Faculty of Law ¨National University of Singapore


 

Seminar – Business Excellence in Fair Trading
19 August 2003



The proposed Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Bill is slated to be passed into law later this year and has been the result of the government recognizing the need to arm consumers with more protection against unscrupulous businesses.

This unique seminar, graced by Guest of Honour, Minister for Law and Home Affairs, Assoc Prof Ho Peng Kee, put together global and local experts from diverse but relevant backgrounds to help businesses understand the impact and ramifications of the prospective new law from a multi-disciplinary approach. It highlighted how good business practices and business excellence will in fact raised standards in industry and in compliance with the anticipated law and can in fact not only raise business profile but the bottom line in due time.

The seminar had experts who were involved in the pushing for this legislation and the ethos of business excellence behind it, the dispute avoidance strategy which should be adopted and also incorporated how to deal with unexpected and difficult problems that may inevitably arise in compliance and through a proper public relations strategy. The seminar took participants to a higher plane of corporate social responsibility or CSR which is fast being adopted as a standard requirement for doing business globally and an expert involved in International Standards setting was also present.

Speakers: Mr Stephen Loke, Mr Ong Tiong Hui, Mr Douglas Walter, Mr Brian Thomas, Mr Kernaghan Webb, Mr Justin Wee, Mr Andrew Pirie

No. of Participants : 53


* * * * *

National Consumer Convention Malaysia: Corporate Social Responsibility
21 & 22 August 2003



This seminar for the business community in Malaysia was co-organised with Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility (CCSR), Federation of Malaysian Consumer Association (FOMCA) and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDN & HEP).

Speakers :
Dr Kernaghan Webb, Mr Stephen Loke, Mr Bill Dee, Mr Ong Tiong Hui, Mr Brian Thomas, Mr Andrew Pirie, Mr Damian Yeo, Mr Mohammad Siraj Abdul Razack, Dato’ Dr Mohd Ariffin Hj Aton, Ir. Hussein bin Rahmat, Mr Rolan bin Abd. Rahman, Mr Rob Fisher

No. of Participants : 150


* * * * *

Public Forum on the Proposed Fair Trading Act
City Hall Chambers
2 Sep ’02



Jointly organised by the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) and Centre of Commercial Law Studies (CCLS), NUS Faculty of Law, the forum focused on how the new legislation will enhance the reputation of all businesses and contribute towards developing a fair market place for traders and consumers.

Chaired by CCLS Director, Assoc Prof Stephen Phua, three speakers shared the various options available to implement a fair trading regime in Singapore. Mr Stephen Loke, Chairman of the Proposed Fair Trading Legislation Committee and Consumer Affairs Committee, discussed the roles of trade and business associations and codes of practice in the fair trading regime.

Mr Douglas Walter - past Executive Manager, Client Services for the Office of Fair Trading and Business Affairs in Victoria, Australia - shared the Australian experience of the Fair Trading Act and how that may be adopted in Singapore.

Ms Goh Hui Hoon, General Manager and Director of LC Travel Planners Pte Ltd, discussed how the proposed Fair Trading Legislation would affect traders and the industry. She also discussed whether this new legislation would be a threat to existing business.

No. of participants: 157

For updates on the forum, please visit http://law.nus.edu.sg/ccls/forum/index.htm


* * * * *

Seminar - Recent Developments in Banking Law
24 April 2002



This seminar, chaired by Mr Andrew Ang, was focused to keep the participants, consisting of banking officers and legal practitioners, abreast of topical new developments relevant to banking law and practice in Singapore and in the international scene. Various topics were discussed during the half-day seminar.

Mr Eric Chan discussed the recent changes made by the Banking (Amendment) Act 2001 to the framework for bank regulation in Singapore, which included the revised regime for banking secrecy in Singapore, and some of the revised rules on capital, deposit-taking and business standards.

Associate Professor Daniel Seng discussed developments in electronic banking, covering, inter alia, risks arising from Internet banking, issues arising from terms in standard form contracts used by banks and issues respecting settlement of payments and countermands.

Professor Ellinger covered new cases decided and general developments experienced, in banking law in the course of the last two years. The new case law deals with bankers’ liabilities in respect of the handling of customers’ accounts; payment and collection of cheques; the drafting of banking documents and new cases respecting international banking, specifically documentary credits and performance bonds.

Speakers: Emeritus Prof Peter Ellinger, Assoc Prof Daniel Seng, Mr Eric Chan

No. of Participants: 115


* * * * *

Seminar - Major Challenges in Emerging Market Debt Restructurings
21 March 2002


The seminar focused on some of the key challenges that creditors in general and foreign creditors in particular face in the restructuring of troubled loans in the emerging markets. It discussed strategies for advancing restructurings in the face of potentially serious obstacles and also addressed the interplay of various legal, business and financial issues presented in emerging market restructurings.

Speakers: Mr Steven T. Kargman
(Counsel with the Export-Import Bank of the United States where he specializes in restructuring and project finance transactions in the emerging markets and serves as the lead attorney for the Bank’s Asset Management Division.)

No. of Participants: 95


* * * * *

Forum – Corporate Practice in an Uncertain World
4 October 2001

The forum chaired by Assoc Prof Hans Tjio drew about 170 law students. The speakers spoke of the directions in which law firms are headed; how corporate practice and law are evolving; and the effects of current economic and geo-political uncertainties.

Speakers: Mr Rajan Menon, Mr Dilhan Pillay

No. of Participants: 170


* * * * *

9th Singapore Conferences on International Business Law
29-31 August 2001

The focus of the 9th SCIBL was on “Recent Developments in Financial Regulation and Capital Markets” in Singapore and elsewhere. The 2-day was followed by 2 half-day workshops entitled “Legal & Regulatory Framework for Telecommunications in Singapore” and “Enforcement Issues in Debt Management”. The keynote address was delivered by the Minister of State for Law & Home Affairs, Assoc Prof Ho Peng Kee.

