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Articles 31 - 60 of 182

Full-Text Articles in Commercial Law

Law And Covid-19, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez, Yihan Goh, Mark Findlay Oct 2020

Law And Covid-19, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez, Yihan Goh, Mark Findlay

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This book is a collection of essays from scholars at Singapore Management University School of Law analysing the challenges and implications of COVID-19 from the perspective of different areas of law, including private law, corporate law, insolvency law, data protection, financial laws, public law, privacy law, commercial law, constitutional law, law and technology, and dispute resolution. It also analyses how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the judicial system, the study of law, and the future of the legal profession. Beyond considerations of the pandemic’s influence on law and legal service delivery the authors consider how law can help facilitate the …


Pragmatism In The Pandemic: The Protection Of Commercial Tenants In Singapore, Edward Ti Sep 2020

Pragmatism In The Pandemic: The Protection Of Commercial Tenants In Singapore, Edward Ti

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The COVID-19 epidemic has not spared any country, not least a densely populated country like Singapore. The government has been working tirelessly developing new policies and laws to mitigate the human and economic devastation brought on by the virus. The COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 (COTMA) is intended to tackle some of the negative effects brought about by COVID-19. With an initial application period of 6 months which can be amended at the Minister’s discretion, the COTMA covers a wide range of issues. Summarily, the COTMA provides for public health controls necessary to manage the health crisis, increases bankruptcy and …


Trading Through A Pandemic: The Singaporean Experience, Henry Gao, Dhiraj G. Chainani, Siu Farn Chew Sep 2020

Trading Through A Pandemic: The Singaporean Experience, Henry Gao, Dhiraj G. Chainani, Siu Farn Chew

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Being a small country with one of the highest trade-to-GDP ratios in the world, Singapore faced seemingly insurmountable challenges at the onset of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As countries around the world scrambled to fight the pandemic, they imposed restrictions on exports and imports, suspended international transportation of both goods and people, and invoked emergency power and exceptions to justify their actions. All these presented unprecedented challenges to Singapore, a country which relies on international trade not only for its prosperity but also for survival. This article discusses how Singapore tries to meet these challenges through various initiatives …


Insolvency Law In Emerging Markets, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez Sep 2020

Insolvency Law In Emerging Markets, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Corporate insolvency law can serve as a powerful mechanism to promote economic growth. Ex ante, a well-functioning insolvency framework can facilitate entrepreneurship, innovation and access to finance. Ex post, corporate insolvency law can perform several functions, including the reorganization of viable companies in financial distress, the liquidation of non-viable businesses in a fair and efficient manner, and the maximization of the returns to creditors. Therefore, if having an efficient corporate insolvency framework is essential for any country, it becomes even more important for emerging economies due to their potential for growth and their greater financial needs.


The Low Usage Of Bankruptcy Procedures: A Cultural Problem? Lessons From Spain, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez Jul 2020

The Low Usage Of Bankruptcy Procedures: A Cultural Problem? Lessons From Spain, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

While filing for bankruptcy does not seem appealing for any debtor regardless of the jurisdiction, the reluctance to use the bankruptcy system varies across countries. This article explores the underlying reasons and economic effects of the low usage of bankruptcy procedures in Spain, where the rate of business bankruptcies is one of the lowest in the world. Some authors have argued that the low usage of bankruptcy procedures in Spain is due to a “cultural” problem faced by Spanish entrepreneurs. According to this hypothesis, the lack of a “bankruptcy culture” makes Spanish entrepreneurs afraid to use the bankruptcy system. In …


Addressing The Auditor Independence Puzzle: Regulatory Models And Proposal For Reform, Martin Gelter, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez Jul 2020

Addressing The Auditor Independence Puzzle: Regulatory Models And Proposal For Reform, Martin Gelter, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Auditors play a major role in corporate governance and capital markets. Ex ante, auditors facilitate firms’ access to finance by fostering trust among public investors. Ex post, auditors can prevent misbehavior and financial fraud by corporate insiders. In order to fulfill these goals, however, in addition to having the adequate knowledge and expertise, auditors must perform their functions in an independent manner. Unfortunately, auditors are subject to conflicts of interest by, for example, providing non-audit services or the mere fact of being hired and paid by the audited company. Therefore, even if auditors act independently, investors have reason to think …


