In SME Care Pte Ltd v Jannie Chan Siew Lee [2025] SGHC 27, the Singapore High Court ("Court") held a bankrupt ex-director of a company personally liable to the company for failing to take steps to recover sums owed by third parties to the company.

Introduction

A trustee-manager, in the context of a business trust, actively runs the trust's operations while safeguarding the interests of investors. In the course of acting as a trustee-manager, the entity may incur liabilities in relation to activities of the business trust. How are these liabilities treated in a restructuring and insolvency? And can a trustee-manager propose a scheme of arrangement for debts incurred in its capacity as trustee-manager?  

When a company goes into liquidation, creditors often wonder whether they will recover their debts. One available option to achieve this is funding legal action to help the liquidator recover assets.

Singapore's insolvency legislation allows creditors who fund liquidators' recovery actions to have priority over other creditors in the distribution of recovered assets. This improves the viability of commencing insolvency proceedings as an asset recovery tool.

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Introduction

Insolvency and arbitration traditionally do not mix well, as they embody somewhat contrasting legal policies. The Singapore Court of Appeal highlighted in Larsen Oil and Gas Pte Ltd v Petroprod Ltd (in official liquidation in the Cayman Islands and in compulsory liquidation in Singapore) [2011] 3 SLR 414 that:

Introduction

DGJ v Ocean Tankers (Pte) Ltd (in liquidation)[2024] SGCA 57

The Court of Appeal ruled that assignments may be ineffective for offending public policy. Additionally, an assignment of a bare right to sue must not prejudice the administration of justice. Generally, non-assignment clauses would also prohibit the assignment of contractual and related rights.

Facts

When a company enters liquidation, the appointed liquidator steps into a pivotal role – one that requires navigating complex challenges to recover assets and maximize returns for creditors. This task entails conducting detailed investigations and pursuing legal actions, processes that demand a careful balance of inquiry, judgment, and responsibility.

The Singapore International Commercial Court (the "SICC"), a division of the General Division of the High Court and part of the Supreme Court of Singapore, was established in 2015 as a trusted neutral forum to meet increasing demand for effective transnational dispute resolution. It recently considered, as a matter of first impression for the SICC, whether to approve a prepackaged scheme of arrangement for a group of Vietnam-based real estate investment companies under Singapore's recently enacted Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (the "IRDA").

このたび、森・濱田松本法律事務所アジアプラクティスグループでは、東南・南アジ ア各国のリーガルニュースを集めたニュースレター、MHM Asian Legal Insights第167 号（2024 年 9 月号）を作成いたしました。今後の皆様の東南・南アジアにおける業務 展開の一助となれば幸いに存じます。 ※本レターに記載した円建て表記は、ご参照のために、各現地通貨を現在の為替レー トで換算したものとなります。 1. タイ： 個人情報保護法（PDPA）施行以来、初の行政罰が適用され た注目事例 タイの個人情報保護委員会（Personal Data Protection Committee：「PDPC」）は、2024 年 8 月 21 日、タイ個人情報保護法（Personal Data Protection Act：「PDPA」）の違反に よる初の行政罰を科したことを発表しました。PDPA の違反による行政罰の実際の適用 は、PDPA が 2022 年に全面的に施行されて以来初めての事例となり、現地でも注目さ れています。 PDPA の違反による初の行政罰の適用事例（「本件」）は、オンライン通販事業を行う 現地企業（「本企業」）から、詐欺的な Scam Call を行う詐欺グループに、大量の個人情 報が流出したという事例です。