WongPartnership LLP v Chiam Heng Hsien: Taxation of Legal Costs Dispute
In WongPartnership LLP v Chiam Heng Hsien, the High Court of Singapore reviewed the assistant registrar's taxation of legal costs claimed by WongPartnership LLP against Chiam Heng Hsien and Mitre for work done in relation to a property ownership dispute. The court dismissed the defendants' applications for review, upholding the assistant registrar's decisions on both bills of costs.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court1.2 Outcome
The court upheld the assistant registrar's decisions on both bills of costs, dismissing the defendants' applications for review.
1.3 Case Type
Civil
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
The High Court reviews the taxation of legal costs in a dispute between WongPartnership LLP and its clients, Chiam Heng Hsien, concerning work related to a property ownership dispute.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
| Party Name | Role | Type | Outcome | Outcome Type | Counsels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WongPartnership LLP | Plaintiff | Limited Liability Partnership | Judgment for Plaintiff | Won | |
| CHIAM HENG HSIEN | Defendant | Individual | Application Dismissed | Lost | |
| Mitre | Defendant | Other | Application Dismissed | Lost |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Lee Seiu Kin | Judge | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Koh Swee Yen | WongPartnership LLP |
| Andre Maniam | WongPartnership LLP |
4. Facts
- WongPartnership LLP represented Chiam Heng Hsien and Mitre in a property ownership dispute.
- The representation was pursuant to a warrant to act executed on 21 June 2006.
- The plaintiff rendered interim invoices, which were paid, except for Invoice 75031 and Invoice 097005.
- The defendants paid Invoice 75031 by instalment until December 2007, leaving a balance of $50,401.13.
- The plaintiff issued Invoice 097005 for $171,885.63 on 18 December 2009.
- The plaintiff sought leave of court for taxation of the unpaid bills.
- The assistant registrar taxed BC178 as drawn and taxed down Section 1 of BC179 from $155,631.50 to $125,000.
5. Formal Citations
- WongPartnership LLP v Chiam Heng Hsien and another and other matters, , [2013] SGHC 247
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Warrant to act executed by the defendants | |
| Invoice number 75031 issued | |
| Defendants paid Invoice 75031 by instalment until December 2007 | |
| Court of Appeal heard and disposed of CA54/2007, CA116/2007, CA117/2007 and CA128/2007 | |
| Mr Chiam lodged a complaint to the Law Society against Mr Andre Francis Maniam and Ms Koh Swee Yen | |
| IC55/2008 published its report | |
| Plaintiff was granted a discharge from acting as solicitors for the defendants | |
| Mr Chiam lodged another complaint with TLS against the Solicitors | |
| Invoice 097005 issued | |
| Plaintiff sent a letter requesting payment of the two invoices | |
| Plaintiff wrote to the defendants to seek their consent to taxation | |
| Plaintiff filed originating summons no 275 of 2010 to seek leave of court for taxation | |
| Court granted leave for taxation | |
| Plaintiff filed bill of costs no 178 of 2010 and bill of costs no 179 of 2010 | |
| IC18/2010 published its report | |
| Defendants applied for review of the two bills | |
| Hearing for summonses no 5901 of 2012 and 5902 of 2012 | |
| Court dismissed the defendants’ applications |
7. Legal Issues
- Taxation of Legal Costs
- Outcome: The court upheld the assistant registrar's decisions on the bills of costs.
- Category: Procedural
8. Remedies Sought
- Taxation of Legal Costs
9. Cause of Actions
- No cause of actions
10. Practice Areas
- Litigation
11. Industries
- Legal
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No cited cases | |||||
13. Applicable Rules
| Rule Name |
|---|
| No applicable rules |
14. Applicable Statutes
| Statute Name | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| Legal Profession Act (Cap 161, 2009 Rev Ed) | Singapore |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Taxation
- Bill of costs
- Legal costs
- Indemnity basis
15.2 Keywords
- Legal costs
- Taxation
- WongPartnership
- Chiam Heng Hsien
- Mitre
- Singapore
- High Court
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Assessment of Legal Costs | 95 |
| Legal Profession Act | 90 |
| Civil Procedure | 60 |
16. Subjects
- Legal Profession
- Costs