Presenters

Kelly Dixon, Partner, Dixon & Co Lawyers
Kelly has 20 years’ experience and has appeared in the High Court and the Court of Appeal on judicial review proceedings, in the District Court on commercial summary judgment proceedings and in the Māori Land Court and the Waitangi Tribunal on behalf of various Treaty of Waitangi claimants. Kelly works with clients from across the North Island and has appeared before the Waitangi Tribunal in the Wairarapa, East Coast, National Park, Whanganui and Northland historic Inquiries and various Urgency Applications and Kaupapa Inquiries and Remedies Hearing before the Waitangi Tribunal. Kelly is a member of the Property Law Section, Resource Management Law Association, and the Māori Law Society. She established Dixon and Co Lawyers in 2017 and is a member of the Institute of Directors.


Māori Land Court Judge Alana Thomas (Ngāti Rehia, Ngāti Kuri) 
Judge Alana Thomas is a permanent Judge of the Māori Land Court and member of the Waitangi Tribunal. Judge Thomas was appointed in 2023. Judge Thomas graduated from the University of Auckland in 2008. Whilst studying, Judge Thomas was the President of the Māori Law Students Association and an active member of Waipapa Taumata Rau, the Māori Students Association. During her legal career, Judge Thomas represented several iwi and hapū throughout New Zealand on matters relating to the rights of te iwi Māori, and more specifically, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the environment, the land, the sea, tikanga Māori and te reo Māori. Judge Thomas is a strong advocate for the promotion of te reo Māori and has been passionate in her pursuit to ensure te reo Māori is recognised and used in the law. Judge Thomas sits within the Aotea district.


Wiliame Gucake, Registrar -Kairēhita, Waitangi Tribunal
Wiliame Gucake is currently the Registrar of the Waitangi Tribunal, where he acts as lead legal advisor to the Tribunal. Wiliame provides technical legal, registry and procedural support to the Tribunal and Unit.


Kylee Katipo, Director, McCaw Lewis
Kylee specialises in Māori Land, Resource Management and Te Tiriti o Waitangi matters. She has experience in providing legal and strategic advice to Iwi, Hapū, Whānau and Beneficial Owners of Māori Land across Aotearoa. Kylee has significant court experience and has represented clients in the Māori Appellate Court, Māori Land Court, Waitangi Tribunal, Environment Court and High Court. Prior to joining McCaw Lewis Kylee worked at the Māori Land Court as Research Counsel for the Māori Land Court judiciary. Kylee has served as Secretary for Te Hunga Roia Māori o Aotearoa and Waikato co-representative for Te Hunga Roia Māori o Aotearoa and is actively involved in competitions and lecturing at Te Piringa Faculty of Law at The University of Waikato.


Bryce Lyall, Barrister, Bryce Lyall Barrister
Bryce is based in Titirangi, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, where he lives with his wife and young whānau. He is a barrister with a focus on public law and human rights issues, and acts on matters across Aotearoa. He currently represents claimants in the Waitangi Tribunal, and parties in te Kōti Whenua Māori, the High Court, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court. Outside of litigation, Bryce also acts for parties in mediation, advises parties on Treaty of Waitangi settlements, and has facilitated use of withdrawal mechanisms built into mandates. Holding a particular concern about access to justice, Bryce regularly undertakes work on legal aid. He is approved to undertake legal aid work in the Waitangi Tribunal, te Kōti Whenua Māori and te Kōti Pīra Māori, and all of the higher Courts on matters concerning Māori land law, the Treaty of Waitangi, tikanga, and customary title issues. Bryce holds LLB and BA (Political Science) degrees from the University of Canterbury, and an LLM (International Law, First Class Hons) from the University of Auckland. He is a member of the Auckland Branch Council of the New Zealand Law Society, and is a member of the Māori Land Court and Waitangi Tribunal Selection Committee which assesses applications for approvals to undertake legal aid work.