Profile

Areas of Practice

• Environmental and Resource Management Local Government Law

• Public and Administrative Law

• Land acquisition, valuation and compensation cases

• Arbitrations and mediations

• Civil and commercial litigation

• Construction and property disputes

• Professional discipline / negligence claims

Qualifications

• LLB (Hons), Auckland University (1975)

• Admitted as Barrister and Solicitor (1975)

• Queen’s Counsel (2007)

Matt is one of the most senior and experienced litigators in New Zealand specializing in resource management, public and administrative law.

He was a partner at Kensington Swan for 23 years and the firm’s head of litigation before joining the independent bar in 2002. He was appointed Queen’s (now King’s) Counsel in 2007.

Matt regularly appears in the Environment Court and High Court and has argued several leading cases in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

Matt has conducted numerous arbitrations and mediations involving land and company valuations, rental and lease disputes and building disputes, both as counsel and arbitrator/mediator. He has also conducted many environmental mediations and is an accredited hearings commissioner under the RMA, with chair certification.

Matt chairs the Disciplinary Tribunal of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.

He also writes commentary on the High Court Rules for Sims Court Practice and is co-author of ‘Environmental Law in New Zealand’ (2nd edition 2018).

Memberships

• New Zealand Law Society

• Auckland District Law Society

• New Zealand Bar Association

• Resource Management Law Association

• Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand