Message from ASEAN CEO

Emerging Stronger and Better

2021 In Review

2021 was a year where we focused on recovering and recalibrating under the strain of unprecedented circumstances. Despite the challenges brought upon by the pandemic, we remained resilient and thrived in the face of adversity.

As we emerge stronger and better into the Dynamic Decade, I reflect on the past year with immense pride and gratitude in what Dentons Rodyk has achieved together as a firm.

160 Years Strong

Dentons Rodyk’s 160th anniversary in 2021 was historic and ground-breaking.

This milestone was commemorated with a campaign of events: starting with our first-ever virtual run in March, a year-long donation campaign which raised an impressive S$120,000 for the Singapore Association of Women Lawyers (SAWL) Scholarship Fund, and culminated in the high-profile thought leadership event, Dentons Rodyk Dialogue in October.

Our firm’s practices and lawyers continued to be highly-ranked in legal directories, an affirmation of the trust and confidence you have in us. In November, Dentons Rodyk was highly recognised in Singapore’s Best Law Firms 2022 list, through a survey conducted by The Straits Times and international research firm Statista. This recognition further cemented our position as one of Singapore’s Big Five law firms.

The Dentons Family

It was with great excitement and jubilation that we announced the combination with Vietnamese law firm LuatViet on 26 October 2021, giving Dentons a presence in the key locations of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. LuatViet's outstanding reputation as a leading counsel in Vietnam to global clients, coupled with Dentons' worldwide reach, will connect services to clients in Vietnam. This historic combination is a critical milestone as we build on our presence across ASEAN, helping our clients to navigate challenges in now five countries in the region.

As an emerging region on the global economy stage, we aim to disrupt the traditional model for providing legal services by using our unique polycentric approach as a key differentiator. In 2022, we will continue to accelerate our growth in the region through more dynamic combinations to further secure our position as the leading law firm in ASEAN.

We are also proud to unveil our refreshed Dentons Global website, which has been revamped with our clients in mind. It is part of our Global Clients & Markets strategy which focuses on how we can help you grow, protect, operate and finance your organisation. You may visit the website here.

Looking forward to 2022

According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore's economy is forecast to grow 3 - 5% in 2022, helped by continued expansion of trade and manufacturing and a gradual recovery in construction and aviation-and-tourism-related sectors. While the nation-wide vaccination roll-out has provided some reprieve from the worst of pandemic life, the emergence of different variants of the virus has reminded us that the situation remains precarious and we need to stay vigilant. We remain cautiously optimistic for 2022 as the past year has taught us the importance of being dexterous in the face of disruption.

With your continued support and trust, we look towards 2022 with renewed optimism. I am excited for a strong year ahead, as we continue to thrive and deliver value to you.

Gerald Singham
Global Vice Chair and ASEAN CEO

Welcome to the 1st issue of the Dentons Rodyk Reporter in 2022.

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 Start-Up Ecosystem’s Resilient Approach in Overcoming the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Cleaner negotiations for rooftop solar power purchase agreements in Singapore – allocating renewable energy certificates (RECs)
• English version
• Japanese version
• Rooftop solar in Singapore

Litigation Briefs

• Over-mitigation in breach of leases: how much credit must be given to a defaulting tenant in a rising replacement tenant market?

Regional

• Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems: a comparative guide of the drone regulatory laws around the world, 2021

Starboard

• When does a “Bill of Lading” go too far? : The Luna
• Breaking news: SCMA launches 4th edition of its arbitration rules

Showing 1 - 7 of Total Results (7)

Rooftop solar in Singapore

November 15, 2021

Singapore: Being a small country with a lack of land for large scale renewable projects, coupled with the commitment to mitigating climate change, it is little wonder that under the Singapore Green Plan 2030, one of the key programmes is for Singapore to quadruple solar energy deployment by 2030. This article highlights various issues and considerations in relation to the installation of a rooftop solar facility in Singapore, including key considerations under the power purchase agreement and sale of excess electricity.

Cleaner negotiations for rooftop solar power purchase agreements in Singapore – allocating renewable energy certificates (RECs)

November 16, 2021

Singapore: Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are taking off in Singapore, but what are they? Companies in Singapore looking to install rooftop solar facilities at their premises may encounter RECs when negotiating their rooftop solar power purchase agreements with solar developers. This article explores some salient facts and considerations regarding RECs in Singapore.

Singapore Start-Up Ecosystem’s Resilient Approach in Overcoming the COVID-19 Pandemic

November 23, 2021

Singapore: Singapore’s start-up ecosystem has managed to overcome the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and emerge stronger. The government support and strong infrastructure within Singapore has provided an optimal environment for successful start-ups to thrive in spite of the challenges faced in the last two years.

Cleaner negotiations for rooftop solar power purchase agreements in Singapore – allocating renewable energy certificates (RECs) (Japanese)

November 24, 2021

Singapore: Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are taking off in Singapore, but what are they? Companies in Singapore looking to install rooftop solar facilities at their premises may encounter RECs when negotiating their rooftop solar power purchase agreements with solar developers. This article explores some salient facts and considerations regarding RECs in Singapore.

Breaking news: SCMA launches 4th edition of its arbitration rules

December 1, 2021

Singapore: The Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA) has just launched the 4th edition of the SCMA Rules which will apply to all arbitrations commenced on or after 1 January 2022. The new rules contain revisions to ensure that SCMA arbitration remain relevant and attractive to users.

Over-mitigation in breach of leases: how much credit must be given to a defaulting tenant in a rising replacement tenant market?

December 13, 2021

Singapore: In certain breach of contract cases, the actions taken by the aggrieved party in mitigating its losses may have resulted in a sufficiently large pecuniary benefit that arguably eclipses the losses it had purportedly suffered in the first place. The question in such cases is whether the pecuniary benefit to the aggrieved party should be taken into account by the Court when assessing damages against the defaulting party. The term “over-mitigation” refers to this legal conundrum. In this article, we will consider the question of whether and if so, when the Court should give credit to the defaulting party for the aggrieved party’s over-mitigation in assessing damages against the defaulting party. Although our focus will be on lease agreements, the principles discussed in this article may be of broader application to other forms of contract.

Starboard: When does a “Bill of Lading” go too far? : The Luna

December 16, 2021

Singapore: Starboard: In The “Luna” [2021] SGCA 84, the Singapore Court of Appeal reversed a trial judge’s decision and dismissed a claim by a bunker terminal seller against bunker barges for return of bunkers under a “bill of lading” when the bunkers had long since been supplied to ships and no longer in the possession of the bunker barges. It held that the “bill of lading” documents were not intended to function as contracts of carriage and/or documents of title.