Sidra International Dispute Resolution Survey: 2020 Final Report, Nadja Alexander, Vakhtangi Giorgadze, Allison Goh Jul 2020

Sidra International Dispute Resolution Survey: 2020 Final Report, Nadja Alexander, Vakhtangi Giorgadze, Allison Goh

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The International Dispute Resolution Survey: 2020 Final Report presents the findings of the Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy’s inaugural examination into the preferences, experiences, practices and perspectives of international dispute resolution users around the globe. The survey examined three major international dispute resolution mechanisms: international commercial arbitration, international commercial mediation, international commercial litigation, as well as hybrid dispute resolution mechanisms such as mediation-arbitration and arbitration-mediation. The survey also inquired into the use of technology in international dispute resolution, such as predictive analytical tools and negotiation support systems, and asked the users to express whether they were satisfied with the use …


Corporate Insolvency Responses In Times Of Covid-19, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez, Simon Brodie, Pooja Mahajan Apr 2020

Corporate Insolvency Responses In Times Of Covid-19, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez, Simon Brodie, Pooja Mahajan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Countries are responding to the Covid-19 crisis with a package of legal, financial and regulatory measures that include temporary reforms of their corporate insolvency frameworks. Common corporate insolvency responses adopted across jurisdictions include the suspension or restriction of creditors’ rights to initiate insolvency proceedings, as well as, where applicable, a suspension of directors’ duties to initiate insolvency proceedings and a relaxation of the liability for wrongful trading. Other corporate insolvency responses implemented around the world include: special rules for small companies; new measures to reduce the timing associated with the commencement and duration of insolvency proceedings; amendments to transaction avoidance …


Equal Treatment Of Shareholders Under The Dual Class Share Structure: Recent Updates Of The Takeover Code In Singapore, Chuanman You Apr 2020

Equal Treatment Of Shareholders Under The Dual Class Share Structure: Recent Updates Of The Takeover Code In Singapore, Chuanman You

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

On 24 January 2019, a revised Singapore Code on Take-overs and Mergers (the Take-overs Code) was promulgated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on the advice of the Securities Industry Council (the SIC). The revisions are to ensure that takeover practices targeting at companies with the dual class share (DCS) structures are conducted in compliance with the principle of equal treatment of all shareholders. The key amendments are two-fold: (a) expanding the application of mandatory offer and its dispensation to target companies with the DCS structures. (b) clarifying the fair pricing norms for multiple classes of equity share capital …


Insolvency Law In Times Of Covid-19, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez Apr 2020

Insolvency Law In Times Of Covid-19, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The international spread of the coronavirus is not only generating dramatic consequences from a social perspective but it is also heavily affecting the global economy. For this reason, governments, financial regulators and international organizations are responding to this pandemic with a package of legal, economic and financial reforms. Among the legal measures included in these packages of reforms, many countries, including Australia, Germany, Spain, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, have proposed or implemented several changes to their insolvency frameworks.


Global Guide: Measures Adopted To Support Businesses Through The Covid-19 Crisis: Singapore, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez Apr 2020

Global Guide: Measures Adopted To Support Businesses Through The Covid-19 Crisis: Singapore, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

After the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Singapore Government responded with a quick and comprehensive package of legal, economic and financial measures that sought to put the economy into hibernation and avoid the destruction of jobs and viable businesses, at least while companies were unable to generate revenues and cash-flows due to a variety of factors, including travel restrictions and lockdowns imposed in many countries around the world. To that end, the Government spent SGD$97.3 billion (that is, around 20% of the country’s GDP) to support businesses, households and employees. Most of this financial support was given in the …


Directors’ Duties Of Financially Distressed Companies In The Time Of Covid-19, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez Mar 2020

Directors’ Duties Of Financially Distressed Companies In The Time Of Covid-19, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Unlike other jurisdictions around the world, several European countries require corporate directors to file for bankruptcy once a company becomes insolvent. For instance, under German law, corporate directors are required to file for bankruptcy within three weeks since they know, or ought to have known, that the company became insolvent on a balance-sheet or a cash-flow basis. Failure to comply with this duty may expose the directors to both civil and criminal liability. In Spain, a similar duty is imposed. However, instead of exposing directors to criminal liability, they can be subject to other sanctions (including disqualification and liability for …


Asia’S Response To The Us Indo-Pacific Strategy: Building The Rcep: Legal And Political Implications, Pasha L. Hsieh Dec 2019

Asia’S Response To The Us Indo-Pacific Strategy: Building The Rcep: Legal And Political Implications, Pasha L. Hsieh

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The Trump administration declared the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP) strategy as the new U.S. policy on Asia in 2017. This new strategy will have far-reaching implications for U.S.-Asia relations and global governance. The FOIP is conventionally perceived to focus on security dimensions. By “free,” the United States expects all countries “to exercise their sovereignty free from coercion by other countries.”1 The qualifier, “open,” is meant to refer to regional connectivity, in particular including freedom of navigation.2 Notably, the economic dimensions of this component also envision “fair and reciprocal trade” and “transparent agreements.”


