Connect with meMatt specialises in both employment disputes and workplace health and safety.
Matt’s experience in employment law is varied. He has acted on a wide range of insured and non-insured employment disputes, including representing clients in investigations, mediations, the Employment Relations Authority, the Human Rights Review Tribunal and the Employment Court. Matt regularly advises clients on a range of matters, from pre-employment through to termination.
Matt’s workplace health and safety experience is mostly comprised of assisting clients across various industries with WorkSafe investigations and prosecutions. He has resolved many investigations without prosecution occurring. Where a prosecution does occur, Matt relies on his ample experience in the District Court to guide clients through the process to completion. Additionally, Matt has regularly provided front-end health and safety advice to clients on risk management, health and safety management system review, and contracting agreements between PCBUs.
Employment Practices Liability
- Successfully overturning a penalty order in the Employment Court for a retail company, in relation to alleged breaches of the Holidays Act.
- Representing a retirement home employer in the Employment Court on a variety of personal grievance and contractual claims.
- Successfully opposing an interim reinstatement application for a manufacturer employer in the Employment Relations Authority. The employee sought to return to the workplace, following dismissal for being unable to follow mandates for use of a face mask.
- Representing a retail company in the Employment Relations Authority for a claim of constructive dismissal.
- Representing a childcare centre in a Ministry of Education investigation, regarding allegations of endangering child safety. This process included the careful management of public interest and discipline of an employee involved in the issue.
- Representing numerous clients at mediations, most of which resulting in commercial resolutions.
- Assisting clients with workplace investigations involving sensitive allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and violence.
Workplace Health and Safety
- Obtaining a dismissal of charges, for several alleged breaches under the Health and Safety at Work Act, prior to trial.
- Obtaining no-outcome (no charges filed) investigations on separate instances for a construction company, a manufacturer, a fabricator, and an excavation company.
- Representing a chemical manufacturer during a sensitive WorkSafe investigation, and at sentencing. Public interest in this matter was high, as the case involved the manufacture of 1080. Matt also successfully opposed several media applications on this matter, and obtained permanent suppression orders for multiple parties.
- Representing a construction company at sentencing, involving permanent paraplegia of a worker after falling from height. This included obtaining the withdrawal of charges against the company’s sole director.
- Representing a manufacturer at sentencing, involving a puncture from a nail gun to a workers’ chest.
- Representing a construction company at sentencing, involving the collapse of a crane and a failure to notify WorkSafe.
- Advising on a successful enforceable undertaking application for a trucking company.
- Representing numerous companies in WorkSafe investigations, from the date of the incident through to conclusion. In addition to the above industries, this included two labour hire companies.
- Advising on a multi-party contracting arrangement for the production of solar farms in New Zealand, in respect of health and safety obligations.
- Environmental Liability
- Inquiries, Investigations and Prosecutions
- Sexual Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination
- Unfair Dismissals and General Protections Claims
- Work Health and Safety
- Workplace Investigations
- Construction and Infrastructure
- Retail and Labour Hire
- Public Sector and Education
- New Zealand Law Society