WEBINAR: Annual Construction Law Review – Key Themes and Lessons from the Past Year – 6th December 2023
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In this webinar, Mathias Cheung will present a round-up of the key lessons and themes from the past year. In […]
"He is an absolute superstar. He's exceptional on the law and very good grasping the commercial elements of disputes."
Chambers and Partners
Mathias’ domestic and international commercial practice covers all areas of Chambers’ work, including construction, engineering and infrastructure, energy and utilities, information technology, professional negligence, and international arbitration. In addition to these specialist areas, he has also gained experience in a wide range of commercial disputes, including cases on banking, insolvency, fraud, insurance, assignment, subrogation, conflicts of law and airline claims.
Mathias has experience at all stages of mediation, litigation, adjudication, and arbitration, and he has worked with a variety of bespoke and standard form contracts including the FIDIC, JCT, NEC and ACE forms, as well as various forms of PFI contracts.
Mathias has recently been ranked by Chambers and Partners UK and by The Legal 500 (London Bar) as a leading junior in Construction Law and a rising star in Energy Law, “who is fast becoming a favourite among solicitors” and regarded as “one to watch” and “a very impressive junior who is clearly going places” in construction, infrastructure and commercial matters. He is described by clients and colleagues as “user-friendly, hard-working and extremely clever”, “amazingly hard-working and a real team player who gets stuck in and has a great eye for detail“, and “very intelligent, meticulous and user-friendly”.
As a native of Hong Kong, Mathias is fluent in both Cantonese and Mandarin, and he is therefore able to take instructions for cases involving Chinese-speaking parties and Chinese documentation in Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland China, Singapore, and other jurisdictions. He is recognised for his international practice by The Legal 500 (Asia Pacific), and is ranked as a Tier 1 “rising star” who “understands highly complex and technical subject matter and is very detail-oriented and organised in working with witnesses”. Mathias also has working proficiency in French.
Mathias was the winner of the SCL Hudson Prize 2015 for his essay entitled ‘Shylock’s Construction Law: the Brave New Life of Liquidated Damages?’ on the Supreme Court decision regarding penalty clauses. He has also published in the Construction Law Journal, International Construction Law Review, TECBAR Review and Construction Law newsletter.
Mathias has acted in disputes over design and workmanship defects, delays, variations, loss and expense, and termination in respect of a range of projects from residential and commercial construction to complex infrastructure and PFI projects. Recent work includes:
Mathias has acted in commercial and construction arbitrations both in the UK and abroad. Recent work includes:
Mathias has undertaken work on a range of energy projects in line with Chambers’ specialisms. Recent work includes:
Mathias has advised on and acted in various cases of professional negligence. Recent work includes:
Mathias has experience of cases in the I.T. and telecommunications sector. Recent work includes:
Mathias has extensive experience of all aspects of statutory and contractual adjudication. He has recently been instructed in a number of cases, including:
Mathias has advised on several commercial disputes related to, or outside the field of, construction. Recent work includes:
Energy Works (Hull) Limited v MW High Tech Projects UK Limited [2020] EWHC 2537 (TCC)
DBE Energy Ltd v Biogas Products Ltd [2020] EWHC 1285 (TCC) (interest and costs)
DBE Energy Ltd v Biogas Products Ltd [2020] EWHC 1232 (TCC) (liability and quantum)
DBE Energy Ltd v Biogas Products Ltd [2020] EWHC 401 (TCC) (application to expunge expert evidence)
Vinci Construction UK Ltd v Beumer Group UK Ltd [2018] EWHC 1874 (TCC) (breach of natural justice)
DSVG v Conneely [2018] 6 WLUK 235 (enforcement of “smash and grab” adjudication after Grove v S&T)
McDonald & Anor v D&F Contracts Ltd [2018] EWHC 1600 (TCC) (default judgment – late Defence)
2015 SCL Hudson Prize (1st Prize) for ‘Shylock’s Construction Law: the Brave New Life of Liquidated Damages?’ (available to download online and published in the Construction Law Journal)
2015 Buchanan Prize, Lincoln’s Inn; top student in July 2015 call
2015 Berwin Leighton Paisner Prize, Worshipful Company of Arbitrators Arbitration Weekend 2015
2014-2015 Bar Professional Training Course (Outstanding), City Law School
2013-2014 BCL, Magdalen College, University of Oxford (Master’s in Law – Competition Law; Jurisprudence and Political Theory; Restitution of Unjust Enrichment; Comparative Public Law); Law Faculty Graduate Assistance Fund Scholarship
2013 Champion of Oxford Hong Kong Mooting Competition
2013 Lord Denning Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn
2013 Member of KCL team in Philip C Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition
2013 Helen Gibbons Prize in Commercial Law (Best Paper)
2012 King’s Leadership Award
2012 Best Advocate (Commission Representative) Award, European Law Moot Court Competition
2011 Sir Francis Jacobs Prize in EU Law 2011 (Best Paper)
2011 Wragge & Co Prize in Trusts
2011 King’s myScholarship 2011 for excellence and contribution
2010-2013 LLB Hons (First Class Honours), King’s College London
Case Analysis expert panel member for Lexis®PSL Construction (2020 – present)
‘A return to orthodoxy – Supreme Court decides on Triple Point v PTT’ (Lexis®PSL, 2021)
‘Construction law in 2020: a review of key legal and industry developments’ (Informa, March 2021).