Unjust Enrichment In Asia Pacific, Man Yip Nov 2019

Unjust Enrichment In Asia Pacific, Man Yip

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

No abstract provided.


Comparing The International Commercial Courts Of China With The Singapore International Commercial Court, Zhengxin Huo, Yip Man Oct 2019

Comparing The International Commercial Courts Of China With The Singapore International Commercial Court, Zhengxin Huo, Yip Man

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The article critically reviews the litigation framework of the Chinese International Commercial Court("CICC') using a comparative approach, taking as a benchmark the Singapore International Commercial Court ("SICC')--another Asian international commercial court situated within the Belt and Road Initiative ("BRI') geography. It argues that the CICC, despite being lauded as a visionary step toward an innovative, efficient and trustworthy dispute resolution system, does not live up to those grand claims on closer scrutiny. The discussion shows that the CICC is in many respects insular and conservative when compared with the SICC. The distinctions between the two litigation frameworks may be explained …


Singapore Company Law And The Economy: Reciprocal Influence Over 50 Years, Vincent Ooi, Cheng Han Tan Sep 2019

Singapore Company Law And The Economy: Reciprocal Influence Over 50 Years, Vincent Ooi, Cheng Han Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

A strong reciprocal relationship has existed between Singapore Company Law (SCL) and the economy since Independence in 1965. Swift Parliamentary responses to economic events and successful implementation of Government policies has made it possible to clearly attribute cause and effect to statutory amendments and economic events in turn, proving the reciprocal relationship between the two. The first theme of this article seeks to explain the fundamental characteristics of SCL that have resulted in such an unusually strong reciprocal relationship: (1) Autochthonous nature of SCL; (2) Responsive nature of legislation; and (3) Government control at multiple levels of implementation. The second …


International Recognition Of Singapore´S New Restructuring Framework, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez Sep 2019

International Recognition Of Singapore´S New Restructuring Framework, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In the past years, Singapore has modernized its insolvency framework with the purpose of becoming an international hub for debt restructuring. One of the most significant reforms has affected the Singapore Scheme of Arrangement (SSoA). Under the new SSoA, debtors are allowed to remain in possession leading the restructuring process while enjoying the protection of an automatic moratorium with worldwide effects as well as a variety of tools imported from the US Chapter 11, including the availability of DIP financing, the restriction of ipso facto clauses, and a cross-class cramdown. Therefore, the new SSoA differs significantly from the typical scheme …


The Singapore International Commercial Court: The Future Of Litigation?, Man Yip Jul 2019

The Singapore International Commercial Court: The Future Of Litigation?, Man Yip

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The Singapore International Commercial Court (‘SICC’) was launched on 5 January 2015, at the Opening of Legal Year held at the Singapore Supreme Court. What prompted the creation of SICC? How is the SICC model of litigation different from litigation in the Singapore High Court? What is the SICC’s track record and what does it tell us about its future? This article seeks to answer these questions at greater depth than existing literature. Importantly, it examines these questions from the angle of reimagining access of justice for litigants embroiled in international commercial disputes. It argues that the SICC’s enduring contribution …


Restitution, Man Yip Jun 2019

Restitution, Man Yip

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The year 2018 produced only a handful of cases on the law of unjust enrichment and restitution. However, two are seminal cases and of note to the entire common law world: Ochroid Trading Ltd v Chua Siok Lui1 (“Ochroid”) and Turf Club Auto Emporium Pte Ltd v Yeo Boong Hua2 (“Turf Club”). Ochroid dealt with the hotly debated topic of the illegality defence against a claim in unjust enrichment for the recovery of money paid pursuant to an illegal contract. Rejecting the newly formulated Patel v Mirza3 approach under English law, the Court of Appeal in Ochroid set Singapore law …


