Dear SCL(S) members,

A warm hello to all SCL(S) members as we enter into year 2016, especially to those who have recently joined our membership. It is very pleasing that this year’s membership has a good rate of both renewals and new applications. The society is in good shape, both financially and in terms of membership numbers.

Since the last SCL(S) Newsletter in July 2015, Council is pleased to have organised and run the inaugural "Focus on Asia" Construction Law Conference in September 2015.As I mentioned in my message in July, this is an event intended to complement the biennial international construction law conference (the next one being in Brazil in third quarter 2016), by promoting intra-Asia advancement of construction-law development, appreciation and business ties.

The growth of the SCL community throughout Asia is healthy, especially with the recent emergence of Korea, India, and China adding to the cornerstone SCLs of Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. The "Focus on Asia" conference sought and succeeded to promote this further with a good spread of speakers and moderators from these and other Asian countries. Please take the time to read the write-up on the Conference in this newsletter.

Looking forward, Council is pleased with the calendar of professional-development events. Aside from lining up seminars on various construction-law topics by high-calibre speakers, we are also planning for a re-run of the Scott Schedules and Expert Conferencing Workshop, and the introduction of Construction Expertise 101 course. This will complement the everpopular Construction Law 101 course.

Balancing the professional-development activities will be the customary Social & Networking Evenings, the traditional AGM-cum-Annual Dinner in August, as well as an ‘outreach’ event.

In all, we expect the months leading up to the AGM to be filled with engaging constructionlaw activities, and I look forward to meeting with the members during this period.

Thank you

Darren Benger