Seminar - The Legal Conception of Money as Incorporeal Property
26 September 2007

The traditional legal conception of money held by many property lawyers is that it is a kind of corporeal chattel. It treats the primary forms of money as coins minted by the state or banknote issued by central or depository banks.
The seminar argued against that view, and contended that the primary form of money for most legal purposes should now be regarded as incorporeal claims enforceable against banks and financial institutions. This view accords better with common commercial experience and economic theory.
It is legally important to take a correct view of the proprietary status of money. If courts and commentators apply too rigidly the old paradigm of money as a corporeal chattel, then they are likely to adopt an incorrect analysis of some of the common legal transactions involving money. The effect of transfers and mixtures, and of theft and mistake on the passing of title to money all need a substantively different analysis once it is accepted that the primary form of money is incorporeal.
In contending for this view, the seminar rejected the argument recently made by some commentators (and founded on civil law reasoning) that the law of property has no place in describing rights to incorporeal assets. It is argued that civil law conceptions of the distinction between the law of property and the law of obligations cannot necessarily determine the common law analysis of property and property rights. Even a brief historical account of banking and financial practices in Roman times indicates that they do not provide a sound foundation for explaining the property regime to money in modern financial systems.
Speaker : Dr David Fox
No. of Participants : 38
* * * * *
10th Singapore Conference on International Business Law – The Regulation of Wealth Management
22 & 23 August 2007

(Jointly Organised By NUS Faculty of Law & Singapore Academy of Law)
Singapore has positioned itself as a wealth management centre to rival others such as Switzerland. While it has a long way to go in that respect, its current rate of growth and future potential in the area has created a great deal of buzz and excitement in the marketplace. In a sense, however, it is simply reverting to its core strengths in private banking, political stability and the rule of law.
This Conference in particular, examined the unique characteristics of Singapore in the area of wealth management, namely:
- its common law legacy and the flexibility of trust law and equity;
- innovative approaches to the use of tax incentives;
- the plethora of alternative business and investment vehicles now found in Singapore;
- the willingness of its Government to encourage and develop the area at a time when restrictions are appearing elsewhere in the wealth management world;
- its sound regulatory framework in a globalised environment;
- the promotion of hedge funds and private equity.
The tenth conference in the SCIBL series, this two-day conference examined the unique characteristics of Singapore in the area of wealth management. An ensemble of distinguished international and local experts provided a blend of comparative, academic and practical perspectives on the topic. This year’s panel of speakers included Prof Robert Sitkoff, Harvard University and Prof Henry Hu, University of Texas among others.
For more information, please refer to our conference website at http://law.nus.edu.sg/ccls/scibl2007.
* * * * *
Regulating Financial Risk: The Case of OTC Derivatives on International Financial Markets
25 April 2007

The over-the-counter ("OTC") derivatives market is one of the fastest growing and largest
financial markets in the world. Over 200 of the world’s largest financial institutions actively
trade OTC derivatives as dealers with tens of thousands of smaller institutions. The seminar
sought to provide a brief overview of the international derivatives market, providing introductory
background regarding its size, typical transactions and participants, focusing particularly on cross
border and systemic risks. The presentation described the potential risks that occur due to the
expanding and interlinking relationships of large financial institutions that trade OTC derivatives
across international borders. The seminar also focused on the efforts of US and other regulators
and other participants to minimize and control these risks and provide additional suggestions and
ideas.
Speaker : Prof Christian Johnson
No. of Participants : 30
* * * * *
Seminar – Investment, Merger and Acquisition in China
29 March 2007

The seminar sought to provide with exposure to the latest legal developments in China,
with a particular focus on the legal strategy on corporation’s M&A and design of
criterion concerning MBO & stock options, as well as how they affect the role of
such professionals and the conduct of business by their clients.
The seminar was conducted in Mandarin and simultaneously translated in English by
Ms Cheryl Xu Chenbin, a China Law Consultant with Central Chambers Law Corporation.
Speaker : Mr Xiao Jinquan
No. of Participants : 72
* * * * *
Roundtable on Competition Policy Implementation and
Enforcement in South East Asia : Consumer Welfare and its
Role in Promoting Economic Development
1 August 2006

