Matthew Peckham Portrait

Matthew Peckham

Bar roll 2017 Admitted 2007
  • Commercial Law Tort Law
  • Public Law
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Matthew specialises in commercial, corporate and regulatory litigation

Matthew has particular expertise in complex commercial litigation, civil penalty proceedings, regulatory investigations, financial services law, corporations law, energy law, competition and consumer law, and administrative law.

Matthew regularly appears in substantial matters unled, or with a range of senior counsel. He also leads other more junior counsel, particularly in urgent or specialised matters. Before coming to the Bar, Matthew was a senior and experienced solicitor, and works closely in support of his instructors.

Matthew is frequently instructed either for or against Commonwealth and State regulatory authorities. He has particular experience in conducting compulsory examinations, and investigations more generally. He previously worked at both ASIC and the Financial Services Authority (UK), where he played a key role in the UK's largest successful criminal insider trading prosecution.

Liability limited by a scheme approved under the Professional Standards Legislation

Contact

Correspondence
Chambers & Clerk

Owen Dixon Chambers West
Level 10 Room 11

525 Lonsdale Street

Melbourne VIC 3000

View map

Jane King

03 9225 8558

Expertise

Commercial Law
  • Banking & Finance
  • Bankruptcy
  • Class Actions
  • Competition
  • Consumer Law
  • Contractual Disputes
  • Corporate Insolvency
  • Corporations & Securities
  • Energy & Resources
  • Equity & Trusts
  • Superannuation
  • Regulatory Investigations
Tort Law
  • Class Actions
  • Commissions & Inquiries
  • Major Torts
  • Negligence
  • Professional Negligence
Public Law
  • Administrative Law
  • Aged Care
  • Appellate
  • Civil & Human Rights
  • Commissions & Inquiries
  • Constitutional Law
  • Environment
  • Freedom of Information
  • Judicial Review
  • White Collar Crime

Qualifications

Qualifications

Bachelor of Laws (Honours)

Bachelor of Arts

Admitted

Victoria

New South Wales

Queensland

South Australia

Western Australia

Entitled to practise in

State and Territory Courts and Tribunals

Federal Court of Australia

High Court of Australia

Recent Cases

General commercial and consumer law (inc class actions)

Contract / secured lending / property / removal of caveats:Melbourne Property Group Investments (MPGI) Pty Ltd v Knight 43 Martin Street Pty Ltd & Ors[2022] VSC 41 (6-day trial, plus separate hearing re removal of caveats – leading V Murano, for the defendants / counterclaimants); [2022] VSC 195 (costs);

Contract / passing off / intellectual property: TKIS Vic Pty Ltd & Anor v TKIS Ltd [2022] FCA (unled, opposed to silk, listed for expedited trial, for the applicants - settled);

Fraud / property / trusts / removal of caveat: Hajipour v Azimzadeh [2021] VCC (recovery of money and property, unled); [2020] VSC (resisting removal of caveat, leading U Ramachandran, for the plaintiffs) – settled;

Class action: Somers v Box Hill Institute & Gobel Aviation Pty Ltd [2020] VSC – class action by aviation students, acting for defendant flight school (led by R Heath KC).

Energy and competition

Compulsory examinations: conducting a series of compulsory examinations, for the Australian Energy Regulator (2022);

Civil penalty proceeding – National Electricity Market:Australian Energy Regulator v Pelican Point Power Ltd [2022] FCA (led by A McClelland KC and T Clarke, for the AER) – 13-day trial, awaiting judgment;

Dispute with electricity retailer:EnergyAustralia Pty Ltd v Ivanhoe Ops Pty Ltd [2022] VCC (unled);

Competition law – review of ACCC authorisation of New Energy Technology Consumer Code: Application by Flexigroup Ltd[2020] ACompT 2 (4-day trial, 6 parties); [2020] ACompT 1 (leave to intervene) (led by T Clarke, for the Consumer Action Law Centre);

Competition law / access arrangements – National Gas and Electricity Laws:Application by ActewAGL Distribution[2017] ACompT 2 (unled, written submissions only, for Energy Consumers Australia);

Advice to energy regulators: advising the Australian Energy Regulator and the Essential Services Commission in relation to their regulatory functions (unled or with leaders including A McClelland KC, N De Young KC, R Higgins SC);

Publication: co-author of Energy Consumers Australia, National Energy Regulation Handbook (2017) (with Robert Gregory, of Maddocks).

