DoctorSimone Schwoerer

Simone Schwoerer is a lecturer and researcher in commercial law, regulatory design, and sustainability regulation in Aotearoa New Zealand. Her work focuses on corporate governance, climate-related disclosure, competition law, cartel enforcement, and the regulatory frameworks that shape business conduct, accountability and public trust.

She holds a PhD in Law from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury. Her doctoral research examined the criminalisation of cartel conduct in New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom, and developed her expertise in competition law, enforcement, comparative law, and regulatory design. Before entering academia, Simone worked as legal counsel in Germany, advising on corporate legal matters. She also served as a director of a Romanian subsidiary, which gave her direct experience of corporate governance, business decision-making, and director responsibility. This professional background continues to inform her research and teaching on accountability, compliance, and the practical operation of legal duties within organisations.

Her current research examines sustainability regulation in Aotearoa New Zealand, with particular interest in climate-related disclosure, corporate governance, business responsibility, and the role of regulation in responding to environmental and social challenges. A developing strand of her work focuses on regulatory integrity in climate-related disaster recovery. This project examines whether New Zealand’s legal framework is fit to prevent corruption, conflicts of interest, and improper influence when emergency powers, fast procurement, land-use decisions, infrastructure funding, managed retreat, and public recovery funds interact. Through this research, Simone is interested in how law can support transparent and accountable climate adaptation without delaying urgent recovery. Her work explores whether New Zealand needs clearer legal tests, institutional safeguards, or statutory principles to guide decision-making in high-risk recovery contexts, including the possible development of a disaster recovery integrity test.

Based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Simone works across law, accounting, and sustainability-related fields. Her research contributes to debates on commercial law, regulatory design, corporate accountability, climate governance, public integrity, and the role of regulation in supporting effective and trusted institutional decision-making.