Hōtaka | Programme
Take a step back and reflect with us on the evolution of ADR over the past four decades and where we are heading. Here is what we’ll be covering across AMINZ Conference 2025.
Rāapa | Wednesday 27 August
The conference opens with the AMINZ AGM followed by a networking event, both held at the venue on Wednesday evening. A relaxed opportunity to reconnect, meet new people and set the tone for our next two days together.
Rāpare | Thursday 28 August
Our first day sets the stage for shared reflection, fresh insight, and future-focused conversation. We begin together, one room, one agenda, delving into the shifts and challenges shaping dispute resolution in Aotearoa and globally.
Across keynotes, panel discussions, and cross-disciplinary kōrero, we’ll consider how our profession has evolved, where it’s heading, and what that means for practitioners across all areas of ADR. Expect a day of bold questions, diverse viewpoints, and meaningful connections.
Expert speakers include AMINZ President Malcolm Wallace, AMINZ Vice President Dr Anna Kirk, Greg Simms, Robert Kirkness, Dr Penelope Ridings.
Travel back to 1985 as Toby Manhire takes us on a journey through one of the most transformative years in Aotearoa’s political and cultural history.
Toby is an Auckland-based writer, editor and broadcaster. He is editor-at-large at The Spinoff and host of podcasts including Juggernaut: The Story of the Fourth Labour Government and Gone By Lunchtime.
What to expect from Thursday’s sessions
9am Nau mai | Arrival and registration
Mihi whakatau | Welcome
Kaikōrero matua | Keynote speaker: Toby Manhire
7pm AMINZ Awards Dinner
-
Toby is setting out the political and cultural scene of 1985 in New Zealand.
"1985 was a whiplash year for New Zealand – David Lange letting rip at the Oxford Union, Roger Douglas turning up reform to 11 at home, state terrorism in the Auckland harbour, and countless other consequential and compelling moments across politics, culture and sport. I'm really looking forward to jumping in the time machine and travelling back four decades to a truly extraordinary year."
-
Is AI revolutionising or undermining dispute resolution? In a debate-style session, speakers will debate both sides of the AI equation.
Efficiency vs. ethics: can AI ever be neutral?
Will human judgment become obsolete?
Can AI build trust, or erode it?
Innovation and inequality: who gets left behind?
Tech fatigue vs tech enablement in ADR.
Neurodiversity and neuroscience.
-
In an era marked by global uncertainty, robust and adaptable dispute resolution frameworks are more important than ever. As we walk backwards into the future, this panel reflects on how international courts, tribunals and dispute resolution mechanisms are evolving in response to new geopolitical and systemic challenges.
The discussion will highlight New Zealand’s engagement with the international legal system, drawing on recent cases to explore the domestic relevance of these global shifts. For AMINZ members across all practice areas, this session offers valuable insights into how past developments continue to shape the future of dispute resolution both locally and globally.
-
More to come!
-
More to come!
AMINZ Awards Dinner
Held onsite at Peppers Clearwater Resort, the dinner brings delegates, speakers, and distinguished guests together for an evening that honours excellence, contribution, and leadership across our sector. Enjoy a beautiful meal, networking and the presentation of the 2025 AMINZ Awards.
Whether you’re reconnecting with colleagues or making new connections, it’s an unmissable night of recognition and celebration.
Rāmere | Friday 29 August
On day two, we move into focused streams that reflect on the diverse and evolving landscape of ADR. Choose your stream and engage in conversations that matter most to your practice and passions.
With sessions exploring property and environmental issues, cultural and psychological dimensions of conflict, and the implications of rapid technological change, this is a day for digging deeper.
Our expert presenters include: Suran Dickson, Nicole Smith, Daniel Kalderimis KC, Nicola Swan, Michael Heron KC, Mark Kelly, Rebecca Saunders.
What to expect from Friday’s sessions
-
How does the brain respond under pressure - and how does this affect the way we behave in conflict settings? This session unpacks key neuroscience concepts, explores the impact of bias and inclusion on fairness and party experience, and offers practical insights for creating safety in diverse and neurodiverse dispute resolution spaces.
How our brains work; reaction versus response, fight/flight mechanisms in conflict and how we (often erroneously) assess threat.
Why innate bias and blind spots matter in conflict resolution.
Understanding neurodiversity and how to cater for it in conflict resolution.
Looking back to move forward: how the evolution of diversity and inclusion shapes our lives and practice in ADR settings.
-
More to come!
-
ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Disputes are increasingly showing up as commercial disputes in the courts and in ADR. These disputes often include a public interest element – e.g. in New Zealand, the Court of Appeal’s decision on BNZ’s termination of banking services for the Gloriavale community, climate-related litigation, or an arbitration between energy sector players over entitlement to gas supply in Methanex v Nova.
Offshore, a third of international arbitrations are encountering public interest issues according to the latest international surveys.
We’ll be exploring:
What role does the Arbitrator have when deciding ESG disputes?
What expertise and knowledge should the Arbitrator be permitted to draw on when balancing public/private issues within commercial disputes?
Will this change as climate-related mitigation and adaptation disputes increase?
Is the Arbitrator confined to considering the commercial issues between the parties or do they have a responsibility to consider the impact of their decisions on the wider community (local, national and global).
Does this support, or undermine, arbitration’s role in supporting the rule of law?
-
More to come!
-
More info to come!
Conference Countdown
Leading New Zealand law firm, Wynn Williams returns as Platinum Partner for AMINZ Conference 2025.