Propuesta Para La Mejora Y Modernización De La Legislación Societaria En Ecuador [Proposal For The Improvement And Modernization Of Corporate Law In Ecuador] In Spanish, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez, Cesar Coronel Jones Jun 2019

Propuesta Para La Mejora Y Modernización De La Legislación Societaria En Ecuador [Proposal For The Improvement And Modernization Of Corporate Law In Ecuador] In Spanish, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez, Cesar Coronel Jones

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This paper seeks to provide some policy recommendations for the improvement and modernization of corporate law in Ecuador. These proposals have been based on the international literature and the particular features of Ecuador (that is, a country with many micro and small companies, state-owned enterprises, underdeveloped capital markets, unsophisticated courts, among other aspects). Secondly, since the legal, economic and institutional features of Ecuador can be found in other Latin American countries, this paper also seeks to be helpful to other countries in the region planning to reform their corporate laws. Finally, this paper seeks to contribute to the improvement and …


A Reformulated Test For Unconscionability, Vincent Ooi, Walter Yong Jun 2019

A Reformulated Test For Unconscionability, Vincent Ooi, Walter Yong

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Apart from its interesting facts, this case, BOM v BOK [2018] SGCA 83, is significant for its rejection of a “broad” doctrine of unconscionability, the existence of which has been a matter of some debate in English law, and which has been accepted in Australia (see Commercial Bank of Australia Ltd v Amadio (1983) 151 C.L.R. 447; (1983) 46 A.L.R. 402). It also proposes a new test for the doctrine of unconscionability that is narrower than Amadio, based on the requirements inCresswell v Potter [1978] 1 W.L.R. 255. The test for unconscionability in English law has been a matter of …


Pro-Development Dispute Resolution Mechanisms And Norms For Investment And Commercial Disputes In Asean, Man Yip Mar 2019

Pro-Development Dispute Resolution Mechanisms And Norms For Investment And Commercial Disputes In Asean, Man Yip

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The establishment of the AEC in December 2015 marked an important milestone in the acceleration of regional economic integration. In the next ten years, according to the AEC Blueprint 2025, an area of focus for ASEAN is the development and promotion of MSMEs. Transnational transactions within and with ASEAN will therefore continue to rise, which will undoubtedly lead to a concomitant increase in the volume as well as the complexity of disputes. This chapter explores the strategic development of innovative approaches to facilitate the resolution of investor-state and commercial disputes in ASEAN. It argues that the creation of new dispute …


Hostile Takeover Regimes In Asia: A Comparative Approach, Umakanth Varottil, Wai Yee Wan Jan 2019

Hostile Takeover Regimes In Asia: A Comparative Approach, Umakanth Varottil, Wai Yee Wan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The market for corporate control is animportant corporate governance mechanism for the discipline of corporatemanagers. However, the process and substance of the regulation of hostiletakeovers differs remarkably among various jurisdictions. Existing andinfluential scholarship has focused on the differences in regulation between UnitedStates (US) and the United Kingdom (UK), with the explanations being founded ininterest group politics. Influential as it is, the question is whether thetheory can be extended outside of the US and the UK, particularly to theirlegal transplants in Asia? In the last few decades, many of the Asianjurisdictions have drawn heavily from the US and the UK when …


Board Independence As A Panacea To Tunnelling? An Empirical Study Of Related Party Transactions In Hong Kong And Singapore, Christopher C. H. Chen, Wai Yee Wan, Wei Zhang Sep 2018

Board Independence As A Panacea To Tunnelling? An Empirical Study Of Related Party Transactions In Hong Kong And Singapore, Christopher C. H. Chen, Wai Yee Wan, Wei Zhang

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In this article, we examine a general question: is the legal transplantation of corporate governance rule effective in curtailing agency costs? Entering into the 21st century, we have seen reforms of corporate governance standards in the Far East since the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997, including in Hong Kong and Singapore. These reforms built on the Anglo-American model of corporate governance in the UK and US supported by broad academic literature of connecting better corporate governance with firm value and identifying the association of tunneling or wrongdoings with poor corporate governance practices. The idea is also to provide more checks-and-balances …


Vietnam Series: Four Key Features Of The Commercial Mediation Framework, Nadja Alexander Aug 2018

Vietnam Series: Four Key Features Of The Commercial Mediation Framework, Nadja Alexander

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In the first few months of this year I found myself returning to Vietnam a number of times thanks to Vietnamese initiatives in commercial mediation. Most recently I was involved in workshops hosted by the Vietnam Business Lawyer’s Club, the Judicial Academy and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Given the mediation activity in Vietnam and previous Kluwer posts on aspects of Vietnamese mediation, this post offers an overview of the main features of Vietnam’s legal and institutional framework for commercial mediation.


