Matthew MacLachlan > Shoosmiths LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Shoosmiths LLP Offices

Shoosmiths LLP
No 1 Bow Churchyard
LONDON
EC4 9DQ
England
Visit website 0370 086 3000 03700 863001

Matthew MacLachlan

Matthew MacLachlan photo
+442072824095 Matthew.MacLachlan@shoosmiths.co.uk View profile View profile

Work Department

Dispute Resolution and Litigation

Position

Matthew is a Principal Associate commercial litigator primarily advising multinationals, insurers and partnerships before and during Court and arbitral proceedings. He is listed by Legal 500 as a Key Lawyer for Commercial Litigation in 2023.

Matthew currently leads Shoosmiths’ contentious privacy practice, specialising in all forms of cyber disputes and acting on major data incidents, often on a global scale. He has published industry-leading guidance in this rapidly evolving area, including Privilege in Cyber Investigations (PLC Practice Note (Maintained)).

Recent experience includes:

  • Acting on an emergency basis for a major property management company in the wake of a ransomware incident resulting in system compromise and major data loss. Advising on regulatory liabilities, litigation risk, liability to counterparties and securing coverage from insurers.
  • Advising two defendant multinationals facing $70 million Commercial Court claims from selling shareholders following the sale of an underlying target. The claims involve complex share issuance mechanisms and loss modelling.
  • Acting for a major motor services company on an emergency basis following a national data incident. Coordinating regulatory response, liaising with counterparties, advising on mass notifications to data subjects, and defending ongoing class action litigation.
  • Advising two major insurers in Commercial Court proceedings concerning a $140 million tower of insurance. Insurers faced $70 million claims concerning class actions and regulatory fines arising from US cyber claims.
  • Essex County Council v UBB Waste (Essex) Limited [2020] EWHC 1581 (TCC): acting for the claimant in its successful £1 billion High Court claim for breach of a PFI contract against the operator of a major waste treatment facility.
  • Advising an ultra-high net worth individual in his defence of £600 million High Court proceedings for breach of warranty and misrepresentation as part of a sale of his business interests.

Career

Before Shoosmiths, Matthew read Law at Cambridge and History at King’s College London.

Lawyer Rankings

London > Risk advisory > Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity

Praised for its ‘excellent knowledge’ and ‘unparalleled experience’, the dedicated privacy and data team at Shoosmiths LLP acts for clients across a diverse range of sectors, including financial services, defence technology, and life sciences. The ‘incredibly knowledgeable’ Sherif Malak oversees the practice and works alongside Anastasia Fowle, who regularly acts for clients within the automotive and sports sectors. Also in the core team is Nick Holland, recommended for his global privacy compliance expertise. At the associate level, senior associate Adam Fox and principal associate Matthew MacLachlan assist on regulatory enquiries and cyber disputes, respectively.

London > Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market

Fielding ‘an excellent team with terrific strength in depth‘, Shoosmiths LLP undertakes large numbers of major commercial disputes. Examples include shareholder conflicts, contract breaches, negligence, and fraud and misrepresentation matters. The practice is also experienced in breaches of warranty claims following M&A transactions. Bill Molloy acts in disputes concerning outsourcing, large-scale procurements, shareholder conflicts, and commercial issues, which frequently comprise multi-jurisdictional elements; Susie Wakefield handles a range of commercial disputes, in addition to leading the commercial insurance team; Daren Allen is an expert in fraud, bribery, corruption, and money laundering; and Elliot Bishop is ‘a standout lawyer‘. At associate level, principal Matthew MacLachlan leads the firm’s contentious privacy offering, and senior John Shirley-Rakhra maintains a broad disputes practice. During 2022, banking and finance litigation partner Andrew Bowden-Brown was hired from Francis Wilks & Jones, while former partner Philip Tansley joined Osborne Clarke LLP.

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