Annette Sykes (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Mākino and Te Arawa waka) has been a long-standing advocate of Māori land rights and appears regularly before the New Zealand Courts and in the special jurisdiction of the Waitangi Tribunal, including as claimants’ counsel throughout the Wai 2522 TPPA claim. Annette is currently a Principal of her own law firm Annette Sykes & Co based in Rotorua which seeks to re-establish the operation of Māori systems of law and custom, tikanga Māori, as the first law of this country. Outside of the law practice, Annette is currently a member of Te Tai Timu Tai Pari Technical Roopu, who provide technical expertise and knowledge to Te Arawhiti on the transition of takutai moana rights under the resource management reforms, a member of Te Tai Kaha technical roopu who provide expert advice to the Ministry for the Environment on Te Mana o Te Wai Policy in the Three Waters legislation, and an advisory member of Te Ara Takatū roopu, a group of survivors who advise the Royal Commission on Inquiry into Abuse in State Care. She is also a representative of the Māori Appointers to the Crown Forest Rental Trust (CFRT) which oversees the management of administrative process arising from the operation of the Crown Forest Assets Act regime.