Jul 5, 2010
Da Vinci and MD lose suit
<!-- by line --> By Selina Lum
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Justice Woo said there was a considerable amount of evidence to show that Mr Phua (above) was linking Walking Culture to Da Vinci in order to advance the business. -- PHOTO: BT
<!-- story content : start --> THREE firms have won their lawsuit against upmarket homegrown furniture store Da Vinci and its managing director Raymond Phua for misleading them into signing franchise agreements for a now-defunct shoe business. In a 95-page written judgment, High Court judge Woo Bih Li found that Mr Phua had misrepresented to the companies that his shoe business, Walking Culture, was linked to and had the backing of the Da Vinci group. A separate hearing will be held to assess the amount of damages to be paid by Mr Phua and Da Vinci.
Mr Phua, 40, is the eldest son of Mr Tony Phua, the founder and chairman of the Da Vinci group. The three companies - Mentormophosis from Australia, Singapore company DNV Image and PT Patria Nusantara Perkasa of Indonesia - signed franchise agreements in 2004 and 2005 with Mr Phua's company, Tradewind, to sell women's footwear. Mr Phua is the sole shareholder and director of Tradewind, which was wound up in December 2006.
Justice Woo said there was a considerable amount of evidence to show that Mr Phua was linking Walking Culture to Da Vinci in order to advance the business. There were references to Da Vinci in a presentation shown to the franchisees; Walking Culture's website said it was a subsidiary of the Da Vinci group; Mr Phua's email signatures referred to himself as MD of Da Vinci Holdings; and he gave out Da Vinci name cards while doing Walking Culture business.
