When Donna was a child her mother resurrected Mataikotare Marae on the eastern shores of Lake Rotorua. Donna and her family worked for many years to successfully not only restore the marae but also re-establish the place of Ngāti Rangiteaorere within the Te Arawa Confederation. At 17 years old Donna enrolled in law at Otago University and completed a conjoint Bachelor or Laws and Arts majoring in history, finishing her studies at Victoria University in 1981. Donna worked as a solicitor at the Department of Social Welfare and was part of the Te-Puao-te-Ata-Tū review rōpū touring Aotearoa in 1985. In 1987 Donna began practicising law with Neville Smith & Co in Lower Hutt and in 1990 she established her own practice Woodward Law.

Donna was immediately engaged as solicitor for a number of seminal Treaty rights cases including urban Māori interests in fisheries, the Māori electoral option, Ngāti Whātua casino project as well as acting for New Zealand Māori Council at the United Nations Forum on Indigenous Peoples. Ms Hall and Dame Sian Elias QC acted for Ngāti Pahauwera assisting the tribe to be the first in the country to receive funds from Crown Forestry Rental Trust.

Alongside her work on the national and tribal matters, Donna has worked for many Māori groups and individuals on a range of legal matters from Sir Charles Bennett and Haani Manahi VC Committee to Dame Te Atairangikaahu and Natural Māori Congress and Māori Artists and Writers.

Taihākurei completed his law degree at Victoria University in 1965. As a student Taihakurei was often summonsed to attend meetings of the newly formed New Zealand Māori Council by the early chairs, Turi Carroll and Pei Te Hurinui Jones as they began to explore issues affecting all Māori.

Taihākurei practised law in Tauranga and was later appointed a judge of the Māori Land Court in 1974. He became Chief Judge of the Māori Land Court in 1980 which carried with it the role of Chair of the Waitangi Tribunal. Along with original Waitangi Tribunal members, Laurie Southwick QC and Graham Latimer, Taihākurei began investigating claimed Treaty breaches since 1975 including the Motunui, Manukau Harbour and Orakei Claims. When the powers of the Waitangi Tribunal were extended to include claims dating back to 1840, Taihākurei presided on the Tribunals investigating Claims about the Whanganui River, Taranaki and many many more. Taihākurei then served as a High Court Judge and member of the Law Commission from 2000 to 2010. He was knighted in 2009.

In 2012, Taihākurei was elected as co-chair of the New Zealand Maori Council, until appointment as the sole chair from 2016 until 2019.

As an expert adviser to Woodward Law, Taihākurei advises on contemporary Treaty issues and other matters prejudicially affecting Māori. In February 2020 he presented the lead evidence to the Waitangi Tribunal inquiry into the Rangitīkei Manawatū Claims.

Melody Baxter joined Woodward Law in 2026. Born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, she graduated from Waipapa Taumata Rau—University of Auckland in 2024 with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Māori Studies.
Before joining Woodward Law, Melody gained valuable legal experience through clerkships at Kāhui Legal in Rotorua and MinterEllisonRuddWatts in Tāmaki Makaurau. She also worked as a research assistant to Jayden Houghton and volunteered at Waitematā Community Law Centre.
With a strong foundation in activism and social justice, Melody is deeply passionate about decolonisation and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. She brings this commitment to her work and values the opportunity to contribute to kaupapa that advance Māori rights and interests.
Outside the office, Melody enjoys baking, heavy music, and spending time in nature with her loved ones.

Darshini Dorn joined Woodward Law in 2024. Born and raised in Whanganui-a-Tara, Darshini holds a Bachelor of Laws from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha (University of Canterbury) and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Development Studies from Te Herenga Waka (Victoria University of Wellington).

Hilary Royds joined Woodward Law in 2025. Born in Bangkok and raised in Ōtautahi, Hilary graduated from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington in 2025 with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in English Literature and Cultural Anthropology.
Before joining Woodward Law, Hilary gained valuable experience through internships with Community Law Wellington and Hutt Valley and the Royal Thai Embassy. She enjoys building strong relationships with clients and brings a thoughtful, detail-oriented approach to her work.
Outside the office, Hilary has a passion for knitting and fibre arts and is an avid reader

Olivia is a Law Clerk at Woodward Law and is currently in her penultimate year of studying towards a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at Victoria University of Wellington. Passionate about developing her legal knowledge and practical skills, she has a particular interest in Treaty of Waitangi claims and Māori legal issues.
As part of the Woodward Law team, Olivia enjoys working in a collaborative environment where she continues to build her legal experience while deepening her understanding of ngā tikanga Māori. She is dedicated to supporting our clients and contributing to the firm's commitment to advancing Māori legal interests.

Rāniera Wairau (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou) is a Law Clerk at Woodward Law and a law student from Te Matau-a-Māui. Before beginning his legal studies, Rāniera completed a Bachelor of Arts in History and is currently completing a Master of Arts in History at Massey University. He is also studying te reo Māori through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Rāniera is currently in his second year of the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) programme at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
He has a particular interest in Māori legal issues, public law, and legal history. As part of the Woodward Law team, Rāniera values the opportunity to develop his practical legal skills and contribute his knowledge and perspective to the firm’s work.