Te Tira Hau Ture (Māori Legal Services)

We advise on a range of governance matters, including providing advice to Iwi and Māori organisations on:

• The best ways to structure themselves and their social, cultural and commercial enterprises
• Directors’ and trustees’ duties and liabilities
• Preparation and review of corporate governance policies and charters
• Post-settlement governance matters
• Management of taxation issues
• Governance advice in relation to various legal structures, including Trusts, Joint Ventures, Partnerships, Limited Partnerships, Companies, Charitable Trusts and Incorporated Societies
• Protection and development of Māori organisation assets

We regularly appear in the Māori Land Court and provide specialist advice on the application of Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993. This includes:

• Land ownership 
• Administration of estates – succession to interests in Māori land
• Provision for whāngai children
• Status of land
• Māori Reservations
• Protection of wāhi tapu sites
• Partitioning Māori land
• Alienation of Māori land
• Leases
• Access to Māori land including roadways and easements
• Māori Land Trusts – Whanau, Ahu Whenua, Whenua Tōpū, Kaitiaki & Pūtea Trusts
• Trustee Appointments and Powers
• Māori Incorporations, shares and dividends

We provide advice on a range of cultural, commercial and contractual matters, including:

• Commercial projects and transactions – assisting with contract drafting and reviews and development of commercial transactions that Māori organisations are undertaking
• Māori and Crown relations – providing advice to Māori entities and parties working with Māori, in light of statutory obligations under settlement legislation, local government legislation, Resource Management Act 1991 and similar Acts
• Historic and contemporary issues including fisheries, land ownership and administration and settlement matters (including commercial and cultural redress properties)
• Dispute resolution and conflict management