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About Matthew
Associate Professor Matthew Bell serves as Co-Director of Studies for Construction Law at Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne. He joined the faculty in 2005 after several years practicing as a solicitor specializing in construction law. His professional experience includes undertaking articles at Clayton Utz in Melbourne, where he advanced to Senior Associate in 2000, and two years with the International Construction Group of Clifford Chance in London. Presently, he acts as a part-time consultant to the Projects department at Clayton Utz. Bell completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Melbourne, earned a Master of Construction Law from King's College London in 2003-04, and was awarded a PhD in 2019 by the same institution for his research on residential construction regulation conducted through the Centre for Construction Law.
Bell's academic interests center on construction law, particularly residential construction regulation. He is the co-author of several influential texts, including Understanding Australian Construction Contracts (2008), Construction Law in Australia (3rd edition, 2011), and Residential Construction Law (2021; second edition, 2025). Additionally, he co-edited Private Law and Building Safety (2025). He teaches a range of construction law subjects in the Melbourne JD, Melbourne Law Masters, LLB, and Melbourne School of Design programs, such as Contracts, Legal Method and Reasoning, Principles of Construction Law, and Remedies, contributing significantly to legal education in the field.
Throughout his career, Bell has garnered numerous accolades for his scholarly and teaching excellence. These include the Building Dispute Practitioners' Society Essay Prize in 2009 and 2016; first prizes in the Society of Construction Law (UK) Hudson Essay competition in 2017 and 2021; a Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning from the Australian Awards for University Teaching in 2012; and finalist positions in the LexisNexis-Australasian Law Teachers' Association Early Career Innovative Teaching Award (2009) and the Australian Law Awards Academic of the Year (2017). He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Construction Lawyers. Bell has held prominent editorial positions, including founding Managing Editor of Construction Law International (2006-2014), and serves on committees such as the Melbourne Law Masters Committee, the Obligations Group, and as founding Chair of the Academic Subcommittee of the Society of Construction Law Australia.
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