A number of winners sought to bolster cultural competency within their firms
For several of NZ Lawyer’s Most Influential Lawyers for 2022, championing a greater understanding of te ao Māori was a crucial area of focus for them over the past year.
Changemaker category winner and Anderson Lloyd litigation partner Frazer Barton made a crucial contribution by playing a role in a precedent-setting case involving a High Court judgment on a land grant. The Raukawa Settlement Trust was a party in the matter, which delved into complex issues around the Treaty of Waitangi and tikanga.
“Increasing our cultural competency has also been a focus area for the firm overall,” Barton explained. “We’ve established a cultural intelligence program to enhance the firm-wide understanding of te ao Māori, in conjunction with Ngāi Tahu.”
Many of the submissions to the Most Influential Lawyers list this year focused on enhancing cultural competency, and several winners backed initiatives that bolstered the understanding of te ao Māori. They also sought to integrate Māori values into the decision-making process at their firms.
Among these champions is Young Influencer and McCaw Lewis Lawyers executive director Renika Siciliano.
“Using systems and tools both from te ao Māori and the Western legal system, she can help Māori find comfort within the legal frameworks of Aotearoa,” said the one who put Siciliano’s name forward for the accolade.
“Underpinning this balance is her ability to apply tikanga in a way that enhances the mana and outcome for whoever she deals with. This includes a values-based approach to her mahi, regardless of the client or area of law. This has become significant in all her work – particularly with hapū and iwi – but has been highlighted recently through her employment law mahi.”
The 2022 Most Influential Lawyers were announced on 15 July.
