About Matthew

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.

Experience

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.

Credentials

Education

London Guildhall University, L.P.C., 1994
University of Birmingham, LL.B., 1987

Admissions

England and Wales, 1997

Recognitions

Recommended in Legal 500 UK for Employment – “Matthew Lewis  takes time to understand the business, listens to the issues and supports to make sometimes tough decisions.”
“He (Matthew) is very responsive and provides good commercial and strategic advice.” Chambers and Partners 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

Expertise

Services

Labor & Employment

Industries

Advertising, Media & Brands
Retail

About our firm

One of the world’s strongest integrated law firms, providing insight at the point where law, business and government meet. We deliver commercially focused business solutions by combining our legal, lobbying and political capabilities and invaluable connections on the ground to a diverse mix of clients, from long-established leading corporations to emerging businesses, startup visionaries and sovereign nations. More than 1,500 lawyers in over 40 offices across four continents provide unrivaled access to expertise.