LL5276V Advanced Contract Law

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.

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).

TBC

Globalisation has made it more important for lawyers to be knowledgeable about the international aspects of litigation. This course focuses on the jurisdictional techniques most relevant to international commercial litigation: in personam jurisdiction, forum non conveniens, interim protective measures, recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments, public policy, and an outline of choice of law issues for commercial contracts. The course, taught from the perspective of Singapore law, based largely on the common law, is designed to give an insight into the world of international litigation. These skills are relevant to not only litigation lawyers, but also lawyers planning international transactions.

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.