Dr Mai Chen Barrister
Dr Mai Chen has expertise in arguing administrative law and regulatory issues, as well as groundbreaking constitutional law cases. She also specialises in policy and law reform, Māori rights and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, white collar crime including fraud, human rights and New Zealand Bill of Rights Act cases, as well as education and employment law. See client testimonials below, and get in touch by calling 021 565 709 or emailing mai.chen@maichen.nz.
Send us a messageDr Mai Chen's top areas of expertise
Dr Mai Chen is one of New Zealand’s top public law experts, specialising in:(1) Administrative law and judicial review;
(2) Regulatory issues and advising regulators;
(3) Constitutional law;
(4) Policy and law reform;
(5) Māori rights and Te Tiriti o Waitangi;
(6) White collar crime – including fraud;
(7) Human rights and the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act;
(8) Education law; and
(9) Employment issues.
My professional career has focused on promoting and upholding the Rule of Law – that we are all equal before the law and should be able to get equal access to the law.
Caleb Saunders
Working with me is Caleb Saunders, an experienced regulatory and public law barrister, with a sound commercial law background. We are a formidable team and are into our sixth year working together.Caleb is an employed barrister advising across a wide range of public law issues. He has particular expertise at the commercial/regulatory interface with public law.
Caleb also has experience in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, commercial/regulatory advice and disputes, Overseas Investment Act, parliament and law reform, administrative law and judicial review. Caleb has appeared in the High Court on a number of occasions.
Superdiversity Institute for Law, Policy and Business
The 2023 Census confirms that the New Zealand population is transforming with almost 1 million people identifying as Māori. Aotearoa is heading towards 30% of the population being superdiverse, meaning those not born in New Zealand. More than half of Auckland’s population is superdiverse, comprising Pacific peoples at 16.6 per cent, Asians at 31.3 per cent and Māori at 12.3 per cent of the total population. Auckland has also been named the Polynesian capital of the world.A superdiversity lens needs to be placed on all business, government, regulatory, education and non-for-profit activities. If you need coaching on how to put a superdiversity framework on your enterprise, whether that be in a business, government, regulatory or non-for-profit capacity, Mai Chen has the expertise to assist. The Royal Commission concluded that “there is a lack of cultural and linguistic competence and a poor understanding of the implications of New Zealand’s increasingly diverse demographics in Public sector agencies”.[1] This quote from the Royal Commission could equally apply to the private sector and non-for-profit agencies.
Dr Mai Chen was the Chair of the Superdiversity Institute for Law, Policy and Business and has authored various reports showing her expertise. She also created the CQ Tick for cultural capability and has trained and advised a diverse range of organisations including the Ministry of Transport, Department of Corrections, National Emergency Management Agency, Tenancy Services, nib (health insurer) and more.
[1] Ko tō tātou kāinga tēnei: Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019 (26 November 2020) at 159.
To access the reports of the Superdiversity Institute, please click here.
