Mr Browne, the senior solicitor and legal team manager at the Otago Southland Employers’ Association (OSEA), is pictured with ILANZ president Grant Pritchard at an awards function in Wellington on Friday night.
Mr Browne said it was "a huge honour" to win and he planned to use the $5000 prize money to embark on a project he had been thinking about for some time.
"Covid-19 exposed some major problems with New Zealand employment law, and I would like to review these and consider ways to solve them.
"This project will be particularly useful at a time when OSEA and the Otago Chamber of Commerce are merging two related but different organisations ... to offer even stronger support to businesses across our region," he said.
He also believed an opportunity existed for the region to review its reliance on international tourism and address injustices for both employees and employers.
OSEA chief executive Virginia Nicholls said she was thrilled Mr Browne’s expertise and excellence had been recognised.
"David is an exceptional solicitor and leader who always goes the extra mile to support our members," she said.
