We have a proud tradition of working alongside iwi, Māori organisations, and the Crown on Te Tiriti o Waitangi matters. Through this work, we have developed valuable insights into the aspirations of Māori communities and the kinds of legal and strategic support that can help whānau, hapū, and iwi achieve their goals now and into the future.
In 1994, we acted for Waikato-Tainui in the historical settlement of its Māoritanga land claim - the first deed of settlement negotiated with the Office of Treaty Settlements. Since then, our full-service firm has continued to work closely with iwi and Māori organisations across a wide range of legal matters. We also regularly advise central and local government, as well as private sector clients, on Māori legal issues.
We are proud to partner with Māori organisations to help protect their assets and support their aspirations for economic stability and intergenerational growth. We respect Tikanga Māori and the values and issues of significance to Māori, and we work to uphold these in the planning and implementation of projects - whether on land or in the coastal marine area.
Our experience includes working with Māori organisations as clients, as affected parties, and in partnership with other clients. In recent years, we have supported Māori entities to establish negotiating mandates, resolve complex disputes, and create space within English-based legal frameworks for Māoritanga and Tikanga.
We have helped bring to life the Crown’s recognition of Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles - partnership, protection, and participation - across sectors such as health, education, environment, local government, and international trade. We also regularly advise non-Māori clients on engaging with Māori organisations to ensure that Mātauranga Māori is meaningfully integrated into legal and regulatory processes.
We can help with:
- Supporting Māori organisations to achieve their growth aspirations, from corporate transactions to major construction and infrastructure projects.
- Advising on holding the Crown to account for Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations and the practical implementation of its principles.
- Navigating property and real estate transactions involving Māori legal interests, including wāhi tapu protections.
- Implementing environmental strategies and ensuring compliance, including claims under the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act.
- Designing and advising on pan-iwi and Māori governance, decentralisation, and empowerment arrangements.
- Structuring iwi co-governance models within system and infrastructure reforms.
- Developing iwi-Crown co-investment models for post-settlement commercial arrangements.
- Providing tax advice, including post-settlement tax management and strategic planning.
- Representing clients in litigation and dispute resolution processes between members of Iwi collectives and on issues regarding the intersection between tikanga and law.
Recent highlights
Tainui Group - Ruakura Superhub
Lead construction adviser to Tainui Group, one of New Zealand’s largest iwi organisations, on its enormous, nationally significant, Ruakura Superhub development at Hamilton. At 490 hectares, Ruakura Superhub is one of New Zealand’s largest multi-use developments.
Te Tumu Paeroa (The Māori Trustee)
The Māori Trustee is a statutory trustee appointed to hold and manage over 100,000 hectares of Māori land in New Zealand on trust for nearly 100,000 Māori owners. Te Tumu Paeroa is the organisation that supports the Māori Trustee. One of the Māori Trustee’s roles is acting as statutory trustee of Te Tumu Kāinga – a trust that invests in housing projects and “pathway to ownership” programmes to support access to affordable housing for Māori. We are sole external legal adviser, assisting Te Tumu Paeroa and Te Tumu Kāinga by acting on the acquisition of the affordable dwellings and then implementing a ‘rent to buy’ home ownership scheme and/or a shared home ownership scheme, with the end goal of the whānau building enough equity in the dwelling to purchase the property (or any remaining share in the property) from Te Tumu Kāinga. As part of the project we have reviewed, advised and negotiated on template and transaction documents, acted on the acquisition and, where relevant, on-sale (to both shared or full ownership) of the affordable dwellings, and advised on various compliance and funding arrangements.
Structured project finance facilities arising from a Treaty of Waitangi settlement
Acting for an iwi in relation to the acquisition from the Crown and project financing of certain schools in the context of a Treaty settlement.
Ngāi Tahu Holdings and Tainui Group Holdings sale of Go-Bus to Kinetic
Advising Go Bus Limited, owned by Ngāi Tahu Holdings and Tainui Group Holdings, on the sale of transport company Go Bus to Melbourne-based industry operator Kinetic, by sale of 100% of the shares in Go-Bus Holdings Limited. Kinetic is ultimately owned by Canadian pension fund, OP Trust.
Supporting Ports of Auckland sustainability goals
Assisting Ports of Auckland with its vision to become a leading sustainable port at the global level – socially, economically, and environmentally. Advising on POAL’s engagement with Māori, the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and how these may be affected by upcoming reforms.
Te Tiriti related matters
Advising the Crown and quasi-Crown agencies on implementation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles in regulatory settings. The advice has covered a broad range of issues including recognition of mātauranga Māori.
Ministry of Education property portfolio
Advising the Ministry of Education on various regulatory and public law considerations for its school property portfolio, as well as its Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi obligations.
Te Wānanga o Raukawa
Acting on a pro-bono basis for Te Wānanga o Raukawa in its appeal against a liquor license that was granted for a new off-license in the Ōtaki region. This appeal largely focused on the social deprivation experienced in Ōtaki, along with the majority Māori population of the area, and the disproportionate harms effected by alcohol on these population groups.
