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A court dispute between the children of the man who founded Eng wonton noodles and a business partner failed yesterday, with each side losing their respective claims against the other.
But with a trademark dispute still in court, the battle over the mee wonton business is far from over.
The legal disputes stemmed from a joint venture between Desmond Ng, 51, the son of the late street vendor Ng Ba Eng, who ran a successful stand at Dunman Food Center, and Pauline New, 52.
In 2012, the position moved to a store at 287 Tanjong Katong Road called Eng’s Noodles House, after Ms. New’s husband invested $ 150,000 to expand the business.
A company with the same name was registered, with the younger Mr. Ng and Ms. New as directors and shareholders.
Mr. Ng elder died in 2013. In 2018, after a fight between the partners, the company did not renew the lease on the premises and ceased operations on February 28, 2018.
On the same day, a new company called Eng’s Wantan Noodle was created and took over the facility. The new lease was reportedly signed by Thomas Hong, CEO of the Lao Huo Tang soup chain.
On March 5, 2018, Desmond Ng’s sisters Mui Hong, 52, and Mei Ling, 48, established a company called Char Siew Wantan Mee of Eng. They set up shop at 248 Tanjong Katong Road, just outside of the 287.
Last year, Ms. New sued the three brothers and Mr. Bill Teng, who managed the accounts of the defunct Eng’s Noodles House, and was assigned a 5 percent stake in the company.
FIDUCIARY DUTIES
Ms. New accused the defendants of conspiring to damage Eng’s Noodles House by establishing a competing business.
Ms. New also alleged that Mr. Ng and Mr. Teng had breached their fiduciary obligations to Eng’s Noodles House.
The Ng sisters countersued Ms. New, claiming that she and her husband, businessman Jason Sim, had “stolen the family business.”
In a judgment written yesterday, Superior Court Judge Valerie Thean dismissed Ms. New’s claims that the defendants had conspired to damage Eng’s Noodles House.
Judge Thean found that Ms Ng Mui Hong, who was aware of the bitter relationship, was taking preventive measures to protect the trademark when she registered the trademark.
The judge ruled that the sisters who settled in 248 were not a premeditated plan, but a “hasty” move to assert their “original” brand in reaction to Eng’s Wantan Noodle taking over in 287.
The judge also found that Ms. New and Mr. Sim were “instrumental” in creating Eng’s Wantan Noodle.
Judge Thean rejected the sisters’ counterclaim that Ms. New was misleading consumers into believing that Eng’s Wantan Noodle was actually the same as their “family” business.
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