Financial services (inc superannuation and credit)

Claim against bank re third party fraud: Stanley v National Australia Bank Ltd [2022] VSC (pre-action discovery, in relation to a suspected breach of the Quincecare duty) (unled, for the prospective plaintiff);

Claim against financial adviser: The Complete Planner Pty Ltd v D’Amelio & Anor [2002] VCC (unled, for the defendant);

Consumer credit – claim brought by unlicensed lender: Pan v Lu & Zhu [2022] VCC (unled, for a defendant / counterclaimant);

Disciplinary – financial advice: Rothnie & ASIC[2021] AATA 1545 (5-day trial); [2020] AATA 373 (issue of summons); [2019] AATA 4546 (stay and confidentiality) (unled, opposed to silk, for the financial adviser);

Disciplinary – financial advice: advising ASIC in relation to disciplinary charges - Re Hilsley (ASIC banning order, 2020, unled); Re Luthra (ASIC banning order – permanent, 2019, unled);

Civil penalty proceeding – superannuation:Commissioner of Taxation v Pavihi[2019] FCA 2056 (unled, for the respondent);

Civil penalty proceeding – financial services: ASIC v AGM Markets Pty Ltd & Ors [2019] FCA (pre-trial phase only) (led by H Austin KC, for a respondent);

Superannuation / contract / trusts:Diversa Trustees Ltd v Primary Superannuation Services Pty Ltd [2019] VSC (acting for a superannuation trustee in a claim against the fund administrator, then applying for judicial advice concerning a complex remediation of the fund, unreported) (led by J Moore KC, for the trustee);

Civil penalty proceeding – financial advice: ASIC v Golden Financial Group Pty Ltd (formerly NSG Services Pty Ltd) (No 2)[2017] FCA 1267 (led by J Moore KC, for the respondent).

Corporations law

Shareholder dispute – oppression / directors' duties / fraud:Townshend v Fendall Farms Pty Ltd & Ors[2022] FCA 848 (leave to bring derivative proceedings) (led by R Heath KC, for the plaintiffs) - and numerous other shareholder disputes;

Scheme of arrangement – approval of takeover scheme:Re PayGroup Limited[2022] FCA 1026 (led by C Moller);

Shareholder dispute – confidentiality / injunction:Re Design Flow Pty Ltd [2021] VSC (unled – successful injunction against co-director);

Insider trading / criminal procedure / suppression orders:R v Story [2021] VMC (committal hearing) - appearing for major retailer, re protection of confidential information (unled);

Shareholder dispute – freezing orders: Re Infomotion Pty Ltd [2018] VSC (unled – successful resistance of freezing order by co-director);

Civil procedure – production of documents by offshore corporations: Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC v Bega Cheese Ltd (Nos 3, 4 and 7)[2018] FCA 1023; [2018] FCA 1055; [2018] FCA 1507 (led by E Heerey KC, for the third party resisting production of documents);

Owners’ corporation – injunction: Jasmar Custodians Pty Ltd v OCPS640556E [2018] VCAT (unreported) (unled, successful injunction to restrain invalid meeting).

Corporate insolvency

Setting aside statutory demand:PJ Nash Pty Ltd v Food and Beverage Australia Pty Ltd [2020] VSC (resolved) (unled, for the applicant);

Insolvent trading:Gountzos v Hall [2018] VCC (resolved) (unled, for the plaintiff liquidator);

Insolvency – recovery of unfair preferences: Cant v Healey Infrastructure Pty Ltd [2017] VMC (unreported) (three-day trial, unled, for the defendant).

Environmental law

Civil penalty proceeding - greenhouse gases: Minister for the Environment v ACN 089 171 415 Pty Ltd (formerly Fire Protection Technologies Pty Ltd)[2020] FCA 1557 (agreed penalty, unled, for the Minister);

Judicial review – fuel safety / enforcement powers: United Petroleum Pty Ltd v Minister for the Environment & Energy [2017] FCA (resolved) (unled, opposed to silk, for the Minister).

Transport and road safety

Negligence / liability of road authority: Deanlee Pty Ltd v Head, Transport for Victoria [2022] VCC (unled, for the authority);

Judicial review – criminal procedure / driver licensing issues: Marijancevic v Page & Ors[2020] VSC 68 (unled, for VicRoads);

Merits review – authorised vehicle inspectors: Tridellen Pty Ltd v VicRoads [2019] VMC (settled) (unled, for VicRoads) – and numerous others;

Merits review – fitness to drive:Previti v VicRoads [2017] VMC (unreported, 3-day trial) (unled, for VicRoads) – and numerous others.

General administrative law and regulatory matters

Regulatory Investigations: frequently acting for both a wide range of regulators and the subjects of enquiries, including in the conduct of compulsory examinations;

Judicial review – migration: DED16 v Minister for Home Affairs[2019] FCAFC 18 (Full Court appeal, led by D Yarrow); [2018] FCCA 3074 (judicial review, unled) (for the applicant);

Merits review (licensing) – horse racing / media: Bartley v Racing Victoria Ltd (Review & Regulation List)[2019] VCAT 949 (jurisdiction), [2019] VCAT 1323 (costs) (unled, for the applicant, a prominent horse racing journalist);

Merits review (licensing) – vocational education provider:Undisclosed RTO & Australian Skills Quality Authority [2019] AATA (successful stay application, then resolved) (led by R Heath KC, for the applicant RTO).

Publications

Memberships

Australian Institute of Administrative Law

Banking and Financial Services Law Association

Commercial Bar Association

Criminal Bar Association

Law Council of Australia – Melbourne Corporations & Securities subcommittee

Law Institute of Victoria

Secretary of the Commercial Bar Association’s Energy & Infrastructure Section