About EM
EM is a specialist consultancy founded by Emmolina May, a respected adjudicator, educator, and registered quantity surveyor with deep experience across residential, commercial, civil infrastructure, and renewable energy projects.
What makes EM different is its ability to bridge the gaps that others often miss. From overlooked contract risk and dispute exposure to industry-education disconnects and cross-cultural misunderstandings, EM exists to uncover blind spots, simplify complexity, and deliver solutions that actually work on the ground.
Unlike larger firms focused solely on process, or legal advisors removed from the site reality, EM combines contractual expertise with real-world construction insight, cultural fluency, and a passion for capability-building, especially for underrepresented communities and small to medium businesses.
Whether supporting a subcontractor through adjudication, helping an overseas investor navigate NZ’s construction market, or coaching early-career professionals into the industry, EM offers advice that is practical, long-lasting impact, and people-first.
Grounded in clarity, driven by strategy, and committed to real impact, EM empowers professionals, businesses, and investors to move forward with purpose, efficiency, and confidence.
About the Founder
Emmolina May is a construction law specialist and adjudicator with over a decade of experience across the residential, commercial, and infrastructure sectors in New Zealand. She brings a distinctive cross-functional perspective, combining deep technical knowledge of quantity surveying with practical expertise in dispute resolution and construction education.
Emmolina has advised on complex construction contracts, final accounts, and procurement strategies for high-profile developments, including geothermal power stations and advanced manufacturing facilities. She has a particular interest in promoting early dispute resolution and contractual clarity in New Zealand’s fast-paced construction environment.
She is frequently engaged by clients during live projects to provide dispute prevention strategies, contractual clarity, and commercial advice, helping to resolve issues before they escalate. Her proactive and balanced approach is informed by years of frontline commercial management and deep knowledge of New Zealand standard and bespoke construction contracts.
She also lectures in construction law, financial administration, and procurement topics at her local polytechnic, where she leads developments of future quantity surveying programme. As Education Committee Chair of the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NZIQS), she plays an vital role in shaping the future of construction education and professional standards.
Emmolina holds a New Zealand Diploma in Construction (QS), Bachelor degree in Construction Economics and Property Development and is completing her Master of Construction Law. She is an Associate Member of AMINZ, an accredited practicing adjudicator with AANZ.
Fluent in English and Mandarin, and as the only female adjudicator of Asian descent currently practicing with AANZ, Emmolina is committed to increasing diversity and access to justice in the construction dispute resolution space.
Emmolina May
EM Founder/ Director
Construction Law Specialist | Adjudicator Registered Quantity Surveyor | Educator
Areas of Expertise
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Strategic procurement
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ECI procurement
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Contract negotiation
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Contract management
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Cost monitoring
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Final accounts
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Risk management
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BIM integration
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Lean construction
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Stakeholder management
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Variation claims & evaluation
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Delay analysis
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Disruption/ EOT claims & evaluation
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Dispute resolution
Highlights
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Tauhara Geothermal Power Station ($950M) – Acted as commercial lead on this major renewable energy infrastructure project, managing complex contract negotiations, procurement, cost forecasting, monitoring, change management, and high-stakes dispute resolution processes under bespoke and NZS3910 contract forms.
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Winstone Wallboards GIB Factory ($400M) – Acted as commercial expert that lead key tasks as contract management, cost monitoring, stakeholder management, supply chain procurement, and variation management on New Zealand’s largest plasterboard manufacturing facility, including claims analysis, commercial strategy, and dispute resolution during delivery.
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Waikato 50 Water Treatment Plant ($145M) – Delivered unique three water project with accelerated programme and innovative procurement strategies completed with record time and under budget during Covid period. Direct involvement in ECI negotiations, risk analysis, and interim/final account settlements as well as BIM integration, contract/subcontract management and variation management.
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City Rail Link (CRL S3) – Acted as commercial expert to support commercial aspects of New Zealand’s largest transport infrastructure project, advising on entitlement strategies, contractual compliance, and variations related to urban integration works.
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Victoria Street Upgrades & Transport Projects – Acted as commercial expert to managed contracts from early tender process to final accounts for multiple urban amenity and cycleway projects, integrating community-focused design and budget delivery constraints.
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Renewable Portfolios (Hydro, Solar, Wind, Geothermal) – Acted as renewable commercial expert to provide commercial advisory services for a range of public infrastructure initiatives, including procurement strategy, budget control, contractor negotiation, stakeholder management and development planning.
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Commercial & Healthcare Developments - Engaged as the commercial and contract consultant lead from early-stage development advisory through to project close-out. Providing strategic procurement planning, contract negotiation, final account settlement, and dispute resolution for high-spec commercial and healthcare assets, ensuring value optimisation and legal robustness at each phase.
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Community Infrastructure & 3 Water Projects - Provided commercial advisory on drainage upgrades and recreational spaces, delivering early cost planning, contract strategy, and dispute avoidance advice for council-led works.
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Arbitration, Adjudication & Dispute Resolution - Acted as dispute resolution expert involved in a wide range of dispute resolution processes across the construction sector, including litigation, arbitration, adjudication, mediation, negotiation, expert determination, and early-stage dispute. Providing support for disputes in infrastructure, commercial, and residential projects. Acted as expert witness and independent expert in tribunal and arbitral proceedings, with specialist expertise relied upon in entitlement analysis, delay and disruption claims, and final account disputes. Technical quantity surveying background and legal knowledge regularly drawn upon to support case resolution.
Memberships, Accreditations & Awards
New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors
(NZIQS)
Adjudicators Association of New Zealand
(AANZ)
Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of New Zealand Inc (AMINZ)
Society of Construction Law New Zealand ( SCL)
Building Institute Aotearoa
National Association of Women In Construction ( NAWIC)
Registered Quantity Surveyor
MNZIQS - Member of NZIQS
Education Committee Chair
Accredited Practising Adjudicator
AANZ Committee Member
Associate Member
Member
Member
Excellence Awards 2022 - Rising Star - Site - Finalist