The explosion in the number of competition laws throughout the world
during the last decade or so has created a need for a common understanding
of the normative principles of competition policy and how soundly administered
competition regimes can stimulate economic development. In this context,
the National University of Singapore and the International Roundtable on
Competition and Trade Policy, Inc (the “Roundtable”) have partnered to bring
expertise from various countries to engage in dialogues amongst the competition
agencies and regulators present and for each panel to come up with some policy
recommendations.
Speaker : Mr Shanker A. Singham
No. of Participants : 8
* * * * *
Seminar - Undue Influence: Vindicating Relationships of Influence
10 July 2006

When we trust our friends or family in consenting to a transaction have we
abdicated our autonomy or exercised it? When the transaction is avoided for
undue influence, what is the precise pathology? The quest to identify the
basis of undue influence has ossified in bipolar form: either the claimant's
consent is said to be defective or the defendant is said to have acted wrongly
in procuring that consent. This 'either or' approach has the attraction of
simplicity, clarity and easy marketability, but it risks missing the target
when superimposed on the subtle and complex dynamics of relationships of trust,
dependence or attachment. Any credible theory of undue influence must accommodate
a multi-dimensional approach.
The new relational theory advanced argues that trust, dependence or allegiance
is constitutive of close relationships which, in turn, facilitate human flourishing
and characterize a good life. To uphold the integrity of such valuable relationships,
the law requires the defendant to have due regard for the substantive and procedural
norms implicit in the relationship of influence he shares with the claimant when he
transacts with her. If he violates these norms, he cannot enforce or retain the
benefits of the transaction even if he has done nothing illegitimate to procure the
claimant’s consent and even if he acts in good faith. A defendant cannot always
accept a transaction just because the claimant agrees and even if she offers; he
certainly cannot do so if the transaction is grossly improvident to the claimant
unless, and sometimes even if, he takes additional steps to protect the claimant.
This is consistent with: (i) a proper regard for the value of trusting relationships,
(ii) the richness of the Common Law, (iii) the stated burden of proof for undue influence,
(iv) the recent House of Lords pronouncements in Royal Bank of Scotland v Etridge (No 2),
and (v) the classical but curious case of Allcard v Skinner.
Speaker :Ms Mindy Chen-Wishart
No. of Participants : 20
* * * * *
Lunchtime Seminar on Australian-China DTA
9 March 2005, Wednesday

The seminar presented the findings of a paper to be published by the
International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation in their April Bulletin. It
dealt with differences in the taxpayer definitions employed in the Income
Tax Laws of Australia and China and how these operate in the context of
the Double Tax Agreement. The impact of the differences in creating tax
arbitrage opportunities and incongruent tax outcomes were investigated.
The findings would be relevant to Singapore and any other jurisdiction
that adopts standard international income tax definitions such as
Australia.
Speaker : Mr Nolan Sharkey
No. of Participants : 10
* * * * *
ASIA EXCISE TAXATION CONFERENCE
2 – 4 March 2005

The 1st Asia Excise Taxation Conference organised by the Centre for
Commercial Law, Maastricht University of The Netherlands and the
International Tax and Investment Center (ITIC) of Washington, DC
contributed to the public policy debate on excise tax policy and
administration in Asia. The Conference, graced by Guest of Honor, the
Honorable Teo Eng Cheong, Director-General of the Singapore Customs, brought together leading public
finance scholars from Asia, Europe, and North America to discuss these
timely issues with Government officials with responsibility for excise tax
policy and administration. Representatives from Asia-based academic
institutes, experts from the IMF and World Bank and the various industries
also participated at the Conference.
The Conference included the presentation of the just published Oxford
University Press book, Theory and Practice of Excise Taxation: Smoking,
Drinking, Gambling, Polluting and Driving, edited by Professor Sijbren
Cnossen, who also served as the Conference’s Co-Chairman. Specifically
commissioned papers on excise taxes affecting alcohol, tobacco, and
petroleum products were presented and these issues were discussed from an
Asian perspective.
Speakers & Commentators : Professor Joosung Jun, Mr. Adrian Cooper,
Professor Somchai Richupan, Dr. Milwida Guevara, Professor Seong-Lin Na,
Dr Audrey Tan, Dr. Suthad Setboonsarng, Dr. Sutapa Amornvivat, Dr Munidasa
Winslow, Mr. Warwick Ryan, Dr. Somchai Sujjapongse, Mr Yatin Premchand,
Associate Professor Matthias Roth
Chairpersons: Assoc Prof Stephen Phua, Mr Daniel Witt, Prof Sijbren
Cnossen, Dr. Emil Sunley
No. of Participants: 113
To participate in the on-going Conference Forum and to download
presentation papers, please refer to
http://law.nus.edu.sg/ccls/conference/aetc/
* * * * *
Round Table Talk on Taxation
18 June 2004

