Yuen Law LLC

17/09/2026

𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬?

Singapore recorded more than 38,000 business closures in the first seven months of the year, with the closures coming mainly from the construction and F&B sectors. But before winding up, many small businesses typically try to sell their operations. In a recent interview with the Business Times, Managing Director and Co-Head of Corporate Practice Samuel Yuen addressed the legal risks landlords face when this happens.

A principle known as privity of contract holds that only the parties who signed a contract can enforce rights or be held to obligations under it. This is significant where a business is sold through a purchase of its assets and operations, since the purchaser was never a party to the existing lease. A lease novation, transferring all rights and responsibilities to the new party while releasing the original party, would be necessary, requiring the consent of the landlord, the outgoing tenant, and the incoming party.

Landlords can also take precautionary measures before such a situation arises. This includes securing a guarantee from a tenant's parent or sister company with deeper resources to meet its obligations, said Samuel.

Without such safeguards, a landlord's recovery is no longer assured once the tenant's business winds up. As Samuel observed, "This means that when a tenant is wound up, the landlord joins the queue of creditors and may recover only a portion of what is owed."

Link to article: https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/singapore/business-takeover-how-can-landlords-singapore-protect-themselves

More about Samuel: https://yuenlaw.com.sg/bio/samuel-yuen/

More commercial establishments are closing this year, with many attempting to sell their operations first Read more at The Business Times.

11/09/2026

In Ho Soo Fong and another v Ho Soo Tong and others [2026] SGHC 167, Tris Xavier, P. Padman and Hayati Bee acted for the successful first and second defendants. The General Division of the High Court dismissed the claimants' purchase money resulting trust claim in its entirety, rejecting their case to the beneficial ownership of three Singapore properties and to the proceeds of their sale.

The claim failed on two separate and independent grounds.

First, on whether the claimants made direct financial contribution to the purchase price, the Court found no primary evidence of personal payment, holding that a company's money is not its shareholders' money and that the claimants had no legal basis to attribute a related company's payments to themselves.

Second, on whether the claimants had an intention to benefit the defendants at the time of purchase, the Court held that a party who cannot state coherently why he directed a conveyance cannot prove he lacked such an intention. Where the claimants' evidence supported two opposing explanations equally, it established neither.

Read Case Summary:
https://yuenlaw.com.sg/news/resulting-trust-beneficial-ownership/

10/09/2026

The EU's crackdown on ChatGPT, Roblox and Reddit sets a precedent, but does it go far enough to protect Singapore users from online harm?

The European Union has classified ChatGPT, Roblox and Reddit as "very large online search engine" or "very large online platform" under its Digital Services Act, subjecting them to the bloc's strictest online safety obligations. In The Straits Times, Managing Director Samuel Yuen shares insights on what this precedent could mean for Singapore's own approach to regulating AI and online harms.

Samuel points to funding transparency as a measure Singapore could consider going beyond what the EU and US have done. If the public and regulators knew who was funding an AI platform, they would be better placed to spot conflicts of interest, such as a chatbot that consistently favours its own backers in its responses. That visibility matters as AI becomes an increasingly persuasive channel for shaping opinion, and a potential vector for manipulation and fake news.

Rather than adopting EU or US measures wholesale, Samuel expects Singapore to weigh overseas developments against its own risk profile, shaping a framework suited to its cultural values, economic realities and national interests.

Link to article: https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/eu-landmark-rules-for-chatgpt-give-singapore-the-blueprint-to-rein-in-ai-harms-experts

More about Samuel: https://yuenlaw.com.sg/bio/samuel-yuen/

28/08/2026

Singapore IP Week 2026 brought together policymakers, legal professionals, businesses and IP practitioners to explore a timely question: “The Rise of AI: Is It IP as Usual?”

A key focus this year was how IP frameworks can keep pace with AI while continuing to support creators and businesses. In his opening address at the Global Forum on Intellectual Property, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong highlighted the need to balance AI-driven innovation with safeguarding creators' rights, as the use of copyrighted works in AI development raises new IP concerns. This will feed into the Public Consultation on Artificial Intelligence and Singapore's Intellectual Property Regime, announced on 26 August 2026, examining how our IP framework should respond to AI.

