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 module 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

LL5276V Advanced Contract Law

NIL
NUS Compulsory Core Law Curriculum or equivalent.

Students must have completed the basic common law Contract Law course in an LLB programme

Not opened to students who have taken or are taking Financial Accounting (1) FNA1002; (2) FNA1002E; (3) FNA1002X; (4) ACC1002; ACC1002X. 

NOTE:The following students are not permitted to enrol in this course: those who have completed, or who intend in the current or a future semester to subscribe for, modules relating to finance or accounting offered in other universities or faculties in NUS (2) those who are graduates of, or are currently enrolled in other programmes leading to professional qualifications in, accountancy or finance.

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.

This course will examine the competition law and policy framework in Singapore and will introduce students to the three pillars of the legal and regulatory framework: (i) the prohibition against anti-competitive agreements, (ii) the prohibition against abuses of market dominance, and (iii) the regulation of mergers and concentrations.

This reading requirements assigned for this course are "top heavy" - students should expect 80-90% of the entire 12 weeks' of reading to be done in the first 6-7 classes, when in-class quizzes based on these readings will be conducted. As such, students interested in taking this module are discouraged from also taking intensively-taught courses running during the first 6-7 weeks of the term.

NUS Compulsory Core Law Curriculum or common law equivalent.
Non-law students: Open to students from Business and FASS (Economics Majors). Must have completed at least 80MCs (3rd year and above).

This course considers the following topics relating to ethics in the corporate context:

- Theory, Principles, and World-Views on Ethics
- The Ethical Leder: Self-Mastery and Ethics, Mind-Sets
- Corporate Ethics: Shared Values, Professionalism (as part of Standards of Professional Conduct) CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct
- GARP Ethics and Code of Conduct

The conflict of laws regulates international disputes before Singapore’s courts. This course focuses on two of its three central pillars – international jurisdiction and foreign judgments – which allocates disputes and decision-making authority between domestic courts. It will touch on the existence and exercise of jurisdiction, the interpretation and enforcement of jurisdiction clauses, sovereign immunity and non-justiciability, Mareva and anti-suit injunctions, and the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. Along with its sister course (Principles of Conflict of Laws), it aims to give students an in-depth understanding of conflicts theory and practice.

As the saying goes, the only two certainties in life are death and taxes. Tax permeates and affects all aspects of human and business conduct – shaping every deal and transaction, and influencing the setting up, financing, and operation of every business venture.

This foundational course focuses on the two most important taxes – income tax and GST (accounting for about ¾ of our total tax revenues). It will acquaint participants with a basic working knowledge of the most common tax issues faced by both businesses and individuals. The first part of the course focuses on GST, and how GST is imposed on an increasing number of platform transactions in our daily lives as well as on digital assets. The second part deals with the income tax implications of typical decisions in the lifecycle of a business. Issues examined include tax implications on sole proprietorship vs partnership vs company; how is offshore income taxed in Singapore; is debt or equity more tax efficient?; how to maximise deductions and allowances to minimise taxes?; when does tax planning become avoidance or evasion?; as well as common legal and evidential issues in tax litigation. Other topical issues include the economics of taxation, and the trends and reforms in international tax.

The course is particularly useful for those interested in commercial law, transactions, wealth planning, in-house advisory, and economic policy. No tax knowledge is assumed, and participants are not expected to make tax computations.

Monday (6.30pm-9.30pm)
Wednesday (6.30pm-9.30pm)
Friday (3.00pm-6.00pm)

NUS Compulsory Core Law Curriculum or equivalent.

Students should have covered the core private law subjects of Contract, Tort and Trusts.