Höptner v Three Fins: Wrongful Dismissal Claim over Termination Bonus & Unauthorised Relocation

In the High Court of Singapore, Georg Alexander Höptner, the claimant, sued Three Fins Pte Ltd, the defendant, for wrongful dismissal, seeking a termination bonus and other payments. The defendant counterclaimed for unauthorized expenses and loan repayment. The court, presided over by Chua Lee Ming J, ruled in favor of the claimant, awarding US$2,464,354.84, and entered a consent judgment for the defendant on its counterclaim for US$85,795.95. The primary legal issue was whether the claimant's dismissal was justified and whether the defendant had valid grounds for termination for cause.

1. Case Overview

1.1 Court

General Division of the High Court of the Republic of Singapore

1.2 Outcome

Judgment for the claimant on his claim and a consent judgment in favour of the defendant on its counterclaim.

1.3 Case Type

Civil

1.4 Judgment Type

Grounds of Decision

1.5 Jurisdiction

Singapore

1.6 Description

Georg Alexander Höptner sues Three Fins for wrongful dismissal, claiming a termination bonus. The court found the dismissal wrongful and awarded damages.

1.7 Decision Date

2. Parties and Outcomes

Party NameRoleTypeOutcomeOutcome TypeCounsels
Georg Alexander HöptnerClaimantIndividualJudgment for ClaimantWonSuresh Divyanathan, Leong Yu Chong Aaron, Sarah Khan Shu Hui
Three Fins Pte LtdDefendantCorporationConsent Judgment for DefendantPartialTan Tse Hsien, Bryan (Chen Shixian), Alex Chia Yao Wei, Joshua Goh Zemin

3. Judges

Judge NameTitleDelivered Judgment
Chua Lee MingJudge of the High CourtYes

4. Counsels

Counsel NameOrganization
Suresh DivyanathanOon & Bazul LLP
Leong Yu Chong AaronOon & Bazul LLP
Sarah Khan Shu HuiOon & Bazul LLP
Tan Tse HsienPK Wong & Nair LLC
Bryan (Chen Shixian)PK Wong & Nair LLC
Alex Chia Yao WeiPK Wong & Nair LLC
Joshua Goh ZeminPK Wong & Nair LLC

4. Facts

  1. The claimant was employed as Group Chief Executive Officer by the defendant.
  2. The defendant terminated the claimant's employment for cause on 20 October 2022.
  3. The claimant's employment agreement included a Second Anniversary Bonus and a Termination Bonus.
  4. The defendant alleged the claimant relocated to Germany without authorization.
  5. The claimant claimed he informed the Chairman of HDR Global's Board of his relocation plans.
  6. The defendant alleged the claimant made unauthorized claims for relocation expenses.
  7. The claimant's employment was terminated before the second anniversary.

5. Formal Citations

  1. Höptner, Georg Alexander v Three Fins Pte Ltd, Originating Claim No 469 of 2022, [2025] SGHC 26

6. Timeline

DateEvent
BitMEX was founded
David Wong joined HDR Global as an independent non-executive director
Employment Agreement signed
Claimant's employment commenced
Email from Hayes regarding restructuring and cost-cutting measures
Claimant's employment terminated
Originating claim filed
Trial began
Damages awarded to the claimant
Judgment issued

7. Legal Issues

  1. Wrongful Dismissal
    • Outcome: The court found the dismissal was wrongful.
    • Category: Substantive
    • Sub-Issues:
      • Termination without cause
      • Failure to conduct due inquiry
  2. Breach of Contract
    • Outcome: The court found that the defendant breached the employment agreement by wrongfully terminating the claimant's employment and failing to pay the termination bonus.
    • Category: Substantive
    • Sub-Issues:
      • Failure to pay termination bonus
      • Unauthorised relocation

8. Remedies Sought

  1. Payment of Termination Bonus
  2. Payment of Salary
  3. Payment of Housing Allowance
  4. Payment of Education Allowance
  5. Payment of Six Months’ Salary in Lieu of Notice
  6. Payment of Housing and Education Allowances in Lieu of Notice

9. Cause of Actions

  • Breach of Contract
  • Wrongful Dismissal

10. Practice Areas

  • Wrongful Dismissal
  • Commercial Litigation

11. Industries

  • No industries specified

12. Cited Cases

Case NameCourtAffirmedCitationJurisdictionSignificance
How Weng Fan and others v Sengkang Town Council and other appealsSupreme CourtYes[2023] 2 SLR 235SingaporeCited regarding raising unpleaded points in court.

13. Applicable Rules

Rule Name
No applicable rules

14. Applicable Statutes

Statute NameJurisdiction
Employment Act 1968Singapore

15. Key Terms and Keywords

15.1 Key Terms

  • Termination for Cause
  • Termination Bonus
  • Second Anniversary Bonus
  • Employment Agreement
  • Unauthorised Relocation
  • Due Inquiry

15.2 Keywords

  • wrongful dismissal
  • employment contract
  • termination bonus
  • unauthorized relocation
  • singapore
  • employment act

16. Subjects

  • Employment Law
  • Contract Law
  • Wrongful Dismissal

17. Areas of Law

  • Employment Law
  • Contract Law