Matthew is a Partner in the HWL Ebsworth Insurance Group based in Perth. He acts for the State Government, self-insurers and private insurers in relation to a broad range of insurance matters, with a particular focus on workers’ compensation, dust disease, personal injury and CTP defence. He is an experienced dispute resolution lawyer and advocate, and appears on behalf of his clients throughout all stages of the Supreme Court, District Court and WorkCover WA Conciliation and Arbitration processes.
Matthew is a pragmatic, personable and service focused practitioner who places great value on developing close relationships with clients and getting the best outcomes available. Matthew’s commitment to service standards and getting outcomes consistent with our client’s values and needs is industry leading, in addition to his reputation for the staunch and capable defence of the portion of claims in WA which are pressed entirely without legal merit.
Matthew has previously been individually named in Doyles Guide as one of Western Australia’s leading Workers’ Compensation, Public Liability and CTP lawyers. He is named in Best Lawyers™ 2026 in the areas of insurance law and personal injury litigation.
Expertise
Experience
- State-Based Workers’ Compensation Insurers Advising in relation to a broad range of statutory and common law compensation matters, including advising and acting on matters ranging from the interpretation of the Act and statutory insurance policies, to WorkCover WA Arbitrations, and to common law matters litigated in the District and Supreme Courts.
- Insurance Commission Acting in the defence of damages claims arising under the WA State compulsory third party legislation.
- General Liability Insurers Advising in relation the defence of litigated and non-litigated personal injuries cases, ranging from minor shopping centre slips to multi-party disputes arising from catastrophic personal injuries.
- Self-insurers Assisting with the management and defence of claims made against self-insured corporations, where complex claim issues often coincide with unique business challenges and needs.
- Government Insurance Division Acting for a range of Government departments in the defence and management of statutory and common law damages claims.
- WA Mining Companies Advising as a trusted provider for workers’ compensation and personal injury matters, with claims ranging for minor workers’ compensation injuries with no lost time, to complex multi-million dollar common law claims.
- Shire of Ashburton Acting as a trusted advisor and legal representative in relation to a portfolio of sensitive Supreme Court asbestos disease claims arising from the Shire’s historical liabilities arising from the Wittenoom township.
- Uninsured Employers Assisting in the strategic management and resolution of claims, concurrently with advising on the regulatory issues arising with WorkCover WA.
