Matthew Hodgson

Practice Areas

Matthew specialises in complex disputes arising from cross-border investments. He has appeared as counsel and advocate in high stakes commercial arbitrations under all major arbitral rules. He has also acted for investors and States in more than 20 investment treaty disputes under the ICSID and UNCITRAL Rules. He has sat as arbitrator in HKIAC, ICC, LCIA and SIAC claims. Matthew is also Co-Head of the Public International Law (PIL) practice and regularly advises on complex issues of PIL.

Matthew represents clients in a broad range of sectors including energy and infrastructure, life sciences, oil & gas, mining, real estate, technology and telecommunications. He has acted for private equity and funds clients in numerous claims arising out of M&A transactions and joint venture / shareholder disputes.

He has been involved in investment treaty claims for or against Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Czech Republic, India, Korea, Kyrgyz Republic, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Vietnam. He regularly acts for and against State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in investment related disputes. He has helped investors secure substantial settlements by States and SOEs including acting for European & Middle Eastern oil & gas companies in securing a US$800 million payment to resolve a dispute with a South East Asian State and SOE, and assisting a Japanese automotive client conclude the first known settlement by the Government of India in return for payment in the region of US$350 million. He also advised an investor on the first treaty case to find that a complex financial product is a protected ‘investment’ and where our client was awarded its full legal claim and costs.

He is a Solicitor Advocate, with Higher Rights of Audience before the Senior Courts of England & Wales and the Courts of Hong Kong, and a New York attorney. During 2014-2022 he was based in Hong Kong. He was named Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year in 2021 by Asian Legal Business.

Matthew is recognised as a leading arbitration practitioner by Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal, which also ranks him as a “Thought Leader”. Chambers has commented that "He has a real knack for taking a bird's-eye view and thinking strategically and laterally about a problem, and has a way of making the academic practical."