This seminar examines recent developments in equity and trusts through several important decisions: Khoo Phaik Ean Patricia v Khoo Phaik Eng Katherine [2025] 1 SLR 758, Wong Mei Lee Millie v Ngor Shing Rong Jake [2026] SGCA 27, Peter Kwee Seng Chio v Lai Seng Kwoon [2025] SGHC 46 and Kuvera Properties Pte Ltd v Far East Opus Pte Ltd [2026] SGCA 34.
Together, these decisions illustrate both the expansionary and restraining tendencies in modern equity litigation. They revisit fundamental questions concerning joint bank accounts, resulting trusts, illegality and limitation periods. In particular, Kuvera Properties is a far-reaching decision for its controversial treatment of the relationship between equitable claims and statutory limitation, with the Court of Appeal clarifying when claims fall within equity’s exclusive jurisdiction, they are outside the Limitation Act and remain subject instead to equitable doctrines such as laches.
The seminar will consider the practical implications of these decisions. It will be particularly relevant to disputes lawyers, private client and estate practitioners, commercial litigators, insolvency and asset recovery lawyers, conveyancing and real estate practitioners, in-house counsel, and lawyers advising family offices. Attendees will gain a practical understanding of how these cases may affect pleadings, remedies, limitation defences, evidential strategy and the framing of equitable claims in future litigation.
This session is part of the SMU Law Academy “Recent Highlights” series. Designed with the busy practitioner in mind, this series provides participants with a convenient platform to obtain timely and practical bite-sized analysis of the latest developments in various areas of the law. The series will be taught by leading and experienced experts curated from academia and practice. Each topic in the series is distilled into a short-duration online webinar so that busy legal professionals can be effectively updated with the most material developments affecting their practice.
SPEAKER
Tang Hang Wu is Professor at the Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University. He has published widely in the fields of equity, trusts, property and private wealth, and is a co-editor of Trusts and Private Wealth Management (2022) and Trusts and Modern Wealth Management (2018), both published by Cambridge University Press.
In addition to his academic work, he is frequently instructed by Singapore and international law firms as counsel and as an expert witness in complex property, charity and trust disputes in Singapore and other jurisdictions. He also advises trustees on trust structures, fiduciary duties and decision-making, and is currently involved in a number of complex breach of trust actions, acting for both claimants and defendants.
FEES
| a. | Registration Fee
Registration fee of S$163.50* (inclusive of GST) applies |
| b. | Group Registration
Registration fee of S$147.15* (inclusive of GST) applies |
| c. | SMU Alumni (LLB / JD / LLM graduates)
Registration fee of S$147.15* (inclusive of GST) applies |
| | *Please note that there will be no refund of any fees should the participant cancel the registration/ fail to attend the event. However, registration is transferable. Notice of any change in participant should be sent to the Academy via email by 11 November 2026. SMU Law Academy reserves the right to cancel or postpone any event. In such case, we will arrange for the refund of fees paid. |
