Advanced Contract Law invites students to examine some interesting and controversial topics from this foundational subject. Some topics will build on what students already know in their first-year/basic contract law course (e.g. how does contract law deal with change of circumstances?), some will cover new ground (e.g. the role of good faith in contract law). You will be able to write a paper on a topic of particular interest to you. The course also complements the course Advanced Tort Law and Philosophical Foundations of Contract Law.

Cautionary note for students from Civil Law Jurisdiction: a background knowledge of common law subjects is assumed, including contract, tort, equity, and company law

This course introduces core finance concepts tailored specifically for law students. Adopting a classical finance approach, it covers topics such as asset pricing, diversification, the Efficient Market Hypothesis, the Capital Asset Pricing Model, derivative pricing, financial intermediation, macroeconomic fundamentals, and capital structures. Additional coverage of mergers & acquisitions, corporate governance/law, and securities regulation where relevant highlights essential intersections with legal practice. By bridging the gap between law and finance, students will gain practical insights into how future clients such as investment bankers, traders, institutional investors, and other financial professionals operate.

Business valuation is a key component of investor and corporate activities and is conducted for many purposes. In recent times, it has gained prominence because of the increase in mergers and acquisitions activities, arbitration and legal proceedings involving damages assessment and shareholder disputes, application of fair value measurements in financial reporting, and the increased emphasis on the role of intangible assets (and intellectual properties) as key value drivers in business.

As business valuation is deeply anchored in corporate activities, regulators have increasingly stepped up their presence and involvement in this practice area, particularly on matters relating to professionalism, and compliance with code and standards. In the conduct of business valuation, the International Valuation Standards (IVS) as developed by the International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC) is being applied by valuers in more than one hundred countries. IVSC is a global valuation standards setter and membership body that works to promote and grow the valuation profession worldwide. The Institute of Valuers and Appraisers of Singapore (IVAS) (under the auspices of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)), that certifies business valuers in Singapore, is a member of the IVSC. Business valuers certified by IVAS are designated as Chartered Valuers and Appraisers (CVA) and will need to comply with the IVS and the code of ethical principles issued by IVSC, when conducting their work in the marketplace.

The subject of business valuation arises frequently in the legal space, particularly in situations relating to insolvency and restructuring, litigation, and mergers and acquisitions. This course is developed for the students to acquire practical knowledge relating to business valuation that is applicable in these circumstances. It will provide the students with the first-hand knowledge of how business valuation is conducted in the “real world” in compliance with the IVS.

The course will commence with an introduction to the key concepts of accounting and finance relating to business valuation. It will then explore the valuation landscape, the role that business valuation plays in the marketplace and study the competences, role, and behaviour of business valuers. Students will learn about the valuation concepts, principles, terms, basis, premises, context, process and reporting requirements. An in-depth study of the various valuation approaches and methods, as stated in the IVS will be carried out. The focus will be on the application of the market, income, and cost (asset-based) approaches (and their respective methods and valuation parameters), in valuing business and equity. Last but not least, contemporary issues and challenges surrounding business valuation will also be covered. This includes matters such as the application of various discounts and premiums, rising importance of intangible assets (and intellectual properties) as key value drivers in business, and the consideration of ‘Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)’ matters in valuation etc.

Commercial conflict of laws is a significant area of legal scholarship and practice. The chief aim of the course is to examine the foundational principles of commercial conflict of laws in Singapore. First, the course identifies and assesses the set of rules based on which Singapore courts decide whether to entertain international commercial disputes. Second, the course outlines the provisions based on which Singapore courts determine the law governing the parties’ cross-border disputes. Finally, the course outlines the rules according to which courts in Singapore give effect to foreign judgments.

This course examines the rules and standards that govern the subject of compliance and risk management. It starts by examining questions of governance: boards of directors, and executives. We then examine the compliance function through the lens of managers, regulators, prosecutors, whistleblowers, and gatekeepers. Next, we consider particular areas of the law: corruption, anti-money laundering, and export controls. We examine case studies where compliance fails and initiatives that go beyond compliance. Finally, we consider risk management as it pertains to lawyers; topics here include the governance of risk; approaches to risk management; reputational, operational, and enterprise risk.

This course provides a comprehensive examination of financial and money market instruments, with a focus on structural components, documentation, regulatory requirements, and commercial drivers. Students will explore financial derivatives, repo agreements, securities lending, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and crypto assets, developing a deep understanding of their theoretical underpinnings and practical applications. The course will enable students to develop the skills necessary to effectively structure financial and money market instruments, navigate their legal and regulatory landscapes, and make informed decisions in a rapidly evolving field of law.

This course aims to equip students with the basic understanding of the law of arbitration to enable them to advise and represent parties in the arbitral process confidence. Legal concepts peculiar to arbitration viz. separability, arbitrability and kompetenz-kompetenz will be considered together with the procedural laws on the conduct of the arbitral process, the making and the enforcement of awards. Students will examine the UNCITRAL Model Law and the New York Convention, 1958. This course is most suited for students with some knowledge of the law of commercial transactions, shipping, banking, international sale of goods or construction.

This course focuses on the law, directives and guidelines pertaining to the conduct of investment management activity in Singapore. The primary focus is on the regulatory regime in Singapore but significant elements of selected foreign regulatory regimes affecting investment managers in Singapore will also be introduced. Some of the latest industry trends will be examined. The course is tailored to lay a foundation for those considering a career in the investment management industry, either as a legal practitioner in a law firm or as an in-house legal counsel or compliance officer within an investment management company.

This course examines the evolving regime for the regulation and protection of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in international law. Although MNEs remain creations of domestic law, the cross-border activities of MNEs increasingly come within the scope of instruments creating obligations and/or rights in international law. In assessing the challenges faced by states and MNEs alike with respect to such transnational regulation, the course takes a rounded and interdisciplinary view of the issues involved, addressing both the commercial and social dimensions of MNE action. In addition to considering the regulatory powers of individual states, developments under international instruments on human rights, environment, finance, taxation and investment are addressed.

This course considers financial aspects of the private law of international trade, namely payment and guarantees. Consider an international sale of goods. A seller who ships goods overseas without being paid in advance runs a number of financial risks, namely: (1) the buyer’s insolvency before payment is made; (2) the buyer’s wrongful refusal to pay for the goods and litigation in a potentially unfamiliar jurisdiction; (3) a justifiable refusal by the buyer to pay for the goods due to a genuine allegation of non-performance by the seller; (4) political risks leading to non-payment of the price. A buyer who pays in advance also runs the risk that the seller may not ship the goods. Introduction of an intermediary, e.g. banks, in whom the parties repose confidence may help eliminate these risks. This course focuses on various legal mechanisms used in international trade to securely effect payment for the goods and services, payment mechanisms such as collections, documentary credits and bank-to-bank reimbursements. Banks can also help secure contractual performance of the parties to the underlying transaction, which is often achieved with the help of such legal mechanisms as on demand guarantees and standby letters of credit (cumulatively known as autonomous guarantees). Autonomous guarantees may be issued by banks in relation to a wide range of underlaying transactions including sale of goods, shipbuilding, etc. This course focuses on the nature of the obligations undertaken by contracting parties, the principles of strict compliance, irrevocability and autonomy, and also considers various exemptions to the principle of autonomy, including the exceptions of fraud and nullity. The course concentrates on the legal rules promulgated by the International Chamber of Commerce, such as Uniform Customs & Practice for Documentary Credits (UCP 600), Uniform Rules for Demand Guarantees and others as well as the relevant case law.