ASEAN CEO's Message

Welcome to another issue of Dentons Rodyk Reporter.

COVID-19 dominates our lives at the moment. Its short term impact has been enormous. While everyone has been focused on health, it has created huge stresses for business. There will also be far-reaching long-term implications. How we respond today will shape the future. Hopefully, it may remind people everywhere that we should collectively treasure expertise, consider more carefully global risks and rebuild international and multilateral cooperation. But such an outcome is not assured, and we may see an ever more fearful retreat into closed borders and nativism.

For myself, I have continued to appear in Court and arbitration hearings, utilising protocols for work segregation or remote access. Business and life must continue, while adapting and staying safe.

In this issue, we have included an article on "Surviving the COVID-19 crisis – A legal perspective for businesses and corporates in Singapore", summarises key considerations for businesses in Singapore looking to survive this crisis.

In addition, Dentons has combined resources from all over the world to support our clients in several key areas that you may find useful in navigating the COVID-19 situation:

• Global COVID-19 hub from which you can navigate all the resources we have
• COVID-19 Global Labor & Employment Tracker – now covering 66 countries
• The Government Announcement Tracker which consolidates COVID-19 government announcements from across 30+ markets in one place – email Global Taskforce for access.
• 300+ insights/articles on Dentons.com relating to COVID-19
• Data privacy hub
• Remote working hub
• Force Majeure hub
• COVID-19’s impact on the global economy

My partners and I welcome any questions you may have on the impact of COVID-19 on your businesses.

Let’s all stay safe, observe safe distancing and work on getting through this crisis together.

Philip Jeyaretnam, SC
Global Vice Chair and ASEAN CEO

The Dentons Rodyk Reporter is a compendium of commentaries produced and published by Dentons Rodyk Academy on a weekly basis. You may download the PDF report to read the complete issue, or read the articles using the links below. The updates and articles on the latest developments in the law and industry practices are conveniently categorised in these specialist bulletins:

Business Bulletin

• Singapore Budget 2020: Tax Update
• A Balancing Act: SGX RegCo’s new approach to QR and enhancements to continuous disclosures requirements
• COVID-19 Update: Practical Guide for Employers in Singapore
• Electronic Signatures: A workaround for issues arising from work-at-home measures
• What employers need to know — Increases in local qualifying salary and employment pass minimum qualifying salary
• What employers need to know — the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF)
• What employers need to know — Managing excess manpower in light of COVID-19
• What employers need to know — Ensuring a safe work environment, additional measures for COVID-19
• Shifting sands — Holding AGMs in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Shifting sands — Updates on holding AGMs in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Singapore MOM to raise EP qualifying salary from 1 May 2020 and other key takeaways from the MOM Committee of Supply 2020 Speech
• COVID-19: Maintaining Competition Hygiene in Times of Crisis
• Surviving the COVID-19 crisis – A legal perspective for businesses and corporates in Singapore

Litigation Briefs

• COVID-19 – A Frustrating Event?
• Enforcing Forced Leave of Absence – How Businesses Ca(n-CoV)er Themselves and Their Employees Fairly
• COVID-19, China and Construction – Unmasking Force Majeure, Delay and Extensions of Time
• COVID-19, Force Majeure and Construction (Part II) – Outbreak of Disputes? Or Abatement in due course?
• Many problems around us – but many ways to resolve, and enforce resolution of, them
• Writs of Seizure and Sale against Immovable Properties – Navigating Pitfalls and Roadblocks (Part 1)
• Writs of seizure and sale against immovable properties – navigating pitfalls and roadblocks (Part 2)
• Legal update: The Report on Recommendations issued by the Ministry of Health (MOH) Workgroup to Review the Taking of Informed Consent and Singapore Medical Council (SMC) Disciplinary Process

Property Note

• Qualifying Certificate – New Exemption for Singapore Listed Housing Developers with Substantial Connection to Singapore
• Property Sale and Purchase contracts: Going digital amidst COVID-19
• COVID-19 – From Construction to Development: Defaults, Deadlines and Dilemmas?
• Acquiring Singapore real estate: Brief legal guide for foreign investors

Showing 1 - 3 of Total Results (3)

Qualifying Certificate – New Exemption for Singapore Listed Housing Developers with Substantial Connection to Singapore

February 10, 2020

On 6 February 2020, the Ministry of Law and Singapore Land Authority (LDAU) jointly announced that they are prepared to grant exemption status to Singapore listed housing developers (with substantial connection to Singapore) from the Qualifying Certificate regime which regulates the acquisition, use and disposal of restricted residential properties.

Electronic Signatures: A workaround for issues arising from work-at-home measures

March 5, 2020

Singapore: An article on the use of electronic signatures as a workaround for issues arising from work-at-home measures, as well as the potential changes that may be brought about to the Electronic Transactions Act, which may increase the viability of the use of electronic signatures in the business world.

Acquiring Singapore real estate: Brief legal guide for foreign investors (Singapore)

March 24, 2020

Singapore: While the effect which the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak will have on the Singapore real estate market is currently uncertain, the Singapore real estate market remains attractive in the medium to long term as an investment destination for foreign capital inflows, due to Singapore’s macroeconomic stability and conducive environment for long-term capital value appreciation and preservation. This article aims to provide foreign investors with a brief introduction to the common transaction structures and some legal considerations, in relation to an acquisition of real estate in Singapore.