Matthew Leake

Matthew is the firm’s head of employment and labour relations law, focused on giving commercial and pragmatic help to employers and their insurers. He is also a member of the firm’s Governance Group, responsible for ensuring robust decision-making across Kennedys’ senior leadership.

In litigation, Matthew’s expertise includes defending employers against all types of claims, from routine termination and wages disputes to complex discrimination and whistleblowing matters. An “astute lawyer” with “such brilliant judgement” he also advises clients on business transfer and multi-party disputes, as well as the enforcement of restrictive covenants and other employee contractual obligations. 

Beyond litigation, Matthew provides day-to-day assistance to employers on HR issues including discipline, performance, grievance, absence management and disability adjustments, as well as strategic and technical assistance with matters such as reorganisations, redundancies, contract drafting and the employment aspects of business sales and outsourcing.

In the insurance space, Matthew advises leading insurers on EPL defence and coverage matters, as well as acting as monitoring counsel.

A trusted market advisor, Matthew provides training and thought leadership to help employers and insurers manage employment law risk.

Matthew’s client base is broad and includes national and international clients in the fields of insurance, transport, professional services, media & entertainment, sports, life sciences, finance, and others. Matthew has particular expertise in helping unionised employers, including advice and litigation in industrial action disputes and other trade union related law.