The informal roundtable talk focused on current issues and trends in Asia
Pacific Taxation. As an experience tax practitioner with a strong academic
background, Mr Michael Velten also provided useful insights into the
career options, opportunities and challenges that exist in taxation.
Speaker : Mr Michael Velten
No. of Participants : 19
* * * * *
Seminar – Legal Challenges in Modern Banking Practice
6 April 2004

This seminar sought to provide an update on the legal implications arising
from some of the recent major developments in banking practice. It covered
areas like developments in local and international regulatory policies,
private banking and trusts, money laundering, bank secrecy and offshore
data processing centres. Leading speakers from regulatory bodies, academia
and legal practice delivered papers on these key areas.
Speakers : Mr Alvin Yeo S.C, Em Prof Peter Ellinger, Mr Ian Wong Kwok Onn
No. of Participants : 42
* * * * *
Seminar – Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act
2 March 2004

The introduction of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act is a major
development in consumer laws in Singapore. When the Act comes into force
on 1st March 2004, it will have a significant impact on the way businesses
are conducted.
The Act is principally designed to accord better protection to consumers
by allowing them to seek civil redress against traders engaging in unfair
practices.
The speakers will cover the policy considerations that underpin the Act,
provide an overview of the Act and the potential impact of the Act. Legal
advisers will have an opportunity to benefit from a commentary of the
provisions. With a better understanding of the Act, legal advisers could
play a part in helping businesses review their business practices and
prepare for the coming into force of the Act.
Speaker : Ms Chen Xin Yi, Mr Stephen Loke & Mrs Joyce Chao Su Ling
No. of Participants : 83
* * * * *
Seminar - Is Securitization Legitimate?
17 February 2004

The seminar examined, in the post-Enron economic and regulatory
environment, what, if anything, differentiated questionable uses of
off-balance-sheet special purpose entities, or SPEs, from the trillions of
dollars of supposedly "legitimate" securitization and other structured
finance transactions that use SPEs. The inquiry is important because the
absence of meaningful differences would call all these transactions into
question, whereas the presence of meaningful differences may inform
regulatory schemes by providing a basis to distinguish which transactions
should be allowed. The seminar also explored, as a normative matter,
whether securitization is economically efficient, and also whether it is
fair to third-parties, including unsecured creditors.
Speaker : Prof Steven L. Schwarcz
No. of Participants : 117
* * * * *
Course – Introduction to Competition Law
15-19 December 2003

This intensive 10-hour course was designed to introduce basic concepts and
legal principles to administrative officers responsible for implementing
and enforcing competition laws. The primary objective was to familiarise
participants with the legal principles that underpin substantive areas
such as anti-competitive horizontal and vertical arrangements, unilateral
abuses of market dominance, and merger regulation. As the course was
designed with some focus on the Media Competition Code, examples and case
studies were drawn from media-related issues and facts that are relevant
to the markets in Singapore. Some attention was paid to the policy
decisions that have to be taken by the competition regulator when
interpreting and applying the Code, as well as the practical consequences
these policies would have on the way firms conduct themselves in the
market.
Lecturers: Dr Robert Ian McEwin, Assistant Professor Burton Ong
No. of Participants : 21
* * * * *
Seminar - Enforcing Competition Law : An Australian Regulator's View
3 December 2003

