City Developments Limited v Lee Jee Cheng Philip
| City Developments Limited v Lee Jee Cheng Philip | |
|---|---|
| Court | Supreme Court of Singapore |
| Full case name | City Developments Limited & 4 Ors v Lee Jee Cheng Philip & 6 Ors |
On 26 February 2025, Kwek Leng Beng, chairman of City Developments Limited (CDL) accused his son, Sherman Kwek, who is the CEO of CDL, of orchestrating a boardroom "coup".[1][2] Kwek claimed that Sherman attempted to push through the appointment of two new independent directors without full board approval, despite a written resolution which formalised their appointments.[3][4] Kwek also accused Sherman for restructuring the board committees and governance framework, in an attempt to bypass the company's nomination committee.[1] In response, Kwek Leng Beng had sought to remove his son on 8 February,[3] and proceeded to file court papers seeking to "restore corporate integrity". Kwek expressed intentions to replace the CEO "at the appropriate time".[1][2]
Sherman Kwek expressed "disappointment" with his father's actions as "extreme" and argued that the legal move was not authorised by the majority of the board.[5] He defended the new appointments, stating they were made "to strengthen CDL’s board" and emphasized that the changes were "never about ousting our esteemed chairman".[1][4] Sherman accused his father's associate, Catherine Wu, as the source of a dispute and claimed she wielded "huge influence" in matters "beyond her scope". In response, Sherman proposed a resolution which affirmed that Wu has no authority to influence or advise CDL and M&C directors, management, or staff, and another resolution which terminate the advisory agreement with M&C, where Wu is a board adviser.[6] The resolutions were passed with a board majority on 21 February.[7]
The boardroom dispute broke out after the company announced a 37% drop in its net profit from the previous year to S$201.3 million ($150.5 million).[4] The dispute led to a temporary suspension of trading for CDL shares,[5] though the company's business operations continued as usual.[1] Some analysts, such as JP Morgan and OCBC Investment Research, have downgraded the company's stock due to uncertainties regarding the company's outlook and potential share price overhang.[8] Despite being part of the same conglomerate with CDL, Hong Leong Asia said the dispute has no impact on Hong Leong Asia's business.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Tang, See Kit (26 February 2025). "Power tussle at CDL sparks concerns over governance and share price volatility". CNA. Archived from the original on 27 February 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ a b Heng, Crystal (26 February 2025). "Kwek Leng Beng moves to sack son and CDL CEO Sherman Kwek; files lawsuit over 'attempted coup'". The Business Times. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
- ^ a b Yow, Daphne (26 February 2025). "What we know about Kwek Leng Beng, his son Sherman Kwek and the battle for control of CDL". CNA. Archived from the original on 27 February 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ a b c Burgos, Jonathan (26 February 2025). "Singapore Billionaire Kwek Leng Beng Sues Son In Battle For Control Of Property Giant". Forbes. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ a b "CDL CEO Sherman Kwek disappointed by father's 'extreme actions' against him after suits filed". The Business Times. 26 February 2025. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
- ^ "CDL's Sherman Kwek says Catherine Wu, father's former PA and board adviser, is source of dispute". CNA. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
- ^ Pillai, Sharanya (27 February 2025). "Sherman Kwek: CDL board rift sparked by action to rein in Catherine Wu, Kwek Leng Beng's adviser". The Business Times. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
- ^ Chong, Xin Wei (27 February 2025). "Some analysts downgrade CDL, reduce price target on boardroom tussle". The Business Times. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
- ^ Lim, Jessie (27 February 2025). "CDL saga has 'no impact on Hong Leong Asia', says HLA CEO". The Business Times. Retrieved 28 February 2025.