Pty Ltd [2020] MCV
- Work Health and Safety Queensland v Mackay Sugar Pty Ltd [2019] QMC
- VWA v A Alderton Plumbing Services Pty Ltd [2019] MCV
- VWA v Roger Keen Plumbing Pty Ltd [2019] MCV
- VWA v Safety Scaffolding Pty Ltd [2019] MCV
Judicial Review
Employment
Regulatory and Crime
- Fair Work Ombudsman v Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (MV Portland Case) (No 2) [2020] FCA 1138 (with J Firkin QC)
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia v Johnson [2020] VCAT 205
- Fair Work Ombudsman v A & S Wholesale Fruit & Vegetables Pty Ltd & Ors [2019] FCCA 1838 (with R Dalton QC)
- DPP v Rowe [2017] VCC 1731
- Police v D (a Child) [2017] VChC (accused was charged with rape, found not guilty)
- Fair Work Ombudsman v Hiyi Pty Ltd [2016] FCCA 1634
- R v Ali Ilfaaz [2016] VCC (accused was charged with two counts of rape, acquitted by a jury)
