Emerging Technology, Media & Telecommunications

The Firm’s Emerging Technology, Media, and Telecommunications practice handles a wide range of complex commercial disputes, as well as advisory and regulatory matters spanning various technology and telecommunication sectors, including algorithmic trading, cryptocurrency, fintech, biotechnology, information technology, telecommunications infrastructure, renewable energy and urban agriculture.

The team has advised and represented not just Singapore-based companies, startups, regulators, and statutory boards but also clients across the globe, including China, India, Myanmar, Thailand, and the United Kingdom, in disputes before the Singapore courts and arbitration under various arbitral institutions. The team has also advised and represented regulators and defendants in private prosecutions of regulatory offences.

Notable matters involving the Firm and its lawyers in this practice include:

Acting for a statutory board in a dispute with a leading state-linked information, communications and technology service provider in relation to an information technology project valued at several hundred million Singapore dollars.
Acting for a multinational conglomerate providing scientific and entrepreneurial expertise in relation to research and development in life sciences and human health in its disputes with shareholders, ex-partners and vendors.
Acting for the former CFO/COO of a blockchain and cryptocurrency technology company in a dispute with the company concerning bonuses payable in cryptocurrency and the disposal of commercially sensitive information.
Acting for B2C2 Ltd., one of the world’s largest market makers in cryptocurrency, in a dispute over the cancelling of cryptocurrency trades at 250 times the going rate, in the first such dispute before the Singapore courts and involving inter alia the novel issue of how the doctrine of mistake was applicable to algorithmic trading in cryptocurrency.
Acting for a leading Singapore urban agriculture company in relation to a dispute over whether it had induced an employee to breach a restraint of trade clause in the employee’s contract with his ex-employer, as well as disputes with vendors.
Acting for the Singapore subsidiary of a European telecommunications and IT service provider in an arbitration against an Indonesian conglomerate concerning the design and supply of medical and enterprise resource planning software to a group of hospitals in Indonesia.
Acting for a statutory board in its private prosecutions against construction companies which caused damage to Internet cables during construction.
Advising and acting for a regulatory authority in that authority’s exercise of regulatory powers to resolve grievances between two stakeholders, and in related Court proceedings which were sealed for national security reasons.
Advising a regulatory authority in relation to a dispute between a network operator and the owners of a strata development concerning the operator’s use of the development’s premises for services provided by that operator.
Advising a regulatory authority in relation to representations received by parties who breached the statute it administers, and the appropriate decision and penalties to be meted out in exercise of its quasi-judicial function.
Advising an international automobile and manufacturing entity on its intended foray into Singapore which involved queries on the Internet of Things and the legality of certain business strategies.
Acting for a major Chinese telecommunication company in a complex intellectual property dispute over the payment of license fees. The dispute involved novel aspects of EU, French, PRC, and UK anti-competition laws and a qualitative and quantitative analysis by an actuarial scientist on the quantification of damage recoverable and included arguments on the doctrine of illegality under the laws of various jurisdictions and issues relating to the restitutionary remedy for unjust enrichment.
Acting for a multinational telecommunications company in a complex and highly technical international arbitration concerning license fees and royalty payments in respect of video conferencing devices over a decade-long period.
Acting for a Thai company in relation to a dispute against a prominent Chinese multinational company over a large-scale energy project involving the manufacture, production and processing of solar components with a dispute amount of approximately US$45 million.
Acting for a China state-owned entity to defend against a claim for management fees in respect of an agreement which dealt with consultancy fees for Solar Power Projects which are valued at US$100 million in Pakistan under the Belt and Road initiative.
Engaged by a leading Chinese multinational technology conglomerate and holding company to advise and act for one of its member companies in an IP-related arbitration