diff --git a/apps/tetopology/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/tetopology/management/api/TeUtils.java b/apps/tetopology/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/tetopology/management/api/TeUtils.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4b6bf52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/tetopology/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/tetopology/management/api/TeUtils.java
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2016 Open Networking Laboratory
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.onosproject.tetopology.management.api;
+
+import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
+
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.List;
+
+/**
+ * TE utility functions.
+ */
+public final class TeUtils {
+
+    // no instantiation
+    private TeUtils() {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns true if the given collection is empty; false otherwise.
+     *
+     * @param c the given collection
+     * @return true or false
+     */
+    public static boolean nonEmpty(Collection<?> c) {
+        return c != null && !c.isEmpty();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Adds a given element to a given list. If element is null, the
+     * given list is returned without modification. If the list is null,
+     * the function will instantiate and return a new list.
+     *
+     * @param list    the given list
+     * @param element the given list element
+     * @param <T>     the element type
+     * @return the resulting list
+     */
+    public static <T> List<T> addListElement(List<T> list, T element) {
+        if (element == null) {
+            return list;
+        }
+
+        List<T> result = (list == null) ? Lists.newArrayList() : list;
+
+        result.add(element);
+
+        return result;
+    }
+}