Most Recent Articles
Commentary: The duty of care owed by hospital and its receptionists to patients
Reading Time: 4 minutesIntroduction On 10 October 2018, the UK Supreme Court (the “Court”) in Darnley v Croydon Health Services NHS Trust[2018] UKSC 50 overruled the decisions of lower courts and held the hospital and its reception staff negligent for providing misleading information to patients. Case background The appellant, Darnley, was struck on the head in 2010 and suffered […]
Can you apply for maintenance orders while still in a legal matrimonial relationship?
Reading Time: 3 minutesA common misconception that many have is that maintenance orders may only be made following divorce proceedings. However, did you know that you may apply for a maintenance order while still in a subsisting marriage? The table below summarises whom may apply for reasonable maintenance under Section 69 of the Women’s Charter. Maintenance for Applicant […]
Vietnam Legal Update: New Competition Law Will be Effective Soon
Reading Time: 6 minutesOn July 1, 2019, the new Law on Competition (“2018 Law”) will take effect and it has some significant differences from the existing Law on Competition (“2014 Law”). While certain details are yet to be determined, below we will outline some of the significant differences that businesses should note between the two laws. In addition, […]
ASEAN Employment Legal Update 2018 Q.4
Reading Time: 11 minutesDFDL’s Employment Practice Group is dedicated to advising clients on employment and labor issues and preparing human resources documentation that is compliant with local laws. Our employment team’s in-depth knowledge of the law and practices in the countries where we operate allows us to provide specialized, tailored, and practical advice on issues that arise in […]
SMU Lexicon: Bridging the Divide between Married and Unwed Mothers
Reading Time: 4 minutesA letter (“No extra perks if unwed mums adopt own children: Forum” on 25th May 2017)[1] by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (“MSF”) has raised pertinent views on how the Singaporean Government perceives marital status and motherhood. Recently, the MSF had granted Child Development Account (“CDA”) benefits[2] and Government-paid maternity leave to unwed […]
5 Legal Tips for Your Esports Team Business
Reading Time: 6 minutesAre you looking to start an esports team? In this final article of a two part series on eports and law by video games and entertainment lawyer, Adrian Kwong, we look at things from the perspective of someone on the business side, such as a team owner or manager. In the first article, I touched […]
Who is a “friend”? – Court of Final Appeal clarified the meaning of “friend” in relation to persons providing prison visiting services in Hong Kong
Reading Time: 5 minutesIntroduction ONC Lawyers successfully quashed a conviction in a Court of Final Appeal (“CFA”) case for an appellant charged with conspiracy to defraud for providing prison visiting services. The CFA interpreted the meaning of “friend” in a broad approach in the context of visitors of prisoners on remand awaiting trial (“PATs”) and considered that the […]
SMU Lexicon: A Glimpse into the ASEAN-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement
Reading Time: 11 minutesIntroduction After close to 4 years of negotiations,[1] the hugely anticipated ASEAN-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement (AHKFTA) has finally been set in stone.[2] Along with the accompanying ASEAN-Hong Kong Investment Agreement (AHKIA), the two agreements were signed on the sidelines of the 31st ASEAN summit in the Philippines. [3]Historical background and the rationale for a […]
Divorce Mediation in Singapore
Reading Time: 7 minutesWe’ve all seen movies or heard stories about bad divorces where the divorcing parties are enraged with each other, arguing furiously over the division of matrimonial assets, maintenance and child custody amongst many things. Going through a divorce can be a very painful and sometimes, cruel process for all parties involved. There can also be […]
Singapore Patents – High Court Upholds Validity of Patent and Grants Declaration of Validity and Declaration of Infringement of Asserted Claims – Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP Holdings V Nexplanar Corp and Another [2017] SGHC 310
Reading Time: 18 minutesIn a decision rendered by George Wei J of the Singapore High Court dated 8 December 2017, the High Court upheld the validity of the Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP Holdings, Inc’s patent, granted a declaration of the said patent’s validity, as well as a declaration that the asserted claims of the patent were […]
Further on the First Conduct Rule – Is Hong Kong falling behind on the rules governing anti-competitive conduct?
Reading Time: 4 minutesOn 9 April 2018 the Competition Commission (the “Commission”) issued an Advisory Bulletin (the “Bulletin”) addressing competition concerns regarding practices in relation to hiring and employment terms and conditions in the employment marketplace (see, our newsletter published in May 2018). The Bulletin is intended to be read alongside with the Commission’s Guideline on the First […]
Hong Kong Update: Supervising clients’ investments – Can“high-level supervisory role” of trustees be limited?
Reading Time: 4 minutesIn certain banking arrangements in which investments are made in relation to a trust, a fiduciary relationship may arise when the bank or its affiliates act as a corporate trustee of a trust or a director of a company customer. A party may be regarded as a fiduciary if it owes an obligation to act […]
Personal
Building a Sustainable Enbloc Sale Market: Keeping Expectations Realistic
Reading Time: 4 minutesAuthored by Kenneth Szeto and Benjamin Hong of Withers KhattarWong LLP Singapore was gripped with enbloc sale fever in the first half of 2018, a momentum that started gathering since early 2017, beginning with the Shunfu Ville transaction. The period witnessed the successful closing of several big ticket – near billion dollar – deals. We […]
Business
Hong Kong Maritime Series: Will shipowners be protected by letters of indemnity for delivering cargoes to unnamed receivers?
Reading Time: 6 minutesBackground It is not uncommon for charterers or shipowners to be offered a letter of indemnity (“LOI”) for delivery of cargo to a named receiver without the presentation of original bills of lading. This situation arises when the bills of lading cannot be produced or released at the load port before the cargo arrives at […]
Pornography: How Legal is it in Singapore? 
How to resolve disputes with your condominium management or MCST (with 99.co) 
What freelancers and self-employed need to know about the law in Singapore 
Incorporating a Company under the Malaysian Companies Act 2016 
Deciding how to end your marriage in Singapore – divorce, separation or annulment? 
Breaking your rental lease early in Singapore 
Starting a restaurant or food & beverage (F&B) business in Singapore – licenses, agreement... 
What is Criminal Breach of Trust (CBT) in Singapore? 
Most Common and Confusing Legal Words (Legalese) Explained Simply 
Security Deposits: A Guide For Tenants & Landlords
