Partner
Languages spoken
English
Matthew Lewis is the head of our employment practice based in our Leeds office. Matthew trained and qualified as a trade union lawyer and has the unusual experience of both claimant and respondent work.
Matthew is experienced in all areas of employment law and regularly advises named clients. His work includes complex claims and grievances, collective consultation (TUPE and redundancies) and union issues (including pay negotiations and strike action). Matthew has a real depth of experience and appreciates the commercial reality in which businesses operate.
Matthew regularly advises at the highest level, dealing with senior hires and departures and structural workplace changes. He works across a range of sectors, including life sciences, professional services, technology and financial services.
Matthew was one of the founding directors of the retail-focused credit union, RetailCURe, which was supported by the Retail Trust and major retailers.
Advising on industrial action and strike action to minimise disruption and the question of using agency staff to cover striking workers.
Steering collective redundancy processes on the closure/relocation of business and large-scale restructurings.
Dealing with allegations of soliciting staff, breach of confidentiality by ex-employees and obtaining appropriate safeguards and resolution.
Project managing a pan-European integration exercise across six different jurisdictions.
Advising in the context of TUPE whether union recognition transfers and the desire not to recognise the existing union, as well as other complex TUPE issues.
Ranked Band 1 in Chambers UK 2027 for Employment – Leeds (Yorkshire)
Recognised as a Leading Partner in Legal 500 UK 2027 for Employment – Yorkshire and the Humber
“Matthew is highly pragmatic, commercially aware and will make time to meet clients’ needs. He understands the need to balance business need with risk appetite.” Chambers 2027
“Matthew understands the business well and seeks to be a true partner and adviser to the business in all our dealings.” Chambers 2027
“Matthew provides excellent service and knows our business very well.” Chambers 2027
“Matthew provides clear and pragmatic advice.” Chambers 2027
“Matthew is always a pleasure to work with and very knowledgeable. He is very pragmatic and always helps to find a way forward as well as looking at the root cause of the problem.” Chambers 2027
“A desire to fully understand the business and a feeling of working in partnership for the ‘joint’ success of the business. Matthew Lewis and the senior associates and associates in his team ‘get’ our business and are unphased by the time demands that are placed on them.” Legal 500 2027
“Alison Treliving and Matthew Lewis make an excellent team, with complementary skill sets and a shared pragmatic approach to complex and sensitive matters. Both are highly responsive, with deep technical expertise and a no-nonsense problem-solving mindset.” Legal 500 2027
“Matthew Lewis takes time to understand the business, listens to the issues and supports to make sometimes tough decisions.” Legal 500 UK
“He (Matthew) is very responsive and provides good commercial and strategic advice.” Chambers UK
“Matthew Lewis is an excellent employment lawyer. He is pragmatic, knowledgeable and prepared to give a commercial view. He understands the uniqueness of our business and the sector.” Legal 500 UK