Paying The Way Forward May 19, 2022 Singapore: The Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill introduces Conditional Fee Arrangements (CFAs) into Singapore’s dispute resolution scene. With the introduction of the CFAs, practicing lawyers now have another answer in their arsenal in addition to “time-cost” and “fixed fee”.
Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty and Additional Conveyance Duty to apply for transfers of residential property into a living trust May 17, 2022 Singapore: On 8 May 2022, the Ministry of Finance announced that with effect from 9 May 2022, any transfer of residential property into a living trust will be subject to additional buyer’s stamp duty at the rate of 35%, and with effect from 10 May 2022, additional conveyance duties will now apply to transfers of equity interests in Property Holding Entities into living trusts. Buyer’s stamp duty, ABSD, and seller’s stamp duty will also be imposed when a beneficial owner renounces his or her interest in residential property held on a bare trust.
New MAS Guidelines: Updated conditions for Singapore family office schemes (in Japanese) May 5, 2022 Singapore: This important and urgent alert relating to new conditions for family office schemes administered by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) which will take effect from 18 April 2022.
Solar leasing in Singapore – Electricity licenses April 28, 2022 Singapore: Many companies in Singapore are deploying solar photovoltaic systems on the rooftop of their premises as a source of sustainable, self-sufficient and cost-effective energy, often through the solar leasing model. Accordingly, there has been a growing interest in the business of solar leasing in Singapore, with many solar developers keen on entering the Singapore market to become a solar lessor. This article explores the key licensing requirements for solar developers looking to enter into the solar leasing space in Singapore.
New tech, old tools, new horizons: The injunction against persons unknown – Getting to your cryptocurrency and other assets, stolen or lost! April 26, 2022 Singapore: The dust has now settled on the landmark judgment of CLM v CLN [2022] SGHC 46, which reflects the adaptability of the common law. How do you deal with wrongdoers who have effectively masked their identities and whisked your valuable assets halfway round the world in a few minutes? How do you do so without causing collateral damage?
New Courts, new procedures and renewed access to justice: Key developments since 2021 and what to expect over the horizon April 19, 2022 Singapore: Singapore is renowned for its efficient, transparent and internationally well-regarded legal system. To enhance its already impressive civil justice system, Singapore is making changes that are perhaps the most profound since its independence, with a view to position itself to meet future opportunities and challenges. The changes include those to its court structure as well as its civil procedural rules to increase efficiency in litigation and minimise time and costs, and significant enhancements to the Singapore International Commercial Court and to litigation funding.
Singapore: Effective ecosystems of arbitration – Key developments since 2021 and what to expect moving ahead April 19, 2022 Singapore: In the 2021 International Arbitration Survey, Singapore was jointly placed with London as the most popular arbitral seat in the world, and was ranked the most preferred seat in the Asia-Pacific region. This boosts Singapore’s reputation as a pre-eminent dispute resolution hub and is no doubt a result of Singapore’s strong political, judicial support towards international arbitration and the dispute resolution ecosystems that complement it. We discuss the latest changes and landscape ahead in this article.
New MAS Guidelines: updated conditions for Singapore family office schemes April 12, 2022 Singapore: This important and urgent alert relating to new conditions for family office schemes administered by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) which will take effect from 18 April 2022.
The Key to Lock-up Arrangements: Singapore High Court issues first written guidance on lock-up agreements in Schemes of Arrangement April 5, 2022 Singapore: Can distressed companies seeking to undergo a scheme of arrangement win creditors over by offering benefits in exchange for favourable votes? A recent High Court decision has, for the first time, illuminated the principles on the use and limits of “lock-up agreements” in a proposed scheme. In this article, we analyse the Honourable Justice Aedit Abdullah’s decision in Re Brightoil Petroleum (S’pore) Pte Ltd [2022] SGHC 35, and consider the impact of the decision on the wider insolvency and restructuring landscape in Singapore law.
Upcoming changes in Singapore’s gambling laws – An overview (Japanese) March 29, 2022 Singapore: The draft legislation introduced by the GRA Bill and the GC Bill is wide-ranging and will have significant implications on all gambling operators. Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli said in a statement that his ministry “strongly support[s] the legislative enhancements made by MHA, which will further minimise the harm of gambling to vulnerable groups, such as minors.” Operators of land-based casinos and operators of online games with gambling elements will need to carefully monitor the passing of the GRA Bill and the GC Bill and consider the effects it will have on their operations, and possibly make adjustments to ensure that their operations abide by the conditions and safeguards that will be imposed.