This seminar focused on the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission’s role and responsibilities and the challenges and successes
which arise during the course of its work as the only national agency
dealing with competition matters and enforcement of the Trade Practices
Act. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) was formed
on 6 November 1995 by the merger of the Trade Practices Commission and the
Prices Surveillance Authority. An independent statutory authority, the
ACCC administers the Trade Practices Act 1974 and the Prices Surveillance
Act 1983 and has additional responsibilities under other legislation. The
objective of the Trade Practices Act, as set out in the legislation, is to
enhance the welfare of Australians through the promotion of competition
and fair trading and provision for consumer protection. In broad terms,
the Trade Practice Act covers anti-competitive and unfair market
practices, mergers or acquisitions of companies, product safety/liability,
and third party access to facilities of national significance. The
anti-competitive conduct provisions of the Trade Practices Act apply to
virtually all businesses in Australia.
Speaker : Mr Michael Cosgrave
No. of Participants : 37
* * * * *
Seminar – Competition Law : A Practioner’s View
9 October 2003

The seminar provided an excellent opportunity for regulators, lawyers and
corporate counsel to review the goals of competition law. It covered the
conduct that constitutes the primary offences that are typically covered
by competition law regimes. In addition, it highlighted the importance and
role of effective enforcement measures and remedies including treble
damages, private right of action etc. The qualifications and experience of
the speaker made this seminar discussion highly relevant to competition
issues that may arise in Singapore in the future.
Speaker : Mr Jonathan Jacob Nadler
No. of participants : 25
* * * * *
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
* * * * *
Commissioning by the Ministry of Finance and the Attorney-General’s
Chambers

In December 1998, the Centre was commissioned by the Attorney-
General’s Chambers to undertake research into Aircraft Mortgage
Registration. This research report was a joint effort by Assoc Prof Tan
Yock Lin, Ms Dora Neo and Mr Hans Tjio, and was submitted to the
Attorney-General’s Chambers in 1999.
The Centre was also commissioned by the Ministry of Finance to
undertake research into a few areas of law, in response to the Corporate
Finance Committee’s Report on liberalising Singapore’s financial sector.
Research was carried out in the areas of Disclosure Requirements for
Unit Trusts (Assoc Prof Tan Sook Yee, Mr Aedit Abdullah, Mr Tey Tsun
Hang), Fiduciary Obligations of Unit Trust Managers (Assoc Prof Tan
Sook Yee, Mr Aedit Abdullah, Mr Tey Tsun Hang), Civil Actions in
respect of Insider Trading (Assoc Prof Tan Yock Lin, Mr Tey Tsun Hang,
Ms Margaret Chew) and Rationalisation of Company and Securities Law
(Assoc Prof Tan Cheng Han, Ms Margaret Chew, Mr Michael Ewing-
Chow).
Reports on Rationalisation of Company and Securities Law, Civil
Remedies for Insider Trading and Fiduciary Obligations of Unit Trust
Managers were submitted in February, April and May 1999 respectively.
* * * * *
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
* * * * *
Links with Duke Global Capital Markets Center (DGCMC)

The Centre invited Prof Steven Schwarcz, director of the DGCMC, as a
distinguished visitor and it is hoped that the link can be inaugurated
with
the launch of a joint research project on international and comparative
capital and financial markets regulation.
* * * * *
Roundtable Discussion

The Centre brings together representatives of the industry, regulators,
legal practitioners and academics, both legal and non-legal, to debate,
discuss and also identify significant legal issues.
The first roundtable discussion, convened on 31 October 1998, dealt with
Repudiation of Leases, with Assoc Prof Tan Sook Yee, Assoc Prof Lye
Lin Heng, Assoc Prof Tan Yock Lin, Assoc Prof Teo Keang Sood and Mr
Aedit Abdullah as convenors.
The second roundtable discussion, convened on 10 April 1999, focused
on A Code of Best Practices for Corporate Governance. Spirited and
extremely comprehensive discussions were led by distinguished
discussants from the corporate and securities sector and the legal
profession, namely Mdm Kuok Oon Kwong, Mr Chelva Rajah SC, Mr
Kaka Singh, Ms Ginney Lim , Mr Nagaraj Sivaram, and Dr Loizos
Heracleous.
* * * * *
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