Our highest-ranking independent lawyer on the List and now something of a staple is former Solicitor-General (2012-2016) who has become New Zealand’s go-to independent investigator for scandals too sensitive for the usual suspects.

His 2025 workload included the Public Service Commission’s personal information protection probe (finalized May 2025) and the Ministry of Education’s $20,000 Budget leak investigation (September 2025, inconclusive but damning on disclosure risks).

As founder of Britomart Chambers, Immediation (online mediation), and Agreeable (digital divorce platform), Michael Heron has been an innovator who, as we observed over eight years ago is also someone who has changed the way we think about law. He’s the rare silk who understands that legal services delivery is ripe for disruption.

His Sport NZ mediation panel appointment adds another credential. Michael Heron’s power stems from institutional trust: when the government needs someone credible to investigate itself, they call him.

LawFuel Power List 2025