Our Māori Legal services team recognises the importance of clients receiving excellent legal services from advisors who understand tikanga Māori and how it relates to client needs.

We also provide advice and assistance to individuals, whānau, hapū, iwi, organisations, trusts and incorporations. We pride ourselves on finding culturally driven solutions.

Governance & Planning

We advise on a range of governance matters, including:

• Providing advice to Iwi and Māori organisations on the best ways to structure themselves and their social, cultural and commercial enterprises. 
• Governance matters and transactions, including advising Māori organisations on:
  • Directors' and trustees' duties and liabilities
  • Preparation and review of corporate governance policies and charters
  • Post-settlement governance matters
  • Management of taxation issues
• Governance advice in relation to various legal structures, including Trusts, Joint Ventures, Partnerships, Limited Partnerships, Companies, Charitable Trusts and Incorporated Societies.
• Protection and development advice of Māori organisation assets

Māori Land 

We regularly appear in the Māori Land Court and provide specialist advice on the application of Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993. This includes:

• Administration of estates – succession to interests in Māori land
• Provision for whāngai children
• Protection of wāhi tapu sites
• Land ownership
• Status of land
• Alienation of Māori land
• Leases
• Māori Land Trusts - Whanau, Ahu Whenua, Whenua Tōpū, Kaitiaki & Pūtea Trusts
• Trustee Appointments and Powers
• Māori Incorporations, shares and dividends
• Access to Māori land including roadways and easements
• Partitioning Māori land
• Māori Reservations

Wider Engagement

We provide advice on a range of cultural, commercial and contractual matters, including:

• Commercial projects and transactions – assist with contract drafting and reviews and development of commercial transactions that Māori organisations are undertaking
• Māori and Crown relations – providing advice to Māori entities and parties working with Māori, in light of statutory obligations under settlement legislation, local government legislation, Resource Management Act 1991 and similar Acts
• Historic and contemporary issues including fisheries, land ownership and administration and settlement matters (including commercial and cultural redress properties)
• Dispute resolution and conflict management