Matthew Kennett

Expertise

Matthew is a litigation lawyer who specialises in corporate and commercial disputes. He has extensive experience in acting for corporations (both private and public) and high net worth individuals, across a broad range of areas with a focus on negotiating and resolving disputes prior to litigation – or where necessary, pressing matters through the Supreme Court of NSW, the Federal Court of Australia and the High Court of Australia.

Matthew has acted in many high-profile matters, including major pieces of complex litigation (both at first instance and on appeal) and a well-publicised inquiry. He prides himself on his relationships with his clients and forming a long-lasting rapport with those that he acts for.

Experience

acted in administrative challenges to financial and trade sanction designations, rendered pursuant to the Autonomous Sanctions Act 2011 (Cth);
acted for a prominent commercial and residential property developer in complex proceedings brought by a joint venture partner, seeking to claim approximately $170 million from our client (as well as the associated financier) on account of a suite of allegations including breaches of fiduciary duties, misappropriation of moneys and breaches of mandate, among others;
acted for a high-net-worth individual with respect to a defamation complaint against a major Australian media organisation;
acted for a major shareholder in a high-profile restaurant chain in proceedings brought against the other shareholders for shareholder oppression;
acted for a large Church and its head in proceedings brought in relation to allegations of historical child sexual abuse;
acted for the unit-holder of a unit-trust in Supreme Court of NSW proceedings, brought against the trustee of the trust, seeking declarations of interest with respect to certain trust assets. The proceedings were the subject of an appeal to the NSW Court of Appeal, and later the High Court of Australia. Related proceedings are currently being pressed in the Federal Court of Australia;
acted for a member of a major land-banking and property development family in proceedings brought by a member of the family seeking to unravel and dissolve the long-standing and complex business structure utilised by the family to retain its significant property holdings;
instructed by a large national charity to convene a Board of Enquiry, chaired by a former High Court Judge, for the purpose of enquiring into serious allegations of widespread financial abuse in the workings of the charity over several years; the Enquiry was subsequently assumed by the NSW government exercising its powers under the Charities Act;
retained by an individual once described as ‘one of Australia’s richest men’ to pursue a multimillion-dollar claim against a suite of financing companies on account of their alleged improper dealings with his estate;
acted for a large corporation in pursuing a multimillion-dollar fraud claim against a former director of that company, relating to the theft of monies by that director;
retained by the proprietors of a valuable commercial development site within the Sydney CBD, to defend proceedings brought by neighbouring parties to have significant restrictions recorded on the title of that property, recordings which would have had a considerable effect on the developmental value of our clients’ property;
acted for a plaintiff in a $2.5 million professional negligence claim brought against the plaintiff’s former solicitor; and
acted for numerous large investment banks and accountancy firms in a variety of diverse commercial disputes.