Explore the evolving landscape of Māori claims to freshwater and geothermal resources, gain an essential update on customary marine title under the Takutai Moana Act, examine the growing influence of tikanga in contemporary property law, and deepen your understanding of governance, supervision, and advisory issues relating to Māori land trusts and incorporations. Designed for lawyers, advisors, and anyone working at the intersection of tikanga, resource governance, and Aotearoa’s legal system, this webinar offers timely insights and practical guidance from experts at the forefront of the field.  

Presenters

Annette Sykes, Director, Annette Sykes Co Law
Annette Te Imaima Sykes is a prominent Māori lawyer and human rights activist of Ngāti Pikiao and Ngāti Makino descent. She is a Principal of her own law firm Annette Sykes & Co based in Rotorua which has a strong focus on all aspects of law as they affect Māori. Annette has practised extensively in the Family and Criminal jurisdictional Courts, Civil litigation and pursuing claims before the Waitangi Tribunal in both District Inquiries, Priority, Urgent and Kaupapa Inquiries. She has been instrumental in cases involving Māori land rights since the Wai 11 Māori Language claim in 1985. She has attended numerous International seminars over the last 30 years promoting the rights of indigenous peoples. As a member of the Māori Law Commission, she works to integrate traditional Māori legal systems into Aotearoa's constitution, emphasising He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi ,also carrying on the decolonisation work of the late Dr Moana Jackson.

Karen Feint KC, Thordon Chambers
Karen is a highly experienced advocate who takes a principled but pragmatic approach to securing the right outcome for her clients. She has a wide-ranging civil litigation and public law practice, with particular expertise at the interface of Crown and Māori relations - constitutional law, judicial review, equity, indigenous rights, and Treaty of Waitangi law. Karen has appeared as counsel before all levels of the New Zealand courts and in specialist jurisdictions such as the Waitangi Tribunal. Karen was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 2019. She has been a barrister at Thorndon Chambers for over ten years, having previously worked at two national law firms. She has a BA/ LLB (First Class Honours) from the University of Otago, and a LLM from the University of Toronto, Canada.

Bryce Lyall, Barrister, Kōkiri Chambers
Bryce spends his time untangling tricky legal messes. He is a member of Kōkiri Chambers, focusing on kaupapa Māori legal issues, human rights, trust and governance, and public law. He appears in the senior courts, Māori Land Court, and specialist jurisdictions, including the Waitangi Tribunal. A consistent thread in his work is access to justice, and he undertakes legal aid work across civil and appellate matters, the Māori Land Court and Māori Appellate Court, and the Waitangi Tribunal. He is a member of the Auckland Branch Council of the NZLS, the NZLS Public and Administrative Law Committee, and the Māori Land Court and Waitangi Tribunal Legal Aid Provider Selection Committee. He also serves on the Committee of Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc. Bryce holds a BA in Political Science and an LLB from the University of Canterbury, and an LLM (International Law, First Class Hons) from the University of Auckland.


Tiana Barker, Associate, McCaw Lewis
Tiana is a Māori lawyer working as an associate in the Kahurangi Team at McCaw Lewis Lawyers in Kirikiriroa. She is an uri of Te Arawa, Ngāti Rangiwewehi and Ngāti Wāhiao. Tiana specialises in Māori land governance, utilisation and development, and dispute resolution, regularly appearing in the Māori Land Court and Māori Appellate Court. Tiana values kotahitanga and enjoys working collaboratively with clients, providing practical and lasting solutions with a focus on tikanga.