MTF Finance
"Mayhaka delivered a thorough and well-executed privacy review, covering staff interviews, policy analysis, and organisational procedures. The report was detailed and offered valuable, actionable opportunities to enhance our privacy practices."
Andrew Riseley
General Counsel/GM Legal Services, Commerce Commission
"In her role as Deputy General Counsel - Regulation in our team at the Commerce Commission, Mayhaka provided advice on a range of legal topics, and got up to speed with our often complex regulatory regimes remarkably quickly. Our internal clients praised the clarity of her written and oral advice, and her willingness to come forward with solutions, rather than just analysis. Mayhaka is also extremely conscientious and prides herself on delivering what she promises, on time every time."
Dr Stephen Higgs, DistFInstD
Former Chancellor of the University of Otago
“I had the pleasure of working closely alongside Mayhaka when I was Chancellor at the University of Otago and she was the Acting Registrar. That was a significant and wide-ranging role which Mayhaka carried out with excellent commitment, wisdom, and capability. The University is a very large organisation with a range of stakeholders – government, staff, students, alumni, and the wider local and national community – who have high expectations of transparency and organisational performance. Mayhaka managed all the legal requirements of the University and was very proactive in ensuring a robust legal and policy framework. She was very astute in managing the many legal issues that arose typical to such an organisation. The privacy of information for all the stakeholders mentioned was one key part of the role, including developing and overseeing relevant frameworks and policies, and engaging with the Privacy Commissioner where appropriate. Mayhaka was easy to work with. She was appropriately willing to challenge the status quo and others’ views to ensure best practice, and always did so in a positive and constructive way.”
Ainsley Simmonds
General Counsel of University of Otago
“Mayhaka Mendis was retained by the University of Otago for 8 months (most of 2025). Mayhaka was able to step in at a time when the team was short and immediately able to advise internal clients on the very wide range of legal matters that come to a University legal team. These areas range from managing one-off complex and risky issues, through to commercial contracts and University statutes, policies and processes. Mayhaka blends accuracy and speed, and offers sage advise on strategy on complex matters. Mayhaka has the ability to 'right-sizing' advice with an eye on the risk and efficiencies. I was completely confident for Mayhaka to run matters with little input needed from me and I could rely on her to keep me appropriately updated on higher profile issues. Mayhaka delivered all of these services remotely from Arrowtown, working smoothly and seamlessly with the team and internal clients as though she were on campus. Mayhaka has deep expertise in privacy law, and is skilled in advising on emerging information law issues such as AI.”
Professor Emerita Helen Nicholson
Former Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago
“It is a pleasure to provide a testimonial for Mayhaka Mendis who I have known since September 2020 when she took up the role as Manager, Policy and Compliance at the University of Otago. From April 2022, she was the Acting Registrar and was formally appointed General Counsel in May 2023. I worked closely with her in my role as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic on education and student related matters. From March 2023 I became Acting Vice-Chancellor and Mayhaka reported directly to me, and we worked closely together. At the University, Mayhaka had a variety of experiences. Initially her role involved dealing with the many Official Information Act requests that the University receives each year and providing advice in relation to the requirements of the Official Information Act. It included working collegially with the relevant people across the University, processing information requests and responding to investigations by the Office of the Ombudsman. She also took on the role as the University's Privacy Officer and dealt with policy and any privacy breaches. Mayhaka played a significant part in updating policies to incorporate the requirements of the 2020 Privacy Act, she also developed and ran effective and well-received training courses for University staff regarding the changes. As Acting Registrar and General Counsel she regularly provided legal advice to me and other staff on a variety of issues, including assistance with the University's borrowing applications and advice related to the Education and Training Act. She also had to deal with a significant privacy breach which she handled in a very calm and professional manner. In my experience, Mayhaka has always provided sound and appropriate legal advice to the University. She carefully considers each issue, is thorough in research and meticulous in the advice given. She always acts in a professional manner and delivers advice and assistance within an agreed time frame. Mayhaka has a sound understanding of the Law. She is aware of her areas of expertise and seeks advice from others when appropriate. Mayhaka is organised and committed. She works well with people but always maintains professional boundaries. She is honest and trustworthy and a pleasure to work with. I have no hesitation in strongly recommending Mayhaka Mendis to you.”