HSBC v Tan Poh Lee & ors [2020] WTLR 493

Summer 2020 #179

The plaintiff trustee applied for Beddoe relief authorising it to defend proceedings brought by one of the secondary beneficiaries of the trust in the Singapore High Court to terminate the trust. It sought permission to defend both on the substance and to challenge the Singapore court’s jurisdiction on the ground of forum non conveniens, since the trust was governed by Cayman law and the Cayman Islands was the forum for administration of the trust. The Singapore proceedings alleged that refusal to comply with the plaintiff beneficiary’s demands for distribution constitu...

A v B & ors [2020] WTLR 385

Summer 2020 #179

The plaintiff trustees of a discretionary trust governed by Cayman law sought a declaration concerning the power of variation conferred by the trust instrument, and which was in the following terms:

‘The Trustees may, with the consent of the Settlor during his lifetime, at any time and from time to time by instrument in writing vary, add to, revise or modify, the terms and conditions of this Settlement except that no such amendment may be made which either changes any Beneficiary hereunder or alters that [sic] terms of clause (I) of subsection 3.4 of this Settlement.’

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X v Y [2018] WTLR 719

Summer 2018 #172

The Trustee of a Cayman Islands trust (“the A Trust”) applied for Beddoe relief seeking directions permitting it to defend English proceedings, alleging misrepresentation and deceit, to which it had been joined as a defendant; and, in so doing, permitting it to borrow funds from another trust (“the C Trust”) to discharge the costs of defending the action, such costs to be ultimately reimbursed from the A Trust’s assets. An adverse judgement in the English proceedings in favour of the plaintiffs in the English proceedings (“Z”) would likely result in the complete loss of the A Trust’s onl...