CCLA Seminar: Independent Directors and the Rise of Specialist Directors - What Singapore Practitioners Need to Know
Centre for Cross Border Commercial Law in Asia
Corporate governance in Singapore and across Asia is evolving. Independent directors remain central to board design, yet boards are increasingly expected to add directors with targeted expertise – for example in ESG, cybersecurity, climate, or diversity. This seminar examines how these trends intersect and what they mean for board effectiveness, disclosure, oversight duties, and litigation risk.
Professor Dan W. Puchniak (Singapore Management University) is a leading authority on the law concerning independent directors in Singapore and across Asia, and his book Independent Directors in Asia is widely regarded as the leading comparative study in the field. He will provide an update on the law and the most salient issues for independent directors in Singapore, situating local practice within Asia’s diverse governance landscape and drawing on his comparative scholarship.
Drawing on his Yale Journal on Regulation article Specialist Directors, Professor Yaron Nili (Duke University) will present his impactful,…
Fee(s): Public: SGD163.50 per pax incl. 9% GST (non-refundable)
SMU Faculty and Students: Complimentary (SMU email address is required for successful registration). Contact: ccla@smu.edu.sg. Speaker Details: You may refer to the Speakers Biography here.
1) Professor Yaron Nili
Professor of Law, Duke University School of Law;
European Corporate Governance Institute
2) Professor Dan W. Puchniak
Professor of Law, Director of Centre for Commercial Law in Asia, Singapore Management University Yong Pung How School of Law
European Corporate Governance Institute; Co-Editor, Independent Directors in Asia (Cambridge University Press)
3) Mr Mark Wong
Senior Partner Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP… RSVP: , Seats are limited. Registration closes 16 January 2026, 5pm or when the capacity limit is reached, whichever is earlier. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Subject: Law.
Monday, January 26, 2026, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
Level 4 Function Lounge
Singapore Management University
Yong Pung How School of Law
55 Armenian Street
Singapore 179943.
For more info visit law.smu.edu.sg. SMU CCLA - NUS CIL Distinguished Lecture: Complementarity between Hamburg and The Hague: The Two Advisory Opinions on Climate Change by Judge Tomas Heidar
Centre for Cross Border Commercial Law in Asia
Join Singapore Management University's Centre for Commercial Law in Asia and the National University of Singapore's Centre for International Law for a Distinguished Lecture delivered by Judge Tomas Heidar President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). The lecture will be on the subject of two recent advisory opinions delivered by ITLOS and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the international obligations of states regarding climate change.
One of the most distinguished features of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is its compulsory dispute settlement mechanism. It provides, inter alia, for the choice of four different means or forums, three of which have been used so far, namely ITLOS, the ICJ and Annex VII arbitration. Obviously, the existence of multiple judicial bodies entails the risk of inconsistent jurisprudence, or judicial fragmentation, but the system has also the potential to be complementary.
This lecture will address potential examples of i…
Fee(s): Complimentary. Contact: ccla@smu.edu.sg. Speaker Details: Judge Tomas Heidar
President, International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
Judge Tomas Heidar (Iceland) is President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). He has been Judge of the Tribunal since 2014 and was President of the ITLOS Chamber for Fisheries Disputes 2017-2020 and Vice-President of the Tribunal 2020-2023. He was a Member of the ITLOS Special Chamber in the Dispute concerning delimitation of the maritime boundary between Mauritius and Maldives in the Indian Ocean.
F… RSVP: . Type: Seminars & Workshops. Subject: Law. Urban Management & Sustainability.
Monday, January 26, 2026, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
Learning Lab 3 & 4, Kwa Geok Choo Law Library
Singapore Management University
Yong Pung How School of Law
Level 3, 55 Armenian Street
Singapore 179943.
For more info visit law.smu.edu.sg. Advanced Certificate in Law and Technology Module 3: Applications of Data and AI in LegalTech
SMU Law Academy
Contact: smulawacademy@smu.edu.sg. RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://registration.smu.edu.sg/RuntimeExternal/Runtime/Form/CRS.CourseRegistration/?CA=Technology%20%26%20Intelligent%20Systems&PRG=10432&MOD=24388&_ga=2.257687755.1965502871.1623058616-948450435.1616397375. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Training. Subject: Law. Practice Area: Telecommunications & Media & Technology. Training Levels: Foundation – No prior knowledge required.
Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 9:00 AM – Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 5:00 PM.
Singapore Management University.
For more info visit law.smu.edu.sg. STARI Lunchtime Seminar - What Does ‘Source’ Really Mean? Re-Examining Source Rules in Double Tax Conventions
Centre for Cross Border Commercial Law in Asia
Most jurisdictions tax nonresidents only on their domestically sourced income. However, determining where income is sourced has been a longstanding headache for tax students, academics, policymakers, and industry stakeholders — though lawyers may view it as a bonanza. As Professor Avi-Yonah observed, source rules “are a wonderful thing for lawyers and something that causes economists to despair,” not least because “most tax economists today believe that income does not have a single source that can be pinpointed” (Avi-Yonah, 2007). Professor Arnold similarly notes that “the concept of source is poorly developed in domestic tax legislation and tax treaties” (Arnold, 2023).
Does “source” refer to the place where value is created, where goods or services are consumed, or where the outbound payment is made? A relatively common perception is that active income is sourced in the country where contributions to income generation occur, whereas passive income is sourced in the payor’s country. However, with the rapid…
Fee(s): Complimentary (Successful registrant will receive an email for confirmation of your registration). Contact: ccla@smu.edu.sg. Speaker Details: Dr Qiang Cai
Lecturer, School of Law
University of AberdeenDr Qiang Cai is a Lecturer in Tax Law and Commercial Law in the School of Law at the University of Aberdeen, where he also serves as Director of the Aberdeen Centre for Commercial Law. He has published extensively in the field of international tax law, with a particular interest in theorising the international tax system. His research adopts an interdisciplinary approach that integrates law, economics, and political theories. Qiang is a member of… RSVP: . Type: Seminars & Workshops. Subject: Law. Accounting.
Thursday, January 29, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Meeting Room 5.01, Level 5
Singapore Management University
Yong Pung How School of Law
55 Armenian Street
Singapore 179943.
Advanced Certificate in Law and Technology Module 1: Understanding Law and Technology
SMU Law Academy
Contact: smulawacademy@smu.edu.sg. RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://registration.smu.edu.sg/RuntimeExternal/Runtime/Form/CRS.CourseRegistration/?CA=Technology%20%26%20Intelligent%20Systems&PRG=10432&MOD=24388&_ga=2.257687755.1965502871.1623058616-948450435.1616397375. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Training. Webinar & Online Learning. Subject: Law. Practice Area: Government. Training Levels: Foundation – No prior knowledge required.
Monday, February 9, 2026, 9:00 AM – Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 5:00 PM.
Singapore Management University.
For more info visit law.smu.edu.sg. Lunchtime Seminar: Regulation Beyond Technology
Centre for Digital Law
Academic and policy thinking about law and technology tends to fall into particular grooves. We focus on the technology, both its potential to make things better and because we might constrain it through regulation to mitigate harms. The conversation often starts with a definition of some particular technology and then explores what how we might regulate that defined thing. This paper will explore the origins of this mental habit, then explore how it constrains our thinking through the example of artificial intelligence (AI) and fairness. It concludes with some thoughts on better starting places for exploring how to approach governance of our ever-changing socio-technical landscape.
Contact: cdl@smu.edu.sg. Speaker Details: Chairs: Associate Professor Han-Wei Liu (Deputy Director, Centre for Digital Law)
Speaker: Professor Lyria Bennett Moses (UNSW). RSVP:
Registration is now closed. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Subject: Law.
Friday, February 13, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
SMU Yong Pung How School of Law.
Advanced Certificate in Law and Technology Module 6: Legal issues in AI and Machine Learning
SMU Law Academy
Contact: smulawacademy@smu.edu.sg. RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://registration.smu.edu.sg/RuntimeExternal/Runtime/Form/CRS.CourseRegistration/?CA=Technology%20%26%20Intelligent%20Systems&PRG=10432&MOD=24388&_ga=2.257687755.1965502871.1623058616-948450435.1616397375. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Training. Subject: Law. Practice Area: Telecommunications & Media & Technology. Training Levels: Foundation – No prior knowledge required.
Monday, February 23, 2026, 9:00 AM – Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 5:00 PM.
Online.
