Jonathan William Glassberg v UBS AG, SINGAPORE BRANCH

[2025] SGHC 4 High Court (General Division) 10 January 2025 • HC/S 1043/2021 • 45 min read

8 cases cited (7 SG, 1 foreign)

Catchwords

Tort — Vicarious liability Tort — Negligence — Causation Agency — Principal — Holding out Tort — Negligence — Duty of care Contract — Contractual terms — Construction Tort — Negligence — Contributory negligence Contract — Contractual terms — Unfair Contract Terms Act

Practice Areas

Tort Agency Contract

Judges (1)

Wong Li Kok, Alex Delivered

Counsel (8)

Drew & Napier LLC Firm Tham Lijing LLC, Duxton Hill Chambers (Singapore Group Practice) Firm Yu Law Firm Lim Siyang Lucas Counsel Defendant Teo Chun-wei Benedict Counsel Defendant Tham Feei Sy Counsel Defendant Tham Lijing Counsel Plaintiff Yu Kexin Counsel Plaintiff

Parties (2)

UBS AG, Singapore Branch Defendant Glassberg, Jonathan William Plaintiff

Case Significance

[2025] SGHC 4 is a High Court (General Division) decision dated 10 January 2025 concerning Agency, Contract, and Tort, specifically addressing vicarious liability, negligence, and principal. The judgment was delivered by Wong Li Kok, Alex. The case was brought by Glassberg, Jonathan William (plaintiff) against UBS AG, Singapore Branch (defendant). Legal representation was provided by Tham Lijing LLC, Duxton Hill Chambers (Singapore Group Practice) and Drew & Napier LLC. The judgment cites 8 cases (7 Singapore, 1 foreign).

Summary

A private banking client sued UBS for contractual and tortious liability after losing his investment in a fund recommended by his relationship manager that turned out to be fraudulent. The court dismissed the claim, finding that the contractual terms clearly placed the investment decision on the client with no advisory obligation on the bank, and that no tortious duty of care arose given the non-discretionary nature of the account.

What was decided in [2025] SGHC 4?

[2025] SGHC 4 (Jonathan William Glassberg v UBS AG, SINGAPORE BRANCH) is a High Court (General Division) decision from 10 January 2025 addressing Agency, Contract, and Tort, specifically vicarious liability, negligence, and principal. The judgment was delivered by Wong Li Kok, Alex.

Who were the parties in Jonathan William Glassberg v UBS AG, SINGAPORE BRANCH?

The plaintiff in [2025] SGHC 4 was Glassberg, Jonathan William, and the defendant was UBS AG, Singapore Branch. Legal representation included Tham Lijing LLC, Duxton Hill Chambers (Singapore Group Practice) and Drew & Napier LLC. The case was decided on 10 January 2025 in the High Court (General Division).

Which judge decided [2025] SGHC 4?

[2025] SGHC 4 was delivered by Wong Li Kok, Alex in the High Court (General Division) on 10 January 2025. The case concerned Agency, Contract, and Tort.

What cases and statutes does [2025] SGHC 4 cite?

[2025] SGHC 4 cites 8 prior decisions, including 1 from foreign jurisdictions.

Cases Cited (8)

SG (2)

[2017] SGHC 93 [2019] SGHC 159

SLR (5)

[2011] 3 SLR 540 [2011] 4 SLR 559 [2017] 2 SLR 1074 [2020] 4 SLR 425 [2022] 5 SLR 915

UK (1)

[2018] AC 736

Judgment

Read the full judgment on the official Singapore Courts portal.

Read on eLitigation

Source: eLitigation ([2025] SGHC 4)