Matt’s expertise as Counsel
Matt is a highly experienced international disputes lawyer, with particular expertise in international arbitration, where he enjoys global recognition.
He has extensive experience of commercial and investment treaty disputes across a variety of sectors, including financial services, private equity, technology, energy and natural resources, joint ventures and manufacturing. Matt is called to the Bar of England & Wales, Singapore and Western Australia, as well as being a Hong Kong Solicitor Advocate (non-practising).
Notable Cases:
- Acting for BG (now part of the Shell group) and Reliance in arbitration proceedings exceeding US $5 billion commenced under the UNCITRAL Rules against the Union of India, in disputes arising out of two production sharing contracts, and also advising them in related court proceedings.
- Acting for an international energy company in a dispute with an Asian buyer concerning a long-term contract for the sale of LNG; ICC, Singapore seat.
- Acting for an Asian life-sciences company in a dispute with a service provider concerning the development of a vaccine.
- Acting for the Claimant in the SIAC arbitration proceedings, Westbridge Investments v Anupal Mittal concerning an investment in Shaadi.com, the Indian marriage website.
- Acting for various other private equity investors in disputes with promoters of Indian companies concerning exit rights, including related issues concerning the arbitrability of proceedings before the Indian Company Law Board (the NCLT).
- Acting for the investee company in a dispute between a PRC based technology company and its private equity investors; HKIAC, Hong Kong seat. (Acting in other similar cases)
- Acting for various investment banks in a dispute with counterparties concerning derivatives documented under the ISDA Master Agreement.
- Union of India v Reliance Industries Ltd & Anor [2022] EWHC 1407 (Comm) – Acting for the Claimants against India in long-running commercial arbitration proceedings arising out of two offshore Production Sharing Contracts in the Mumbai basin. The amount in dispute exceeds US$3 billion. There have been three separate challenges to Awards issued in the case before the Commercial Court; Union of India v Reliance Industries Ltd & Anor [2022] EWHC 1407 (Comm) (09 June 2022); Reliance Industries Ltd & Anor v The Union of India [2020] EWHC 263 (Comm) (12 February 2020); Reliance Industries Ltd & Anor v The Union of India [2018] EWHC 822 (Comm) (16 April 2018).
- Nissan Motor Co Ltd v Republic of India (2017, PCA) – Acting for Nissan against India in respect of allegations of failure to provide stable investment conditions in respect of Nissan’s large operation in Tamil Nadu. Claim under the Japan/India CEPA (investment treaty).
- Acting for an oil major in a SIAC arbitration against its joint venture partner relating to exploration activities in an offshore oil and gas block in the Philippines.
- Acting for the Owner in two arbitrations relating to the Ichthys LNG Project, Darwin.
- Acting for two oil majors in contractual and treaty proceedings concerning offshore oil and gas blocks in Thailand.
- Acting for a major private equity group in an HKIAC arbitration arising out of an interest in a real estate fund.
- Baggerwerken Decloedt En Zoon NV v Republic of the Philippines (ICSID, 2017, ICSID) – Acting for the Claimants in an ICSID arbitration against the Republic of the Philippines, arising out of the cancellation of a €280 million infrastructure project. This was the first successful ICSID award obtained against the Republic of the Philippines.
- Deutsche Bank v Sri Lanka (ICSID, ARB09/02) – Acting for Deutsche Bank in its successful arbitration against Sri Lanka under the German-Sri Lanka bilateral investment treaty in respect of indirect expropriation of derivatives.
- Acting for the Belize Bank and various other investors in related treaty claims and investment treaty claims against the Government of Belize.
- Acting for a Chinese SOE in an ICC arbitration in relation a project to redevelop an oil refinery in Central America.
- X, Y v ZPRC, ZHK [2020] HKCFI 631 – Acting for the Plaintiff in anti-suit injunction proceedings in Hong Kong against the Defendants in respect of proceedings commenced in the PRC in breach of the arbitration agreement.
- Competition Commission v Nutanix & Others CTEA 1 of 2017 – Acting for a software company (1st Respondent) in the first set of breach proceedings brought by the Hong Kong Competition Commission.