Matthew is an experienced commercial litigator with specialist expertise in financial services and securities litigation.
From 2012, Matthew was involved in the ground-breaking shareholder group litigation against RBS in connection with a £12bn rights issue in 2008. Around the same time, Matthew advised on a similar claim by an institutional investor relating to the collapse of sub-prime lender, Cattles plc/Welcome Finance which involved evidence from a Financial Conduct Authority prosecution against senior directors.
Matthew has also advised in connection with group actions in Australia that concerned ASX listed mining companies failing to properly report material information to the market.
Matthew’s broader commercial litigation practice includes minority shareholder claims against majority shareholders for unfairly prejudicial conduct, claims for breach of fiduciary duties by directors and contractual claims against financial institutions and FTSE 100 companies. He also has many years’ experience running complex litigation with third party funding and after the event insurance support.
He is recognised in the 2018 edition of the Legal 500 for Commercial Litigation.
Expertise
- Commercial litigation
- Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
- Securities and financial services litigation
- Insurance litigation
- Breach of contract, trust and fiduciary duties
- Arbitration
- Shareholder disputes
- Professional negligence
Experience
- Advising in relation to a substantial shareholders’ action in the High Court against RBS under section 90 of the Financial Services & Markets Act 2000.
- Advising on and developing a series of high-value claims against UK Government departments for unlawful charges for the provision of environmental information to the public.
- Advising on a claim by a Cayman Islands-domiciled fund against a former cornerstone investor for damages for breach of contract (alleged repudiation), including advising on the causes of action, monitoring the litigation, and dealing with the third-party funder’s exit strategy. Also appeared as a key witness for the litigation funder in successful satellite litigation relating to the funding of the claim (see Harcus Sinclair (a firm) v Alternative Real Estate Fund Limited & Others [2013] EWHC 1193 (Ch)).
- Advising in connection with a multi-million pound claim for breach of contract against a telecommunications giant (involving the complicated issues of conspiracy to injure and intimidation).
- Advising in a substantial negligence claim against one of the UK’s largest IFA partnerships relating to a failed investment scheme.
- Advising in a multi-million pound breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty claim involving a large UK manufacturing and retail company.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised in the Legal 500 2020 for Commercial Litigation
“Matthew Reach is always willing to assist clients, providing a professional and efficient legal service.” Legal 500 2020
Recognised in the Legal 500 2018 for Commercial Litigation
Career
Matthew qualified as a solicitor in 2007. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2016, he worked at the following firms:
- Sanders Solicitors
- Fisher Meredith
- Bishop & Sewell