Teacher Stern LLP

Matthew is a highly experienced lawyer, praised for his attention to detail and his focus on offering commercial and pragmatic solutions to his clients with a clear and friendly clear approach.

Employment

Matthew has a varied portfolio of clients, incorporating FTSE 250 companies, global businesses, SMEs, start-ups, charities, family offices and private individuals. His experience has covered numerous sectors, including retail, healthcare, recruitment, professional services (including financial services), technology, telecommunications and property investment.

Matthew is experienced in all aspects of employment law, including:

• Employment tribunals and appeals
• Disciplinary and grievance procedures
• Alternative dispute resolution (including mediation)
• Termination of employment
• Redundancy consultations and restructures
• Settlement agreements
• Employment contracts
• Bonus / Commission schedules
• Post-termination restrictive covenants
• TUPE transfers
• Staff handbooks and policies
• LLP member departures

Matthew regularly assists on the employment aspects of complex corporate and property transactions, providing commercial advice to assist both buyers and sellers in ensuring compliance with regulations and a smooth transition for employees, as well as advising directors and senior executives in respect of their service agreements or severance packages.

Matthew advises numerous companies on day to day HR issues, identifying and addressing issues at an early stage to limit the risks of litigation.  Matthew has extensive experience in handling Employment Tribunal claims, for both claimants and respondents, covering issues including discrimination, whistleblowing and unfair dismissal, as well as successfully appealing against adverse Employment Tribunal decisions in the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT).  Matthew also has experience in handling employment-based claims in the civil courts, particularly in respect of breach of contract.

Matthew has particular experience in resolving disputes regarding alleged breaches of post-termination restrictive covenants prior to proceeding to litigation, taking a reasoned, commercial approach with a focus on achieving the client’s preferred goals.

Highlights include:

• achieving compensation at the Employment Tribunal in a complex case regarding the transfer of employment of a dismissed CEO to a phoenix company in the EU following administration of the UK company;
• succeeding at the EAT in overturning the Employment Tribunal’s decision regarding a significant bonus for a former CEO of a fintech company;
• negotiating in pre-tribunal mediation to achieve significant compensation for a top-level surgeon in respect of a breach of contract by an NHS Trust;
• establishing liability in a complex whistleblowing claim against an investment management company.

Immigration

Matthew’s experience includes advising global listed companies, HNW individuals, and private individuals on all aspects of business and family immigration:

• Sponsor licence applications and management (including Sponsorship Management System)
• Points Based System visas
• Family visas
• Naturalisation
• EU Settlement Scheme
• Administrative reviews
• Appeals to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber)

Clients continue to instruct Matthew due to his personable approach and focus on addressing issues early in the process to ensure applications are clear and robust at the submission stage, maximising chances of success and pre-empting legal points to support any subsequent appeal processes.

Highlights include

• succeeding with complex Tier 1 (Investor) applications at both initial and extension stages in which prescribed evidential requirements were not met;
• assisting a company with reinstating an A-rated sponsor licence following a suspension by undertaking a top-to-bottom review of HR systems and liaising with the Home Office;
• numerous successes at First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), keeping couples and families together.