The Waikato-Tainui governance and legal GM discusses her involvement in an unforgettable case
As the daughter of immigrants, the importance of university education was imparted to Gwendoline Keel early on. She went on to become the first lawyer in her family as she applied her interest in the performing arts to a legal career.
As Waikato-Tainui's general manager for governance and legal and one of NZ Lawyer's Most Influential Lawyers for 2024, Keel has been involved in key legal issues. In the first part of this May interview, Keel discusses an unforgettable case involving tribally significant lands, obtaining her Master of Information Governance degree and moving her niece's admission to the bar.
What made you choose a career in law?
I chose a career in law in large part because my immigrant parents placed a strong emphasis on higher education. For them obtaining a university degree, those “pieces of paper”, represented security and opportunity, something that could never be taken away and would open doors to a different life with more choices. There were no lawyers in our family before me and we were the first generation in our family to even attend university. Now my brilliant niece Emma has joined the crew, and it was an honour to move her admission to the bar.
While I was always drawn to the arts and especially performing arts, I found that my strengths - good on my feet, keen to learn, and passionate about history, English, and languages – aligned well with a legal career. Law seemed like a natural fit, allowing me to honour my parents’ hopes and wishes while also playing to my own abilities and interests.
What's your favourite part of the job?
My favourite part of the job has always been helping people to understand and navigate the law. It is an alienating and difficult space for many people, but it doesn’t need to be. My career path was never linear. I’ve worked in private business, been a partner in a law firm, worked in charities, acted as a director and trustee, and now I work in-house for an iwi organisation building an awesome team of governance and legal practitioners. The flexibility of the legal skill set has always been a great asset to me. It has “given me access” to do a lot of challenging and interesting work in spaces I’m passionate about.
What in your opinion has been the most memorable event of your career to date?
I helped to reacquire some tribally significant lands that the New Zealand government illegally confiscated after the invasion of the Waikato by colonial troops in the 1860s. The land was still being held by the government under their original notice of confiscation. Assisting with the legal transfer back to the iwi and seeing their name on the modern title we obtained was something I will never forget.
What has been your proudest accomplishment in the last year or so?
I’m graduating with a Master of Information Governance (First Class Honours) in the next fortnight. The MInfoGov is a collaboration between the University of Auckland schools of Law and Business, taught by experts in fields of data privacy, information ethics, blockchain and ledger technologies, cybersecurity techniques and regulation, AI regulation, and dispute resolution. It’s been a lot of work over the last two and half years in an area I didn’t know much about beforehand, but I loved it.
My daughter is excited to attend the graduation ceremony as she feels she has earned it too! Showing my daughter that you can commit, work hard, learn, and do well at any age is very important to me.
If you could relive one day in your life, which day would it be and why?
I think I’d give this gift to someone who needs the revisit more than me. We only have the power to shape our actions, choices, and mindset right now. The present is where real change happens, and by focusing on growth and purpose today, we can create a better future and a more meaningful life. I know it sounds trite, but I really believe that.