For more info visit law.smu.edu.sg. Lunchtime Seminar: Institutional Trust and the Adoption of Digital Money: What Asia Can Learn from a Non-Asian Experiment
Centre for Digital Law
As digital money becomes increasingly widespread, countries around the world are actively considering the issuance of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) - a digital form of sovereign currency issued and regulated by central banks. With more than 130 Asian and non-Asian jurisdictions currently exploring or piloting CBDCs, understanding public attitudes toward their adoption has become a critical policy question.
This lecture presents findings from a dedicated empirical study conducted in collaboration with the Bank of Israel, examining public willingness to adopt a Digital Shekel. The study reveals a relatively high level of interest in using a CBDC among Israeli respondents. Notably, concerns over privacy - particularly state surveillance and data misuse, which feature prominently in CBDC debates in both Asian and non-Asian contexts, did not emerge as a dominant barrier. Instead, the results point to a high level of trust in the central bank.
The lecture explores the role of institutional trust as a ke…
Contact: cdl@smu.edu.sg. Speaker Details: Chair: Assistant Professor Nydia Remolina Leon (Deputy Director, Centre for Commercial Law in Asia)
Speaker: Professor Ruth Plato-Shinar (Director, The Center for Banking Law and Financial Regulation Netanya Academic College, Israel). RSVP:
Please email in to inquire for registration. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Subject: Law.
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
SMU Yong Pung How School of Law.
Advanced Certificate in Law and Technology Module 2: Essentials of Legaltech - Digitalisating Legal Work
SMU Law Academy
Contact: smulawacademy@smu.edu.sg. RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://registration.smu.edu.sg/RuntimeExternal/Runtime/Form/CRS.CourseRegistration/?CA=Technology%20%26%20Intelligent%20Systems&PRG=10432&MOD=24388&_ga=2.257687755.1965502871.1623058616-948450435.1616397375. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Training. Subject: Law. Practice Area: Professional Skills. Training Levels: Foundation – No prior knowledge required.
Thursday, March 5, 2026, 9:00 AM – Friday, March 6, 2026, 5:00 PM.
Online.
For more info visit law.smu.edu.sg. Building Resilient Legal Systems in the Age of AI
Centre for Digital Law
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the global environment in which legal systems operate—not only by transforming how individuals, firms, and governments act, but also by reconfiguring the broader political economy that sustains them. Resilience in this context means ensuring that legal systems can anticipate, absorb, and adapt to technological disruption while continuing to deliver justice, maintain legitimacy, and safeguard rights. Without deliberate strategies for resilience, legal systems risk narrowing into brittle, tech-dominated structures: constrained in their options, vulnerable to capture, and unable to fulfil their core functions.
Engage with this panel that convenes experts across academia, government, and industry to explore how law can remain a stabilising force in the age of AI and to identify practical strategies for embedding resilience “by design” into legal institutions.
Contact: cdl@smu.edu.sg. Speaker Details: Chair:
Associate Professor Jason Grant Allen (Director, SMU Centre for Digital Law)
Panellists:
Associate Professor Han-Wei Liu (Deputy Director, SMU Centre for Digital Law)
Assistant Professor Dirk Hartung (SMU Yong Pung How School of Law)
Assistant Professor Rachel Phang (SMU Yong Pung How School of Law)
Anh Nguyen (PhD Researcher, University of Amsterdam)
Alex Toh (Technology Partner, Magellan Law). RSVP:
Limited seats available. Type: Talks & Forums. Subject: Law. Information Technology & Systems.
Thursday, March 12, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM.
SMU Yong Pung How School of Law.
For more info visit www.ideasfestival.edu.sg. Advanced Certificate in Law and Technology Module 4: Legal Innovation
SMU Law Academy
Contact: smulawacademy@smu.edu.sg. RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://registration.smu.edu.sg/RuntimeExternal/Runtime/Form/CRS.CourseRegistration/?CA=Technology%20%26%20Intelligent%20Systems&PRG=10432&MOD=24388&_ga=2.257687755.1965502871.1623058616-948450435.1616397375. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Training. Subject: Law. Practice Area: Professional Skills. Training Levels: Foundation – No prior knowledge required.
Monday, March 16, 2026, 9:00 AM – Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 5:00 PM.
Singapore Management University.
