Matthew is a commercial litigation lawyer with over 25 years’ experience and with specific expertise in commercial disputes and fraud, often with an international element. His client base is both domestic and international, having acted for companies and businesses throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and many offshore jurisdictions, as well as those in the UK. He also advises private high-net-worth individuals and family offices, foreign lawyers, yacht builders and owners, and major lending institutions.
An approved Privy Council Agent, several of Matthew’s cases have gone to the Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights. His experience includes claims and disputes concerning commercial contracts, breach of trust, sale of goods, marine litigation disputes, professional negligence, litigation on behalf of insolvency practitioners, fraud and bribery investigations and asset tracing, debt recovery, shareholder and other corporate disputes, and money laundering issues. He is also experienced in all forms of alternative dispute resolution including mediation and arbitration (UNCITRAL, CIArb, ICC,LMAA).
Expertise
- Advising on prevention/detection and dealing with fraud or bribery
- Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
- Arbitration
- Asset tracing
- Breach of contract, trust and fiduciary duties
- Commercial litigation
- Commercial and civil fraud
- Contentious insolvency
- Coroners’ inquests
- Corporate governance
- Cross-border jurisdictional disputes
- Debt recovery
- IT contract disputes
- Judicial review
- Partner/director/shareholder/fiduciary duty disputes
- Professional negligence
- Securities and financial services litigation
- Yacht disputes
Experience
Financial Services, Tax and Fraud
- Advised financial services companies in relation to FCA investigations.
- Advised financial services companies in respect of multibillion tax fraud.
- Various instructions from insolvency practitioners relating to director fraud, misfeasance and wrongful trading and S423 claims.
- Assisted CIS states and individuals in some of the largest fraud and money laundering investigations through the UK courts.
- Advised and litigated to The European Court of Human Rights in relation to a multimillion offshore tax avoidance scheme.
- Advised individuals in respect of SFO investigation and subsequent proceedings
Marine and Shipping
- Acted in a breach of warranty claim against a yacht vendor.
- Acted in various sale of goods claims for defective yachts and poor workmanship.
- Successfully defended a negligence claim against the surveyor of a sailing yacht.
- Acted for receivers in the arrest and recovery of a 33m sailing yacht.
- Successfully mediated a dispute between a boat owner, marina and boat yard regarding defective works and unpaid marina charges.
- Acted in two large LMAA arbitration claims (worth £4m) regarding the purchase of yachts which had undisclosed faults.
- Acted for a bank in locating and recovering a yacht in the Caribbean.
- Advised a family office in a dispute with the builder of a 40m superyacht.
Insolvency
- Acted for a Trustee in Bankruptcy advising on the admissibility of a £20million creditor claim.
- Acted for an Administrator and successfully recovered preference payments made to a third-party supplier.
- Acted for a Liquidator in the tracing and recovery of assets pursuant to s423 Insolvency Act 1986.
- Successfully contested an application for removal of an Administrator.
- Located hidden assets on behalf of an Administrator and brought a claim for misfeasance and fraud against a director including director disqualification proceedings.
Arbitration
- Acted on two large LMAA arbitration claims where the issues are faulty yachts on purchase (Claims £4m).
- Acted for group of companies in respect of a consultancy agreement dispute, various jurisdictions under LCIA. Claim circa $3.8m.
- Acted for a leading manufacturer of intelligent technology solutions in arbitration disputes (LCIA), an Indian company and its subsidiaries. Claims values $20.6m.
- Acted for a leading manufacturer of intelligent technology solutions in an arbitration disputes (LCIA), involving a US company and its subsidiaries. Claims values circa £2m.
Middle East Disputes
- Advised a UAE shareholder in respect of £1.5b alleged conspiracy to defraud claim in respect of trades and tax claims.
- Advised a KSA client in respect of recovery of and/or declaration of ownership of a £25 million property arising out of a purchase agreement dispute.
- Advised a KSA client in respect of a £5m loan dispute.
- Represented UAE client in respect of allegations of fraud/conspiracy to defraud regarding loan monies of 50m euros.
- Acted for UAE client in a breach of warranty claim against a yacht vendor.
- Successfully mediated a dispute between a UAE boat owner, marina and boat yard regarding defective works and unpaid marina charges.
Other
- Advised clients on a coroner’s inquest from the date of death to inquest and related PR issues.
- Acted for numerous Registered Providers primarily in relation to contractual supplier disputes, particularly IT contracts and fraud including procurement and bribery investigations.
- Advised on multimillion-pound PFI contractual disputes and took a board appointment to assist/protect the client’s shareholding on SPV.
- Advised Swiss Pharma company (and related UK entities) in relation to a JV dispute/exit against Middle Eastern JV partners.
Reported Cases
- Skatteforvaltningen (The Danish Customs And Tax Administration) v Solo Capital Partners LLP & Ors [2021] EWHC 974 (Comm) (27 April 2021)
- Kitover v Galmarley Ltd (t/a Bullionvault.Com) & Anor [2021] EWHC 809 (Ch) (01 April 2021)
- T & Anor, R. (On Application of) v Financial Conduct Authority [2021] EWHC 396 (acted for the Claimants)
- JSC Mezhdunarodniy Promyshlenniy Bank & Anor v Pugachev & Ors [2017] EWHC 2426 (Ch) (11 October 2017) (acted for Mr Pugachev’s infant children through their mother/litigation friend)
- Speciality European Pharma Ltd v Doncaster Pharmaceuticals Group Ltd & Anor [2015] EWCA Civ 54 (06 February 2015) (acted as SEP from first instance throughout)
- Huitson, R (on the application of) v HM Revenue and Customs [2011] EWCA Civ 893 (25 July 2011) (acted for Mr Huitson from first instance through to and including Supreme Court/ECHR)
- Daby v State of Mauritius (Mauritius) [2008] UKPC 45 (13 October 2008) (acted for Mr Daby)
- Demco Investments & Commercial SA & Ors v SE Banken Forsakring Holding Aktiebolag [2005] EWHC 1398 (Comm) (30 June 2005) (acted for Demco Investments)
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised in The Legal 500 for Fraud: Civil (2020-2024)
Recognised as a Leading Individual in The Legal 500 for Commercial Litigation: Mid-Market (2022-2024)
“Matthew Hennessy-Gibbs has a wealth of experience in substantial commercial fraud cases which he brings to bear in his matters.” The Legal 500 2024
“Matthew Hennessy-Gibbs is hugely experienced and can cut through difficult issues in complex cases. He’s also extremely user-friendly, and a pleasure to work with.” The Legal 500 2023
“Matthew Hennessy-Gibbs is very efficient and a safe pair of hands in a crisis – straight-talking and tenacious when seeking to achieve his clients” aims.” The Legal 500 2022
“Matthew Hennessy-Gibbs ensures he understands the clients position fully leaving no stone unturned. His no nonsense and frank approach enables a strategy that is well planned and focused to deliver results”. The Legal 500 2022
Matthew Hennessy-Gibbs is noted for his expertise in cases involving the Isle of Man, the British Virgin Islands and various Middle Eastern jurisdictions. The Legal 500 2017
Matthew Hennessy-Gibbs is ‘great in a crisis and focused on outcomes’. The Legal 500 2017
Matthew Hennessy-Gibbs acted for Lawlords of London in a disputed invoice matter that did proceed to court. The Legal 500 2017
Career
Matthew qualified as a solicitor in 1996. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2018, he worked at the following firms:
- Devonshires
- Picton Howell Solicitors
- Vizards Solicitors