Enholco Pte Ltd v Schonk: Breach of Contract, Fiduciary Duty, and Damages Assessment in Oil & Gas Industry

In Enholco Pte Ltd v Schonk, Antonius Martinus Mattheus and International Oil and Gas Consultants Pte Ltd, the High Court of Singapore, on 28 April 2015, assessed damages against the defendants for breach of contract and fiduciary duty. The plaintiff, Enholco Pte Ltd, claimed losses including a company car, unreturned loans, unauthorized expenses, diverted fees, diverted business, and loss of future profits. The court awarded damages for the unreturned car, diverted consultancy fees, diverted business profits, and general damages for breach of duty, totaling $313,454.

1. Case Overview

1.1 Court

High Court

1.2 Outcome

Judgment for Plaintiff

1.3 Case Type

Civil

1.4 Judgment Type

Judgment reserved

1.5 Jurisdiction

Singapore

1.6 Description

The High Court assessed damages against Schonk for breach of contract and fiduciary duty, including diverted fees and deleted records, in the oil and gas industry.

1.7 Decision Date

2. Parties and Outcomes

Party NameRoleTypeOutcomeOutcome TypeCounsels
Schonk Antonius Martinus MattheusDefendantIndividualDamages to be paidLost
International Oil and Gas Consultants Pte LtdDefendantCorporationDamages to be paidLost
Enholco Pte LtdPlaintiffCorporationJudgment for PlaintiffWon

3. Judges

Judge NameTitleDelivered Judgment
Choo Han TeckJYes

4. Counsels

Counsel NameOrganization
See Chern YangPremier Law LLC
Karuppiah Chandra SekaranLau Chandra & Rita LLP
Lau Teik SoonLau Chandra & Rita LLP

4. Facts

  1. The plaintiff is in the business of selling spare parts and providing consultancy services in the oil and gas industry.
  2. The first defendant was an employee of the plaintiff from 1989 to 2012.
  3. The first defendant incorporated the second defendant in 2012 and is its sole shareholder and director.
  4. The first defendant did not return the plaintiff’s company car.
  5. The first defendant diverted consultancy fees and commissions from the plaintiff to the second defendant.
  6. The first defendant diverted business profits from LP Supplies and Putera Resources Pte Ltd to the second defendant.
  7. The first defendant deleted essential information from the plaintiff’s computers.

5. Formal Citations

  1. Enholco Pte Ltd v Schonk, Antonius Martinus Mattheus and Another, Suit No 212 of 2013, [2015] SGHC 108

6. Timeline

DateEvent
First defendant employed by the plaintiff
Second defendant incorporated
First defendant's employment with the plaintiff ended
Lawsuit filed
Judgment reserved

7. Legal Issues

  1. Breach of Contract
    • Outcome: The court found the first defendant liable for breach of contract.
    • Category: Substantive
  2. Breach of Fiduciary Duty
    • Outcome: The court found the first defendant liable for breach of fiduciary duty.
    • Category: Substantive
  3. Assessment of Damages
    • Outcome: The court assessed damages to be paid by the defendants to the plaintiff.
    • Category: Procedural

8. Remedies Sought

  1. Monetary Damages

9. Cause of Actions

  • Breach of Contract
  • Breach of Fiduciary Duty

10. Practice Areas

  • Commercial Litigation

11. Industries

  • Oil and Gas

12. Cited Cases

Case NameCourtAffirmedCitationJurisdictionSignificance
Enholco Pte Ltd v Schonk, Antonius Martinus Mattheus and AnotherHigh CourtYes[2015] SGHC 20SingaporeRefers to the initial judgment where the plaintiff's claim was allowed and the defendants' counterclaims were dismissed.

13. Applicable Rules

Rule Name
No applicable rules

14. Applicable Statutes

Statute NameJurisdiction
No applicable statutes

15. Key Terms and Keywords

15.1 Key Terms

  • Oil and Gas Industry
  • Consultancy Fees
  • Diversion of Business
  • Breach of Fidelity
  • General Damages

15.2 Keywords

  • Breach of Contract
  • Fiduciary Duty
  • Damages
  • Oil and Gas
  • Singapore
  • High Court

17. Areas of Law

Area NameRelevance Score
Fiduciary Duties85
Breach of Confidence75
Contract Law70
Breach of duty of fidelity70
Damages65
Fraud and Deceit60
Business Litigation50
Company Law40

16. Subjects

  • Contract Law
  • Fiduciary Duty
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Oil and Gas Industry