Stone Forest Consulting Pte Ltd v Wee Poh Holdings Ltd: Summary Judgment for Unpaid Consulting Fees
Stone Forest Consulting Pte Ltd sued Wee Poh Holdings Ltd in the High Court of Singapore for $348,715.73 in unpaid fees for financial consultancy services. Stone Forest applied for summary judgment, relying on a Wee Poh board resolution agreeing to pay the outstanding amount. Wee Poh argued that payment was contingent on raising new funds, which they failed to do through Stone Forest's direct assistance. Justice MPH Rubin dismissed Wee Poh's appeal, finding no triable issues and upholding the summary judgment in favor of Stone Forest.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court1.2 Outcome
Appeal Dismissed
1.3 Case Type
Civil
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Summary judgment granted to Stone Forest for unpaid consulting fees. The court found no triable issues raised by Wee Poh regarding a board resolution agreeing to payment.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
| Party Name | Role | Type | Outcome | Outcome Type | Counsels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Forest Consulting Pte Ltd | Plaintiff, Respondent | Corporation | Judgment for Plaintiff | Won | |
| Wee Poh Holdings Ltd | Defendant, Appellant | Corporation | Appeal Dismissed | Lost |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| MPH Rubin | Judge | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Sarbjit Singh | Lim and Lim |
| Leslie Phua | Phua Wai Partnership |
4. Facts
- Stone Forest provided financial consultancy services to Wee Poh.
- Wee Poh incurred a loss after tax of about $7m for the financial year ending 30 June 2001.
- Wee Poh engaged Stone Forest to review revenue, reduce costs, assess funding, and assist with restructuring.
- Stone Forest's engagement terms were in a letter dated 10 December 2001, accepted by Wee Poh on 11 December 2001.
- Stone Forest rendered services and submitted invoices to Wee Poh.
- Wee Poh made part payments but failed to pay the remaining balance of $348,715.73.
- A Wee Poh board resolution dated 8 November 2002 agreed to pay Stone Forest's fees.
5. Formal Citations
- Stone Forest Consulting Pte Ltd v Wee Poh Holdings Ltd, Suit 1067/2003, RA 64/2004, [2004] SGHC 134
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Stone Forest's first letter of engagement was issued | |
| Wee Poh accepted Stone Forest's first letter of engagement | |
| Stone Forest rendered additional services | |
| Parties entered into a second letter of engagement | |
| Wee Poh made part payments to Stone Forest | |
| Stone Forest rendered additional services | |
| Stone Forest issued a letter to the Board of Directors on their service fee and their continuing involvement | |
| Wee Poh board of directors passed a resolution agreeing to pay Stone Forest's fees | |
| Mr Tay Woon Teck, a director of Stone Forest filed the first affidavit | |
| Commencement of payment in 10 equal installments of $11,000 each, or the full payment of any balance outstanding upon the successful injection of new monies into the Company | |
| Wee Poh filed its first affidavit | |
| Appeal was heard by MPH Rubin J | |
| Decision Date |
7. Legal Issues
- Summary Judgment
- Outcome: Summary judgment was granted as the court found no triable issues.
- Category: Procedural
- Breach of Contract
- Outcome: The court implicitly found a breach of contract by Wee Poh for failing to pay Stone Forest's invoices.
- Category: Substantive
8. Remedies Sought
- Monetary Damages
9. Cause of Actions
- Breach of Contract
10. Practice Areas
- Commercial Litigation
11. Industries
- Consulting
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anglo-Italian Bank v Wells | N/A | Yes | (1878) 38 LT 197 | N/A | Cited for the principle that summary judgment should be granted when there is no valid defence or fairly arguable point. |
13. Applicable Rules
| Rule Name |
|---|
| No applicable rules |
14. Applicable Statutes
| Statute Name | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| No applicable statutes | |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Summary judgment
- Board resolution
- Financial consultancy
- Letter of engagement
- Restructuring plan
- Invoices
- New monies
15.2 Keywords
- summary judgment
- financial consulting
- unpaid fees
- board resolution
- singapore
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Summary Judgement | 90 |
| Financial Consultancy | 80 |
| Civil Practice | 75 |
| Company Law | 60 |
| Commercial Disputes | 50 |
| Business Law | 40 |
| Contract Law | 30 |
| Banking and Finance | 30 |
16. Subjects
- Contract Dispute
- Financial Advisory Services