Singapore High Court: Chu Said Thong and another v Vision Law LLC [2014] SGHC 160 A conman and audacious identity thief named Victor Tan fabricated an option which purportedly gave him the right to buy a property at Jalan Berjaya from Lum Whye Hee, its true owner. He defrauded a law firm (defendant) into acting…
To Stay or not to Stay: Whether a Foreign Defendant is Deemed to Have Submitted to the Jurisdiction of the Singapore Courts
Singapore Court of Appeal: Zoom Communications Ltd v Broadcast Solutions Pte Ltd [2014] SGCA 44 A foreign defendant who is sued in Singapore is often faced with a conundrum. The foreign defendant may make an application to set aside the overseas leave order (i.e. the order granting the plaintiff leave to serve the originating process…
Setting Aside a Statutory Demand in Bankruptcy Proceedings: Grounds and Defences
Singapore High Court: Tan Hup Yuan Patrick v The Griffin Coal Mining Co Pty Ltd (administrators appointed) and others [2014] SGHC 156* One of the ways to enforce a Judgment is by means of bankruptcy proceedings. A stepping stone to the commencement of bankruptcy proceedings is the issuance of a statutory demand. The failure to…
When Money Freezes Over: Worldwide Mareva Injunction in Aid of Foreign Arbitration Proceedings
Singapore High Court: Solvadis Commodity Chemicals GmbH v Affert Resources Pte Ltd [2014] 1 SLR 174; [2013] SGHC 217* In this case, the Singapore High Court ordered a worldwide Mareva injunction in aid of foreign arbitration proceedings against the Defendant, a Singapore company. The Plaintiff was Solvadis Commodity Chemicals GmbH, a German company engaged in the business…
COI Report Produced: Legal Advice Privilege (as a subset of Legal Professional Privilege) and the Dominant Purpose Test
Singapore High Court Assistant Registrar: Boey Chun Hian (by his guardian and next friend, Boey Ghim Huat) v Singapore Sports Council (Neo Meng Yong, third party) [2013] SGHCR 15* The father of a then 15-year old victim in a near-drowning case sued the Singapore Sports Council (“SSC”) in a High Court Suit for damages arising from the alleged…
Can A Witness Be Sued? – The Scope of Lawful Means Conspiracy
The Singapore High Court in Ling Mang Khong Stanley v Teo Chee Siong & Ors (Yeo Boon Hwa, third party) [2013] SGHC 58* struck out third party proceedings brought by the Defendants against the key witness (Third Party) while the main Suit was still ongoing. The totality of the circumstances suggested that the third party proceedings were…
In a Nutshell: the 5 Main Stages of Litigation Explained
The entire litigation process may sound very complicated. But it is essentially made up of 5 main stages. Here are the 5 stages in a nutshell.
Pride and Prejudice: How to Conduct Settlement Talks Without Prejudicing Your Position
Pride prevents you from speaking to one another. Assuming you have overcome pride, there is also the risk of Prejudice if you do take the step of trying to settle a matter before going to trial. What are the general principles to apply when conducting settlement talks to avoid prejudicing your position?
Stop the Catfight: Mediation as an Alternative to Litigation
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the…
Lonely at the Top: How to Find a Good Lawyer, Part 2
Lawyers are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you gonna get. Now that we understand some of the key attributes to look out for in a good litigation lawyer, as well as bearing in mind your needs and budget, let us explore some ways by which to find a suitable good lawyer.
To Sue Or Not To Sue 