Matthew is a partner in the HWLE Litigation and Insolvency Group.
Matthew specialises in liquidator’s recovery actions, bankruptcy, secured recoveries by banks and financial institutions, taxation recoveries, shareholder disputes and litigation concerning the Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (Cth).
Matthew has been consistently recognised in Doyle’s Guide – Leading Queensland Insolvency Lawyers and Leading Queensland Litigation & Dispute Resolution Lawyers. He is the author of Part 5.7B ‘Recovery Provisions’ in Robson’s Annotated Corporations Legislation, and referenced in Halsburys’ Laws of Australia, Ford, Austin and Ramsay’s Principes of Corporations Law, O’Donovan Company Receivers and Administrators, Ford and Lee The Law of Trusts, Duggan Personal Property Securities Law and O’Donovan and Phillips The Modern Contract of Guarantee.
Expertise
Experience
- Private group of lenders Acted in proceedings in the Supreme Court of Queensland, Court of Appeal and High Court of Australia (special leave denied) which resulted in complete recovery of all funds advanced.
- Security holder Proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia challenging priority to heavy machinery under the Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (Cth).
- Trustee in bankruptcy Acted in avoidance proceedings for an undervalued transaction under Section 120 of the Bankruptcy Act 1966 (Cth) to recover monetary gifts provided by a bankrupt used to fund the acquisition of a Gold Coast development involving tracing and identification of funds.
- Finance company Acted in recovery proceedings, including obtaining a property preservation order and Mareva order to facilitate the return of property.
- Construction company Successfully defended a liquidator’s claim for receiving an unfair preference under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).
- Mining Services Successfully resisting a challenge to a complex Deed of Company Arrangement in the Federal Court of Australia, achieving an outcome for the continuation of mining service businesses.
- Liquidators Acted in proceedings in the Supreme Court of Queensland for liquidators in avoidance of uncommercial transactions under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) concerning transfers to related entities.
- Cross border insolvencyActed in a recovery action in Australia against a bankrupt New Zealand doctor who crossed the Tasman, involving cross-border insolvency issues across Australia and New Zealand.
