Kylee Katipo is a Senior Associate in the Māori Legal Team at McCaw Lewis Lawyers. Kylee has a passion for working with Māori land owners and governance entities to achieve their aspirations for their whenua.
Mā whero mā pango ka oti ai te mahi
(working together the job will be completed)
Q: In your role, what’s been the most rewarding challenge you’ve tackled this year?
Our team has worked closely with iwi, hapū and whānau throughout the year as they navigate uncertain times with Covid-19. It has been rewarding to be able to provide continuity in our services and legal advice in this developing environment.
Q: Has your business been impacted by covid over the past 18 months? If so, how?
We are fortunate that our day-to-day business has been able to continue largely uninterrupted by Covid. For our team we have focussed on continuing uphold the values of our firm of kotahitanga (unity), manaakitanga (caring for people) and whāia te iti kahurangi (pursuing excellence).
Holding true to these values is integral to helping clients with “new look” processes like online meetings and court appearances that have traditionally taken place a kanohi (in person).
Q: How are your staff coping during the pandemic? What emphasis have you placed on staff wellbeing, and is this any more or less than ‘normal ?’
With a whānau-centric approach to our team and the way we operate at McCaw Lewis, developing better ways of working remotely and supporting staff through flexible remote working arrangements has been key to the ensuring wellbeing of our staff over the past 18 months.
Q: What’s been your biggest learning this year on the leadership front?
Through these times, I have learnt that quality leadership and clear communication is fundamental. I acknowledge the leadership of Aidan Warren who, with over 20 years’ experience in Māori Legal matters, has recently been appointed as a Judge of the Māori Land Court. With his departure our team will continue under the strong leadership of our Executive Director Renika Siciliano.
Q: Within your role, what are you most excited about achieving in the next quarter before summer break?
Looking to the horizon our team is excited about seeing the year out well, with delayed court proceedings now mostly up and running. We look forward to being able to meet in person and go into the summer break in a positive space.