The Avoidance Of Pre-Bankruptcy Transactions: An Economic And Comparative Approach, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez Aug 2018

The Avoidance Of Pre-Bankruptcy Transactions: An Economic And Comparative Approach, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Most insolvency jurisdictions provide several mechanisms to reverse transactions entered into by a debtor prior to the commencement of the bankruptcy procedure. These mechanisms, generally known as claw-back actions or avoidance provisions, may fulfil several economic goals. First, they act as an ex post alignment of incentives between factually insolvent debtors and their creditors, since the latter become the residual claimants of an insolvent firm but they do not have any control over the debtor´s assets while the company is not yet subject to a bankruptcy procedure. Thus, avoidance powers may prevent or, at least, reverse opportunistic behaviors faced by …


Construing A Treaty Against State Parties' Expressed Intentions: Sanum Investments Ltd V Government Of The Lao People’S Democratic Republic, Mahdev Mohan, Siraj Shaik Aziz Mar 2018

Construing A Treaty Against State Parties' Expressed Intentions: Sanum Investments Ltd V Government Of The Lao People’S Democratic Republic, Mahdev Mohan, Siraj Shaik Aziz

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The Singapore Court of Appeal’s decision in Sanum Investments Ltd v Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic was a landmark one in several respects. A key aspect of this decision though may appear controversial at first blush – that is, the apex court placed less weight on the express views of state parties, even though Singapore itself was not a party to the relevant bilateral investment treaty (“BIT”). While doing so was admittedly “counter-intuitive”, the Court of Appeal did not set out to construe the BIT against the intentions of the contracting states. Rather, much turned on the critical …


Revisiting Sham Trusts: Common Intention, Estoppel And Illegality, Alvin W. L. See Mar 2018

Revisiting Sham Trusts: Common Intention, Estoppel And Illegality, Alvin W. L. See

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This article examines the prevailing view that, to find a sham trust, the settlor’s shamming intention must be shared by the trustee. This common intention requirement, it is argued, overprotects the trustee and the beneficiary, and suffers from inconsistent application to conceptually identical cases. Moreover, where the sham is concocted for the perpetuation of an illegal purpose, the requirement may contradict the operation of the illegality doctrine. This article proposes that the two doctrines ought to align and that any prejudice to an innocent trustee or beneficiary can be addressed with more specific solutions such as a change of position …


Regulating Squeeze-Out Techniques By Controlling Shareholders: The Divergence Between Hong Kong And Singapore, Christopher C. H. Chen, Wei Zhang, Wai Yee Wan Jan 2018

Regulating Squeeze-Out Techniques By Controlling Shareholders: The Divergence Between Hong Kong And Singapore, Christopher C. H. Chen, Wei Zhang, Wai Yee Wan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Squeeze-out transactions are controversial as the controlling shareholders may expropriate the minorities’ shareholdings at unattractive prices. Existing scholarship has focused on the optimal approach towards regulating such transactions in the US and the UK, which have widely dispersed public shareholdings, but little attention is placed on jurisdictions with concentrated shareholdings, which may necessitate a different approach given that the prospects of expropriation are very high. This article fills the gap by examining Hong Kong and Singapore, which have concentrated shareholdings. Notwithstanding the fact that they have adapted their corporate and securities laws from the UK, Hong Kong ultimately provides greater …


User Damages And The Limits Of Compensatory Reasoning, Alvin W. L. See Jan 2018

User Damages And The Limits Of Compensatory Reasoning, Alvin W. L. See

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The use of the term “user damages” in reference to compensatory damages is particularly problematic because it tends to overgeneralise the cases and conceal the importance of identifying the relevant loss in each case, which has implications on issues of proof, quantification and mitigation. This has contributed to the persistent neglect to squarely address issues of loss, which has in turn led to both over- and underestimation of the limits of compensatory damages. Once we look past the broad label, it becomes obvious that the cases purportedly unified by a common measure of loss tend to vary widely in facts …