Community Contribution

Recently Chen Palmer advised a not-for-profit agency providing counselling services for victims of sexual assault on successfully negotiating changes to the ACC Clinical Pathway for Sensitive Claims, to reflect the statutory framework of Part 2 of the Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Compensation Act 2001.

In 2008 Chen Palmer assisted Allergy NZ in pursuing standard guidelines for schools for creating a safe environment for children at risk of anaphylactic allergic reactions. Chen Palmer also undertook pro bono public law work for the SPELD NZ (the Specific Learning Disabilities Federation) for several years until 2007.

We have also assisted the Endometriosis Foundation in its efforts to achieve greater recognition of the impact of endometriosis, and to secure a funding stream from the health system for its important work that includes educating girls and women on endometriosis. This involved assisting them to put their case effectively to ministers, MPs and officials, explaining that, despite the significant impact of endometriosis on a large and growing number of New Zealand women, it was receiving no coordinated public funding and was not being given the priority it deserved.

The firm has also carried out substantial work over the last two years for the New Zealand Charity Tooth Angel which works in conjunction with the Khmer Association for Development, a Cambodian non-government organisation, to meet the dental/physical needs of the poor and vulnerable in Cambodia. We have assisted this organisation in their dealings with the relevant New Zealand and Cambodian government departments.

Mai Chen has also spoken numerous events and seminars on a pro bono basis, including:

Speaker at the 2009 National Young Leaders Day, 12 March 2009;
Speaker at the 2009 Leadership Programme in Wellington on “Regulatory and Law Reform under the new MMP Government”, on 15 May 2009;
Panel Speaker at Rising Dragons, Soaring Bananas Conference sponsored by the New Zealand Chinese Association Auckland Inc., on 18 July 2009;
Franchise Law Reform Symposium at the University of Auckland Business School on “Is there a Case for Franchise Law Reform”, on 25 June 2009;
Address at the New Zealand Centre for Public Law on “David v Goliath: the Evolution of the Practice of Public Law in New Zealand in the last 15 years, its impact on the Branches of Government and Academia and its Future Development”, on 22 July 2009;
Keynote Speaker at International Women’s Day Forum at the Banquet Hall in Parliament, hosted by the Minister of Women’s Affairs, the Hon Pansy Wong, on 8 March 2010;
Keynote Speaker, Australia and New Zealand Ombudsmen Association Conference in Wellington, 6 May 2010;
Keynote Dinner Speaker at the Dairy Women’s Network Conference 2010, 13 May 2010; and
On 5 August 2010, Mai gave the Deans Distinguished Lecture Series for the Auckland Business School.

Mai recently spoke to a group of students for the Young Enterprise Trust and received the following thank you message from Terry Shubkin, the Chief Executive:

A huge thanks for taking time out of your busy day last Friday to meet with some of our students. They were so excited about the meeting and came out buzzing. There was one comment along the lines of “that’s what success looks like”. You achieved exactly what we were hoping for – to get them inspired.

Mai chairs the Advisory Board of New Zealand Global Women, a charitable organisation for top women leaders in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors to mentor emerging leaders.

Mai has also been running a Women Leaders’ Group for women leaders throughout New Zealand since December 2006.