Presenters

Kylee Katipo, Director at McCaw Lewis
Kylee has extensive experience in Māori Land and Te Tiriti o Waitangi matters and providing legal and strategic advice to Ahu Trusts, Māori Incorporations, Whānau Trusts and Beneficial Owners of Māori Land across Aotearoa. Kylee believes in working collaboratively with clients, in a tikanga focused approach, to promote practical solutions and resolve disputes. Kylee has significant court experience and has represented clients in the Māori Appellate Court, Māori Land Court and Waitangi Tribunal. She has worked closely with Iwi groups, Māori Incorporations and Māori Trusts on significant projects and developments including commercial and property related areas involving Māori land and Marae Governance. Kylee has served as Secretary for Te Hunga Roia Māori o Aotearoa and is currently the Waikato co-representative for Te Hunga Roia Māori o Aotearoa. Kylee is actively involved in competitions at Te Piringa Faculty of Law at The University of Waikato and has presented submissions to Parliament on Te Ture Whenua Māori Amendment Bill. Kylee has a strong interest in community causes. She gives her time and skills to young people in the Waikato through her role as a Career Navigator Mentor at the Graeme Dingle Foundation. She is also a Trustee for the McCaw Lewis Foundation, the firm’s charitable organisation.


Bernadette Roka Arapere, Barrister, Kōkiri Chambers
Bernadette is Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Maniapoto. She is a barrister specialising in Public and Administrative Law, Civil litigation, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori legal issues, whenua and governance matters. She has been senior counsel in the courts at all levels including the Supreme Court in judicial review proceedings, appeals, and other general litigation including Waitangi Tribunal proceedings. She is a Commissioner of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission, a Deputy Chair of the Teachers' Disciplinary Tribunal, a Trustee of Raukawa ki te Tonga Trust and a member of the Legislation Design and Advisory Committee and Māori Land Court Rules Committee. Prior to joining the independent bar, Bernadette was Crown Counsel in Public Law at Crown Law and in private practice. She speaks Te Reo Māori and has authentic knowledge of tikanga Māori working at her marae - amorangi ki mua, hāpai ō ki muri.