Announcing the AMINZ Scholarship Recipients: Shaping the Future of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Dispute Resolution Sector
We are delighted to introduce two emerging leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand’s dispute resolution sector: Oscar Read, recipient of the Determinative Scholarship, focused on arbitration, and Tyson Hullena, recipient of the Consensual Scholarship, focused on mediation.
“I am excited for Oscar and Tyson, who are well on their way to success,” says Mark Kelly, AMINZ Scholarships Committee Chair. “We’d like to thank everyone who applied. It’s been inspiring to see the depth of talent and enthusiasm for dispute resolution.”
The AMINZ scholarship programme is a unique initiative in Aotearoa New Zealand, open to professionals at any stage of their careers in dispute resolution.
Our scholarships are designed to support future leaders in the profession by providing encouragement, guidance, and tailored professional development opportunities to help them thrive in their chosen field.
In the year ahead, Oscar and Tyson will undertake leadership development, access training opportunities, receive mentorship from a senior AMINZ member, and present at the AMINZ Conference at the NZICC in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. They will receive financial support of up to $2,500 each to help cover costs incurred during the scholarship period.
“I am thrilled to welcome Oscar and Tyson as our newest scholars,” says Executive Director Monique Pearson. “I look forward to working alongside them over the coming year as they bring valuable new perspectives to the sector.”
At the end of their scholarship period, Oscar and Tyson will also provide feedback to the AMINZ Council, offering insights and recommendations on how the Institute can continue to advance its objectives.
AMINZ would like to thank our Scholarships Partner, the College of Law. “Our continued partnership with AMINZ is important to us as we support the next generation of dispute resolution leaders,” says Marcus Martin, Group CEO of the College of Law. “We congratulate Oscar and Tyson and celebrate the bright futures ahead of them.”
The programme was launched in 2021 as part of the Institute’s ongoing commitment to strengthening diversity, championing excellence, and creating opportunities for future leaders in dispute resolution.
“As the programme enters its fifth year, it has been very rewarding to see the professional growth of our scholarship recipients,” says Monique Pearson.
Previous scholars include Lydia Sharpe and Celia Brownlee (2025), Zar Sinclair and Kim Robinson (2024), Anna Fuiava and Isabelle Kwek (2023), Diana Qiu and Madison Dobie (2022).
Meet the Scholars
"I am excited to be awarded the AMINZ Determinative Scholarship, which presents an incredible opportunity to engage with and learn from a diverse range of legal and dispute resolution professionals within the body. I look forward to bringing the insights and knowledge gained back to my broader network, helping to advance the conversation around how we can best use arbitration to facilitate access to justice."
Oscar Read is a solicitor in the Construction and Infrastructure Disputes team at MinterEllisonRuddWatts. He specialises in large-scale construction disputes, including infrastructure and commercial building projects. His key area of interest is in alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration and adjudication. In 2025, he won the Society of Construction Law Essay Competition with his essay titled “Preconditions to Arbitration Supporting Best-for-Project Dispute Resolution” ([2025] NZLJ 350).
Outside of practice, Oscar has contributed to legal education as a coach for the University of Auckland’s Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot Team and the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition Team.
"I am so grateful to be the 2026 AMINZ Consensual Scholar. The opportunity to watch and learn from Aotearoa New Zealand's best mediators is an incredible way to grow my mediation expertise and broaden my professional networks. I'm really looking forward to presenting at the AMINZ Conference and celebrating 30 years of AMINZ this year too."
Tyson Hullena is a senior associate in the Litigation and Regulatory team at DLA Piper New Zealand, based in Wellington.
He specialises in complex contractual disputes, conflicts of laws issues, and has a keen interest in technology and AI disputes and class actions. He also has a well-established Māori land practice and is experienced in the crossover between tikanga-Māori and the law, including in alternative dispute resolution processes.
Tyson is particularly interested in how mediation can be utilised more effectively by parties in the early stages of a dispute following the recent updates to the High Court Rules and whether processes like wānanga might help the resolution of disputes of all kinds.
