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Tyson Hullena

Senior Associate
About

Tyson is a Senior Associate with experience in a range of dispute resolution forums such as private commercial arbitration, the Māori Land Court, commercial mediation and other specialist jurisdictions in Aotearoa | New Zealand. Tyson is an experienced litigator having worked on a range of disputes arising in relation to commercial and contract disputes, Māori land issues, judicial review, trust disputes, equity, directors duties, conflicts of laws issues and urgent injunctive relief and freezing orders.

He has a particular interest in issues arising from the use and creation of technology, protection of information and data (including intellectual property). Tyson is also motivated to work with Māori entities to resolve legal disputes in a manner consistent with tikanga Māori.

EXPERIENCE

  • Advising the purchaser in a claim for breach of contract in relation to an earn-out provision and the preparation of related counterclaims for breach of warranty which was ultimately resolved by private agreement.
  • Advising and representing a Māori Incorporation in proceedings to remove a member of the Committee of Management, defend several injunctive proceedings and defend proceedings regarding an investigation into the affairs of the Māori Incorporation in relation to an election process in 2025.
  • Advising a director shareholder in proceedings brought against him by another director shareholder in relation to alleged breach of fiduciary and directors duties, breach of restraint of trade provisions and for quantum meruit, causes of action for which were struck out by consent.
  • Representing a director shareholder bringing liquidation proceedings against a company for just and equitable reasons.
  • Providing legal and strategic advice to a multinational hotel and resort management entity regarding the appointment of liquidators to a hotel joint venture and related issues regarding the interpretation of the joint venture agreement.
  • Advising clients regarding their rights and obligations to deal with and respond to information requests from regulators.
  • Providing discrete insurance advice to insurers about the viability of subrogated claims.
  • Assisting rainbow organisations in effective engagement with government decision-makers (pro bono).
  • Providing legal advice regarding the New Zealand class-action framework to assist counsel in South Africa on the Her Rights Initiative (pro bono).
  • Representing a group of beneficiaries who sought to remove trustees from a Post-Settlement Governance Entity Porter v Glavish [2024] NZHC 3497.
  • Helping a plaintiff / applicant in a claim of undue influence, breach of fiduciary duty, knowing receipt and the tort of deceit successfully obtain (and maintain) world-wide freezing orders over more than NZD $300 million.WH & Applicant Company v YL & Respondent Company [2021] NZHC 2968, WH & Applicant Company v YL & Respondent Company [2021] NZHC 3434 and Harper v Love [2022] NZHC 2256.
  • Acted for Te Ohu Kai Moana Trustee Ltd in a successful application to join judicial review proceedings as a respondent in Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society of New Zealand v Minister of Fisheries [2020] NZHC 741 and in the related hearing [2021] NZHC 1427.
  • Represented a group of appellants on plan change proceedings (and related mediations) Federated Farmers of New Zealand v Bay of Plenty Regional Council [2020] EnvC 213.
Languages
  • English
  • Te Reo Māori

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

  • AMINZ Consensual Scholar 2026, The Arbitrators and Mediators Institute of New Zealand (AMINZ)
Education
  • University of Otago, B.Phty, 2010 (retired)
  • Victoria University of Wellington, LLB, 2018
  • Victoria University of Wellington, BCom (Accounting), 2018

Memberships

  • Arbitrators and Mediators Institute of New Zealand
  • Te Hunga Roia Māori o Aotearoa

Connect

Phone

+64 4 474 3207
(Work, Wellington)
+64 21 221 7646
(Mobile, Wellington)