As a partner of Connect @ IP Grow, Tris Xavier and Hayati Bee held one-to-one consultations with businesses on IP matters, including how companies could collateralise IP assets, and how to ensure proper attribution of rights and responsibilities when IP is created collaboratively.

Yuen Law was pleased to have been part of Singapore IP Week 2026 and thanks Intellectual Property Office of Singapore for convening the IP community around issues that will shape the field going forward.

07/08/2026

Happy 61st Birthday, Singapore 🇸🇬

This year also marks SGLaw200, 200 years since the Second Charter of Justice in 1826 laid the foundations of Singapore's modern legal and judicial system, introducing a common set of laws for all residents regardless of race, culture, or religion. That principle, the Rule of Law, remains fundamental to Singapore today, and we are glad to be part of a profession that continues to uphold it.

Pictured, the Yuen Law team - many voices, one united firm.

Majulah Singapura.

06/08/2026

𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱?

An Indonesian court convicted 19 people in a baby trafficking syndicate that sold infants for adoption, at least 12 of whom were sent to Singapore. With the verdict delivered, attention now turns to what happens to the children, and whether adoptions already finalised here could be revoked.

In his recent comments to BBC News, our Consultant Lim Fung Peen explains that should the authorities apply to unwind an order, the court would likely weigh several factors. These include the psychological impact of separation on the child, the length of time the child has spent here, and the living conditions the child would return to.

Link to article: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7vgeredvlgo
More about Fung Peen: https://yuenlaw.com.sg/bio/lim-fung-peen/

At least 12 babies have been trafficked from Indonesia to Singapore, but what will happen to them remains unclear.

31/07/2026

Yuen Law was pleased to attend the Pop Mart Partner's Preview and get a first look at Southeast Asia's first Pop Bakery at WEAVE, Resorts World Sentosa, ahead of its official opening.

Featuring Singapore-exclusive desserts inspired by Pop Mart's iconic characters, the bakery is more than a new retail concept. It illustrates how an established brand can bring its intellectual property to life through new commercial offerings, and it is a reminder that building a brand today is as much about the world you create around it as the products themselves.

Congratulations to the POP MART team on this milestone and thank you for having us. We wish the team every success with the launch.

31/07/2026

𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗰𝘆?

In Asian Legal Business, our Associate Director Tris Xavier of Yuen Law's Integrated Property practice shares insights on Singapore's recent amendments to the Public Sector (Governance) Act (PSGA), passed in Parliament on 12 January 2026.

The amendments let the government share data beyond the public sector, so authorised partners like social service agencies and community groups can access what they need to deliver services to people.

As more public services are delivered through external partners, organisations that handle government data will need to know exactly what they hold and on what terms.

Link to article: https://www.legalbusinessonline.com/features/explainer-can-singapore-help-more-people-need-without-sacrificing-data-privacy

30/07/2026

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗨𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗣 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 | 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗜: 𝗜𝘀 𝗜𝘁 𝗜𝗣 𝗮𝘀 𝗨𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹?

AI adoption is no longer the differentiator. How businesses use it is.

This year's programme brings together global business leaders, policymakers and IP professionals around a single question that increasingly determines commercial outcomes. How do you turn intellectual property and intangible assets into real competitive advantage in an AI economy?

Across two days, the sessions span growth strategy, IP valuation and financing, brand and data as commercial assets, and the shifting landscape of IP disputes. The Main Plenary also features a fireside chat with Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs at Google & Alphabet, on AI and the future of innovation.

For businesses built on brands, data or proprietary technology, these are not abstract policy questions. They shape what a company can protect, finance, and scale.

Associate Director, Tris Xavier, will be conducting one-to-one consultations at Connect @ IP Grow, covering IP registration, commercialisation and licensing matters.

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀

📅 26–27 August 2026
📍 Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre
🔗 Book a consultation: https://bit.ly/4wBd1Dv

More about IP week: https://www.ipweek2026.sg/

Intellectual Property Office of Singapore

28/07/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 "𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲" 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂?

That's the question Singaporeans were asked in Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth - MCCY's new short film series marking 60 years of the National Pledge and the values it represents.

Our Senior Associate Wasiur Rehman took part in one of the reflections. His answer was simple: "We can be different people. We can have different religion. But all in all, we are building a home together."

https://youtu.be/efhJciVvUXQ?si=b0aL88yiqqVuz_23

Watch the full series: go.gov.sg/pledge-60