For more info visit law.smu.edu.sg. Finance and Economics for Financially Distressed Firms: An Introduction for Insolvency Professionals
SMU Law Academy
Contact: smulawacademy@smu.edu.sg. RSVP: . Type: Seminars & Workshops. Subject: Law. Practice Area: Corporate/Commercial. Training Levels: General – Default. Include activities with mixed levels.
Tuesday, March 17, 2026 – Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Singapore Management University.
For more info visit law.smu.edu.sg. Advanced Certificate in Law and Technology Module Module 9: Digital Assets and IP Disputes
SMU Law Academy
Contact: smulawacademy@smu.edu.sg. RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://registration.smu.edu.sg/RuntimeExternal/Runtime/Form/CRS.CourseRegistration/?CA=Technology%20%26%20Intelligent%20Systems&PRG=10432&MOD=24388&_ga=2.257687755.1965502871.1623058616-948450435.1616397375. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Training. Subject: Law. Practice Area: Intellectual Property. Training Levels: Foundation – No prior knowledge required.
Monday, March 23, 2026, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Singapore Management University.
For more info visit law.smu.edu.sg. Advanced Certificate in Law and Technology Module Module 9: Digital Assets and IP Disputes
SMU Law Academy
Contact: smulawacademy@smu.edu.sg. RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://registration.smu.edu.sg/RuntimeExternal/Runtime/Form/CRS.CourseRegistration/?CA=Technology%20%26%20Intelligent%20Systems&PRG=10432&MOD=24388&_ga=2.257687755.1965502871.1623058616-948450435.1616397375. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Training. Subject: Law. Practice Area: Intellectual Property. Training Levels: Foundation – No prior knowledge required.
Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Singapore Management University.
For more info visit law.smu.edu.sg. Advanced Certificate in Law and Technology Module 5: Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies and Smart Contracts
SMU Law Academy
Contact: smulawacademy@smu.edu.sg. RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://registration.smu.edu.sg/RuntimeExternal/Runtime/Form/CRS.CourseRegistration/?CA=Technology%20%26%20Intelligent%20Systems&PRG=10432&MOD=24388&_ga=2.257687755.1965502871.1623058616-948450435.1616397375. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Training. Webinar & Online Learning. Subject: Law. Practice Area: Telecommunications & Media & Technology. Training Levels: Foundation – No prior knowledge required.
Monday, April 6, 2026, 9:00 AM – Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 5:00 PM.
Singapore Management University.
For more info visit law.smu.edu.sg. Advanced Certificate in Law and Technology Module 8: Crimes of the Digital Economy
SMU Law Academy
Contact: smulawacademy@smu.edu.sg. RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://registration.smu.edu.sg/RuntimeExternal/Runtime/Form/CRS.CourseRegistration/?CA=Technology%20%26%20Intelligent%20Systems&PRG=10432&MOD=24388&_ga=2.257687755.1965502871.1623058616-948450435.1616397375. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Training. Subject: Law. Practice Area: Crime. Training Levels: Foundation – No prior knowledge required.
Monday, April 20, 2026, 9:00 AM – Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 5:00 PM.
Singapore Management University.
For more info visit law.smu.edu.sg. Strengthening the International Competitiveness of Singapore’s Capital Markets: Global Insights and Local Strategies
SMU Law Academy
Contact: smulawacademy@smu.edu.sg. RSVP: . Type: Webinar & Online Learning. Seminars & Workshops. Talks & Forums. Subject: Law. Practice Area: Banking and Finance. Corporate/Commercial. Training Levels: General – Default. Include activities with mixed levels.
Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM.
Webinar.
For more info visit law.smu.edu.sg. Advanced Certificate in Law and Technology Module 6: Legal issues in AI and Machine Learning
SMU Law Academy
Contact: smulawacademy@smu.edu.sg. RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://registration.smu.edu.sg/RuntimeExternal/Runtime/Form/CRS.CourseRegistration/?CA=Technology%20%26%20Intelligent%20Systems&PRG=10432&MOD=24388&_ga=2.257687755.1965502871.1623058616-948450435.1616397375. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Training. Subject: Law. Practice Area: Telecommunications & Media & Technology. Training Levels: Foundation – No prior knowledge required.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 9:00 AM – Thursday, April 23, 2026, 5:00 PM.
Online.
For more info visit law.smu.edu.sg.