Profile details
About Matthew Bruce
Matthew is co-head (with Ali Sallaway) of our global investigations group in London and our corporate crime practice, and is also an experienced commercial litigator.
Matthew has led a number of major corporate investigations for clients arising from allegations such as bribery and corruption, fraud and human rights issues. Matthew works across a broad range of sectors and recent matters have engaged Asia, the Middle East, former CIS territories and Africa.
In addition to regularly advising clients on compliance and internal investigations, he is experienced in dealing with external regulators and authorities, including several matters before the UK Serious Fraud Office.
Matthew also has significant experience acting for clients in large-scale, multijurisdictional litigation. He led the team that won Commercial Litigation Team of the Year at the Legal Business Awards 2021 for his successful representation of WEX Inc in a landmark dispute in the English Commercial Court arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. The matter was also commended/shortlisted at the British Legal Awards, the Lawyer Awards and for Innovation in Dispute Resolution at the FT Europe Innovative Lawyer Awards.
In 2021, Matthew was also very proud to lead a team acting for Kate Wilson, pro bono, in a landmark case in the Investigatory Powers Tribunal which, following Kate's relationship with an undercover police officer, found a "formidable" list of breaches of her fundamental human rights by the Metropolitan Police.
Recent work
Given the nature of the investigations that Matthew is involved in, much of Matthew's work is strictly confidential:
- Advising a major pharmaceutical company in relation to allegations of misconduct in its Asia business.
- Advising a number of clients in the oil and gas sector in relation to allegations of wrongdoing in emerging markets, including Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
- Regularly advising multinational clients on anti-bribery and corruption compliance, money-laundering, and other risks facing their businesses.
- Advising a professional services company in relation to allegations in the Middle East, Asia and to matters in South Africa.
- Advising an international oil consortium in relation to issues it faced in the CIS territories.
Qualifications
Education
- Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge, UK (MA in law, first class)
- Nottingham Law School, UK (distinction)