Matthew Lewis (LLB, LLM) is barrister and former Pegasus Scholar based in Sydney, Australia. He was called to the bar in England and Wales in 2000, and in Australia in 2009.

Matthew is recognised as a media and defamation law specialist and has appeared in many of the leading cases in Australia.

He has particular expertise in matters involving the internet and is regularly retained by search engines and social media companies including Google LLC, Facebook Inc and Instagram Inc.

Matthew is also frequently instructed by the traditional media including in matters concerning open justice. Regular clients include the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the Australian Associated Press, Australian News Channel Pty Ltd, Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd, the Guardian News and Media Limited, Nationwide News Pty Ltd, the Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd and the Special Broadcasting Service Corporation.

In 2011 and 2019, he was a member of the Defamation Law Committee that made submissions on behalf of the NSW Bar Association to the Council of Attorneys-General in the Review of the Model Defamation Provisions (NSW).

His practice further includes cases involving breach of confidence and privacy. Between 2016 and 2018, Matthew taught “Privacy and the Media” to JD and LLM students at the University of New South Wales, a member of the prestigious Group of Eight.

Matthew is a “recommended legal counsel (member or tribunal chairman)” of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and was nominated by that committee to be an Olympic Appeals Tribunal member for the 2020 Australian Olympic Team.

He is a member of the NSW Bar Association; the Media Law Resource Centre; and the Communications and Media Law Association.

Between 2000 and 2007, Matthew was a barrister based in Cardiff and appeared in a number of privacy related cases on the Wales and Chester Circuit. He also served as the Wales and Chester Representative on the Young Barristers’ Committee between 2001 and 2005.