This webinar explains:

1. the legal complications and challenges that home owners face in obtaining redress for construction defects
2. the differences between recourse in contract and in tort
3. the differences between common property and private property defects
4. the different ways in which each type of claim needs to be made, and the legal and practical challenges involved.

Webinar participants will be able to watch and listen to (via computer audio, recommended for security reasons, or telephone line) the video presentation and Q&A discussion on their screens, as well as participate in the Q&A discussion by sending in their questions to the moderator via text using the built-in Q&A function.

Melvin heads TSMP’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department. His main area of practice is in civil and commercial litigation, where he has extensive experience in contentious construction and engineering disputes, both in Court and arbitration. Melvin has successfully argued a number of landmark decisions in the High Court and Court of Appeal, including MCST Plan No 3322 v Mer Vue Developments Pte Ltd & Ors where the Court of Appeal considered the extension of the independent contractor defence to consultants and main contractors; and in Wei Siang Design Construction Pte Ltd v Euro Assets Holdings (S) Pte Ltd, where the Court had opportunity to consider the ambit of the consultants’ duty of care to the employer with whom they had no contractual relationship. Melvin has been consistently recognised as a key practitioner in various leading publications for his work in Construction and Engineering. Melvin is recommended for his expertise in the field of Construction and Engineering in both The Legal 500 Asia Pacific and Chambers Asia-Pacific 2021. Melvin is also recognised as a “Distinguished Practitioner (Construction)” in Asialaw Leading Lawyers 2021, and as a Dispute Resolution Star for Construction and Commercial disputes in Benchmark Asia-Pacific 2020. Melvin is an Accredited Adjudicator with the Singapore Mediation Centre, and a Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators.

Kishan is an Of Counsel at TSMP Law Corporation, specialising in building and construction disputes. He counts among his clients developers, local and foreign contractors, and professional consultants, and has enjoyed success at all levels of the Singapore Courts, as well as in domestic and international arbitrations. Kishan has particular experience in matters relating to the SOP Act, having acted in numerous adjudication and adjudication review applications, and related applications to the High Court.

 About the Chairperson:

Darren received his Bachelor of Architecture degree with First Class Honours from the University of Adelaide, Australia in 1995, and registered with the Board of Architects, Singapore in 2001. Darren received the Graduate Certificate in International Arbitration (GCIA) from the National University of Singapore in 2008. Since 1996 Darren has resided in Singapore, and he is currently a Director of VivATA Architects Pte Ltd. Darren is Past Chairman of the Society of Construction Law (Singapore). Darren is also a Fellow member of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators. Darren's involvement in the Singapore Institute of Architects includes election to Council for the 2007/08 to terms, and he has actively participated in various SIA committees, including involvement in the Building Contracts Committee since 2007/08, and the ADR Committee since 2008/09 (as chairperson since 2012/13). Darren is also on the SIA Panel of Expert Determinators. Darren has contributed as lecturer/tutor to the building contracts module of the Architectural Practice course for the National University of Singapore - School of Architecture since 2009. Darren has served as an expert witness in various Court cases and arbitrations, including one of the first experts 'Hot Tubbing' cases in the SGHC