The Conference and Workshops were marketed to a worldwide legal audience. It reached approximately 5800 lawyers and in-house counsels of the top companies and government bodies in Singapore, and a large pool of legal practitioners numbering about 70,000 in many countries including Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and the USA. These included universities, law firms, central banks, accounting firms, leading stock exchanges, telecommunication authorities, telecommunication companies and commercial banks.

A point to note was that the 9th SCIBL had generous financial support from 7 major law firms in Singapore. They were: Allen & Gledhill, Drew & Napier LLC, Khattar Wong & Partners, Lee & Lee, Rajah & Tann, Rodyk & Davidson and Wong Partnership.

Speakers for the Conferences:
Prof John C Coffee, The Hon. Sir Lawrence Collins, Mr Peter Morrison, Mr Andrew Ang, Mr Lucien Wong, Assoc Prof Hans Tjio, Asst Prof Angeline Lee, Mr Michael Velten, Prof Bernard Black, Dr Jesus P Estanislao, Dr Eilis Ferran, Ms Juthika Ramanathan, Ms Yeo Lian Sim, Prof Ian Ramsay, Ms Margaret Chew, Assoc Prof Alexander Loke

Speakers for the Workshops:
Mr Leong Keng Thai, Asst Prof Angeline Lee, Mr Andrew Ong, Mr Lim Chong Kin, Mr Michael Hwang SC, Emeritus Prof E P Ellinger, Prof Tan Yock Lin, Mr Lee Eng Beng, Ms Aurill Kam

Panelists:

No. of Participants: 134 (Conferences), 84 (Workshop I), 89 (Workshop II)


* * * * *

Workshop on Commercial Contract Law & Litigation
13 November 1999

This was a half-day workshop on aspects of contract law of importance and interest to commercial law practitioners. The topics covered included: (1) Implied Terms and Collateral Contracts in Commercial Cases; (2) Construction of Commercial Contracts and the Parole Evidence Rule; (3) Jurisdiction and Arbitration Agreements in Transnational Contracts; and (4) Contractual Choice of Law and the Rome Convention.

Speakers: Assoc Prof Andrew Phang, Assoc Prof Tan Yock Lin, Asst Prof Tan Seow Hon, Asst Prof Aedit Abdullah

Panelists: Mr Michael Hwang SC, Mr Toh Kian Sing

No. of Participants: 95


* * * * *

Conference on Bankers’ Irrevocable Standby Credit
2-3 July 1999

The subjects covered included the International Standby Practice 1998, performance bonds and conflictual aspects of standby credits. Notable features of the conference were: (1) the currency of the topics covered; (2) the link with the Institute of the International Banking Law and Practice which underpinned the conference; (3) the generous financial support of Rajah & Tann, Singapore; and (4) the generous publicity support of the Association of Banks in Singapore.

Speakers: Prof James Byrne, Prof Peter Ellinger, Assoc Prof Tan Yock Lin, Mr Sundaresh Menon, Mr Eugene Ooi

No. of Participants: 64 (Day 1) and 71 (Day 2)


* * * * *

Workshop of Debt Restructuring
30 January 1999

The papers presented in this workshop discussed the latest developments and the problems of debt restructuring in both Malaysia and Indonesia and offered both the common and civil law perspectives. Comparisons with the Singapore experience featured significantly in the panel discussion.

Speakers: Mr Brian Chia, Mr Tim Manring

Panelists: Mr Lucien Wong, Mr Lee Eng Beng, Ms Carol Roberts

No. of Participants: 71


* * * * *

Workshop on Legal Aspects of Foreign Exchange and Capital Control
14 November 1998

This workshop was organised in response to the imposition of currency control measures in Malaysia. The papers presented touched on foreign money obligations, currency deposits and the conflictual aspects of exchange.

Speakers: Prof Peter Ellinger, Assoc Prof Tan Yock Lin

Panellists: Prof Sornarajah, Assoc Prof Andrew Phang, Mr Kim Seah, Mr Ronnie Quek, Mr Aedit Abdullah

No. of Participants: 85


* * * * *

Workshop on Recent Developments in Company Law
24 October 1998

Co-organised with the Continuing Legal Education Committee, this workshop looked at various amendments to the Singapore Companies Act, especially the introduction of share buy-back, as well as the latest developments.

Speaker: Assoc Prof Tan Cheng Han

No. of Participants: 130


* * * * *

Course on Company Charges
February 1998

This mini-course was co-organised with the Continuing Legal Education Committee. Various issues from the theoretical underpinnings of company charges to the crystallisation of floating charges were covered.

Speakers: Assoc Prof Tan Cheng Han, Mr Lee Eng Beng

No. of Participants: 50


* * * * *

Workshop on Current Issues in Commercial Law
17 January 1998

The workshop was held in conjunction with the launch of the Centre in 1998. Selected areas of commercial law were discussed. The paper on recent developments in the law relating to sale of goods dealt with the recent amendments to the Sale of Goods Act in Singapore. The paper on remedies of secured creditors focused on the non-judicial remedies and the debtor’s right of redemption. The paper on fiduciary obligations discussed the factual approach as well as the proportionality principle.

Speakers: Visiting Prof Derek Davies, Assoc Prof Tan Yock Lin, Ms Dora Neo

No. of Participants: 70
 

© 2002. Faculty of Law. All rights reserved.
Updated as at Monday, 08 September 2003