Matthew practices in commercial, industrial and public law. He advises and acts in commercial disputes including contract, consumer, building and construction law. His public law matters include judicial and merits review, and coronial inquests.

Matthew's more notable apperances include acting for the:

• successful plaintiffs in the Malaysia Soution case; Plaintiff M70 and M106 v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (2011) 244 CLR 144 (led by D Mortimer SC (now a Justice of the Federal Court), R Niall QC (now a Justice of Appeal of the Supreme Court) and K Walker (now QC and Solicitor-General for Victoria);
• successful plaintiffs in each of the three contested proceedings concerning the detention of children in Barwon maximum security adult prison; Certain Children by their Litigation Guardian v State of Victoria [2016] VSC 796 (led by B Walters QC and P Morrissey SC), [2016] VSCA 343, [2017] VSC 153 (led by B Walters QC), [2017] VSC 304, [2017] VSC 251 (led by I Freckelton QC (now a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nauru);
• Commonwealth in the harassment claim by James Ashby against the speaker of the Federal parliament, Peter Slipper; Ashby v Commonwealth and Slipper (2012) 209 FCR 65 (led by J Burnside QC)
• successful respondent in Minister for Immigration v SZQRB [2012] FCA 1053, [2012] FMCA 892, (2013) 210 FCR 505, 132 ALD 269, [2013] HCATrans 323 (Special Full Federal Court; un-led, led by D Mortimer SC and by R Merkel QC (formerly a  Justice of the Federal Court))

Matthew has appeared in all courts in the Victorian and Federal hierarchy. His recent appearances include:

High Court of Australia

Matthew has appeared before the Full Bench of the High Court in ten proceedings as junior to R Merkel QC, J Burnside QC, P Hanks QC, W Harris QC, A Broadfoot QC, C Harris QC, among others, including the following:

• TTY167 v Republic of Nauru [2018] HCA 61 (led by G Gilbert QC)
• HFM043 v Republic of Nauru [2018] HCA 37 (led by C Lenehan)
• DWN042 v Republic of Nauru [2017] HCA 56 (led by P Gray QC)

Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia

• Minister for Home Affairs v Mohammed [2019] FCAFC 49 (unled for the respondent with junior)
• BMV16 v Minister for Home Affairs [2018] FCAFC 90 (unled for the appellant with junior)
• CSO15 v Minister for Immigration [2017] FCCA 1812; [2018] FCAFC 14 (unled for the appellant)
• Bochenski v Minister for Immigration [2016] FCA 989; [2017] FCAFC 68 (unled for the applicant)

Federal Court of Australia

• DBE17 v Commonwealth of Australia [2018] FCA 1307; [2018] FCA 1793 (for the plaintiff, led by B Walker QC and B Quinn QC)
• CKX16 v Judge of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia [2018] FCA 400; [2018] FCCA 1854; [2018] FCCA 2894 (unled for the applicant)
• Fitzgibbon v Prime Minister of Australia [2017] AATA 502; [2017] FCA 968 (unled for the applicant)
• MZANX v Minister for Immigration [2017] FCA 307 (unled for the appellant)
• Malecaj v Minister for Immigration [2016] FCA 1508 (unled for the appellant)

Supreme Court (including Court of Appeal)

• Various Applicants from Santa Teresa or Cavanagh v Chief Executive Officer (Housing)  [2016] NTCAT 326; [2016] NTCAT 461; [2017] NTCAT 240; [2018] NTSC 52; [2019] NTCAT 7; [2019] NTCAT 12 (unled for the tenants)
• McDonald v Legal Services Commissioner [2015] VSC 237; [2016] VCAT 21; [2017] VSC 89; [2019] VSCA 18 (led by J Burnside QC for Mr McDonald)
• Christmas Island class action; A.S v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection & Anor [2014] VSC 593 (led by M Lee SC, now a Justice of the Federal Court), [2015] VSC 642, [2016] VSC 351 (unled with junior), [2016] VSCA 206 (led by P Hanks QC), [2016] VSC 774, [2017] VSC 137 (led by B Quinn QC) (for AS)
• De Bruyn v Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health [2016] VSC 111 (led by R Hay QC for Mr De Bruyn)

In 2014, Matthew worked at the Cape Town bar preparing two matters for the Constitutional Court in South Africa. In 2016, Matthew appeared in five matters in the Supreme Court of Nauru for asylum seekers in that country, including the first matter under the Nauruan Refugees Convention Act to reach the High Court of Australia.

Prior legal experience

Matthew was a solicitor in the Executive Branch of the Victorian Government Solicitor's Office and the researcher to the Solicitor-General for Victoria, P Tate SC (now a Justice of Appeal of the Supreme Court). Following that, he was the associate to Justice Habersberger of the Supreme Court of Victoria’s Commercial and Equity Division. For eighteen months prior to joining the Victorian Bar, Matthew was the sole researcher to Geoffrey Robertson QC. 

Education, teaching and publications

Matthew completed his undergraduate degrees at the University of Melbourne and his postgraduate degree in international refugee law at the University of Oxford, for which he received the highest mark ever awarded for the course. Matthew lectures on public law and refugee law in the Juris Doctor course at the University of Melbourne's Law School, at which he was appointed Senior Fellow and remains a Senior Lecturer.

Matthew’s publications include:

• papers on privacy law and the private use of drones (2015, through Liberty Victoria; (November 2015) 89 (11) LIJ, p.25).

• the first guide to Australia’s complementary protection regime (2012, with Professor Jane McAdam of the University of New South Wales Law School).

• Prima facie determination of refugee legal status (2010, University of Oxford)