Mathew has broad experience in public law and human rights, including community care, education, housing and civil actions against the police, from early advisory work to judicial review. He is a contributor to Human Rights Practice on the right to a fair trial under Article 6 of the Convention. Mathew has a strong interest in all aspects of education law and acts for parents/children, local authorities and schools. He appears before the SENDIST, independent appeal panels and the High Court. He represented Northumberland County Council in R (Parents for Legal Action) v Northumberland County Council, a judicial review concerning a major school reorganisation

Mathew regularly appears before employment tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal, and undertakes advisory work on employment issues, for employees and employers. He has experience of a wide range of issues, including all forms of discrimination, equal pay, unfair dismissal, TUPE, working time and contractual claims. He alone represented one of the successful appellants before the Court of Appeal in the leading discrimination case of Igen v Wong and was junior counsel in A v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, a House of Lords case concerning discrimination on the ground of transsexuality.