Matthew practices in commercial 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 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 eleven 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:

• Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs & Anor v. Montgomery [2022] HCA (led by J Gleeson QC and P Willis SC); [2021] FCA 1423  (for Mr Montgomery, unled with E Tadros)
• DBE17 v Commonwealth of Australia [2021] FCA 556; [2020] FCA 958; [2019] HCA 47; [2018] FCA 1307; [2018] FCA 1793 (for the plaintiff, led by B Walker SC and B Quinn QC)
• TTY167 v Republic of Nauru [2018] HCA 61 (for the appellant, led by G Gilbert SC)
• HFM043 v Republic of Nauru [2018] HCA 37 (for the appellant, led by C Lenehan SC)

Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia

• CKL21 v Minister for Home Affairs [2022] FCAFC 70 (for the appellant, unled with S Thomas)
• Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs v AZC20 [2022] FCAFC 52; [2021] FCA 1234 (for AZC20, unled with K Brown)
• Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs v MB [2021] FCAFC 194 (for MB, unled with J Barrington); [2021] FCA 559; [2021] FCA 442 (led by G Gilbert SC)
• McHugh v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2021] FCAFC 152; [2020] FCAFC 223; [2020] FCA 843; [2020] FCA 416 (for Mr McHugh, unled)
• Broadbent v Minister for Home Affairs [2021] FCAFC 116; [2020] FCA 1626 (for Mr Broadbent, unled with J Zhou)
• BXT17 v Minister for Home Affairs [2021] FCAFC 9 (for BXT17, unled)
• BVT20 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCAFC 222; [2020] FCCA 1075; [2018] FCA 400; [2018] FCCA 1854; [2018] FCCA 2894 (for BVT20 / CKX16, unled)
• APE16 v Minister for Home Affairs [2020] FCAFC 93; [2018] FCCA 2094 (for the appellant, unled with E Tadros)
• FSG17 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCAFC 29; [2019] FCCA 2050 (for the appellant, unled)

Federal Court of Australia

• Hobson v Commonwealth of Australia [2022] FCA 418 (for Mr Hobson, unled with E Tadros)
• Grant v Secretary of Department of Home Affairs [2022] FCA 261 (for Mr Grant, unled with M Guo)
• DSN16 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2021] FCA 202 (for the appellant, unled)

Supreme Court (including Court of Appeal)

• Chief Executive Officer (Housing) v Young & Anor [2022] NTCA 1; [2020] NTSC 59; [2019] NTCAT 7; [2019] NTCAT 12; [2018] NTSC 52; [2017] NTCAT 240; [2016] NTCAT 461; [2016] NTCAT 326 (for the tenants, unled)
• Donohue v Westin [2022] VSC 37 (for Mr Donohue, unled)
• Gardiner v Attorney-General [2021] VSC 290; [2020] VSC 516; [2020] VSC 252; [2020] VSC 224 (for the second defendant, unled)
• EZ (a pseudonym) v Commonwealth of Australia [2020] VSC 871 (for the plaintiff, unled)
• McDonald v Legal Services Commissioner [2019] VSCA 18; [2017] VSC 89; [2016] VCAT 21; [2015] VSC 237 (for Mr McDonald, led by J Burnside QC)

Matthew has also been briefed and has given evidence as an expert in the law of Nauru in Australian federal and state supreme courts.

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 (later 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. 

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.

Teaching and publications

Matthew lectures on public law, public interest 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 a Senior Lecturer.

Matthew’s publications include:

• chapter on civil liability for human rights violations in Australia (forthcoming 2022, through the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford)
• 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)