Connect with meMatt acts for insurers and their clients across a range of practice areas including material damage, business interruption, general liability, professional indemnity, and statutory liability. Matt has extensive experience in the construction and property sectors having been heavily involved in the complex issues arising out of the defective repair of homes damaged by the Christchurch earthquakes, including insurers’ responsibility for this damage and recovery against responsible builders, contractors, and project managers. Matt has handled the leading cases in this area and regularly appears in the District Court, High Court, Canterbury Earthquake Insurance Tribunal, and in mediations and judicial settlement conferences.
In addition, Matt helps insureds defend charges laid under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and Resource Management Act 1991. He also acts in disciplinary proceedings against professionals such as solicitors, accountants, builders, and electricians.
Matt regularly handles subrogated recoveries for insurers.
Matt has been recognised as a ‘Rising Star’ in the Asia Pacific Legal 500 2021 insurance rankings and was named in the inaugural NZ Lawyer Rising Stars list for 2020.
- Advising on complex material damage and business interruption indemnity issues for insurers.
- Representing the interests of insurers in numerous District Court, High Court and Canterbury Earthquake Insurance Tribunal proceedings alleging defective earthquake assessments and repairs.
- Appearing for a private insurer in two of the leading cases on defective earthquake repairs.
- Defending construction professionals in multi-party proceedings involving weather tightness and other building/construction defects.
- Securing discharge without conviction for a contract milker charged with environmental offending.
- Handling regulatory investigations and prosecutions for private businesses and their insurers relating to breaches of Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and Resource Management Act 1991.
- Pursuing numerous subrogated recovery claims for insurers and insureds, including claims following fire damage caused to domestic and commercial buildings as well as claims against builders, contractors, and project managers relating to defective earthquake repairs.
- Advising on, and assisting with, professional negligence claims brought against solicitors, accountants, builders, and electricians including complaints to professional bodies such as the New Zealand Law Society Standards Committee, the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants Disciplinary Tribunal, and the Electrical Workers Registration Board.
- Professional Liability
- Subrogated Recoveries
- Construction and Infrastructure
- Agriculture
- Professions and Business Services
- Industrial and Commercial Property
- Material Damage and Business Interpretation
- Statutory Liability
- New Zealand Law Society
- New Zealand Insurance Law Association