‘Guide to insolvency in PFI/PF2 projects’ (Lexis®PSL, 2020)
‘COVID-19: “Legal view: how to implement site operating procedures”’, Building Magazine (4 May 2020).
‘Construction law in 2019: a review of key legal and industry developments’ (Informa, May 2020).
‘Guide to insolvency in PFI/PF2 projects’ (Lexis®PSL, 2018)
‘Construction law in 2018: a review of key legal and industry developments’ (Informa, May 2019).
‘Construction law in 2017: a review of key legal and industry developments’ (Informa, April 2018).
‘Taking the Measured Mile’, Construction Law (2 November 2017).
‘Belt and Road projects – legal issues when East meets West’, Construction Law (1 October 2017).
‘Ethics in the Tender Process: Implied Duty of Good Faith and Remedies for Breach’ (2017) 34(3) ICLR 242.
‘Shylock’s Construction Law: the Brave New Life of Liquidated Damages?’ (2017) 33(3) Const LJ 173.
Mathias is a member of COMBAR, TECBAR and the Society of Construction Law. He is also a member of the Human Rights Lawyers Association and a committee member of the UK Association for European Law.
In 2015 Mathias was a Stagiaire (judicial assistant) in the Cabinet of Judge Christopher Vajda KC at the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg. During this year he also completed a research externship at JUSTICE, specialising in complaints and ombudsman system in the UK.
“Exceeds pre-requisites for a junior barrister.”
Construction, Energy and Infrastructure, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022
“He is able to provide very accurate advice on complex and specialist construction issues, where his broad knowledge of applicable case law and current developments is first-rate.”
“He is an absolute superstar. He’s exceptional on the law and very good grasping the commercial elements of disputes.”
Construction, Chambers and Partners UK Bar 2022
“Mathias is top notch. He assimilates information at record pace and quickly gets to grips with the issues. He is great with clients – approachable, dependable, nothing is too much trouble.”
Construction, The Legal 500 UK Bar 2022
“Incredibly hard working, responsive and helpful, he gets into the detail and is a highly skilled advocate.”
Energy, The Legal 500 UK Bar 2022
“Understands highly complex and technical subject matter and is very detail-oriented and organised in working with witnesses and analysing oral transcripts.”
International Arbitration, The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2021
“Understands highly complex and technical subject matter and is very detail-oriented and organised in working with witnesses and analysing oral transcripts.”
Construction, Energy and Infrastructure, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021
“He is an absolute star – energetic, responsive, sharp and astute.”
“Head and shoulders above all the juniors at his level.”
“A junior who will go far.”
Construction, Chambers and Partners UK Bar 2021
“A real star. Head and shoulders one of the best juniors at the Bar. Cerebral, clients love his work ethic.”
Construction, The Legal 500 UK Bar 2021
“One to watch.” “A very impressive junior who is clearly going places.”
“User-friendly, hard-working and extremely clever.”
“Amazingly hard-working and a real team player who gets stuck in and has a great eye for detail.”
“Very intelligent, meticulous and user-friendly.”
Construction, Chambers and Partners UK Bar and Global 2020