DATO' JUDE PHILOMEN BENNY
Managing Partner
LLB (Hons), London. Queen Mary College, London University.
Barrister-at-Law, Middle Temple
Advocate & Solicitor, Singapore
Called to the UK Bar: 1982
Called to the Singapore Bar: 1983
Email : judebenny@jtjb.com
Contact: (65) 6324 1980

Dato’ Benny is the Managing Partner of Joseph Tan Jude Benny. He founded the firm in 1988, and has since been the architect of the firm's growth.

As a reputable litigation lawyer, Dato’ Benny is constantly awarded personal accolades in legal circles. The Asia Pacific Legal 500 1999/2000 Edition described Dato’ Benny as "one of the best respected shipping lawyers in Singapore". He was ranked one of the foremost shipping lawyers in the country by The Euro-Money Legal Group Guide and short-listed by Chambers Global Directory 2000 as one of the "Leaders in their Fields" of Shipping Law. In 2003, he was named in the Legal Who’s Who of Singapore, and Chambers Global Guide 2005 describes him as "...impressive and quick off the mark" and "old hand in the game, [who] knows every rule in the book and may have written a few himself".

The firm’s success is largely attributed to Dato’s leadership. Over the years, he has developed the firm's shipping and admiralty practice into one of the largest in Singapore, and the first to have a global network covering Greece, Indonesia, Thailand and Taipei. As reported by Tradenews, a publication by the Trade Development Board of Singapore, " A major reason for Joseph Tan Jude Benny's success is the fact that Dato' Benny is regarded within legal circles as one of the world's top maritime lawyers. His firm is well known in London, New York, Hong Kong and other maritime hubs" (Vol 5 Issue 3/2001). 

Apart from being an appointed arbitrator in various arbitration institutions, Dato’ Benny has been instrumental in the development of arbitration in Singapore. As a Director of the Singapore Maritime Foundation, Dato’ Benny led a Working Group that established the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration in 2004.

Practice Areas:
Dato’ Benny has an extensive litigation practice, with principal practice areas in civil and commercial litigation, shipping and admiralty litigation, insolvency law and insurance law. His other practice areas include ship financing and project financing.

Notable Cases :
Dato’ Benny has argued cases that have become leading authorities in the following areas:

Dato’ Benny conducted and succeeded in the very first international arbitration at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) for United Engineers Berhad against a Norwegian company (SIAC Arbitration No.1/90). The dispute involved the defective sign of an oilrig for use by Petronas and Esso and the hearing lasted 105 days.

He also appeared on behalf of the Malaysian Government in a series of civil cases involving railway land ownership in Singapore and the Jacques Cousteau Foundation with respect to the sinking of the famous vessel the "Calypso". He represented Bethlehem Shipyard in a highly-contentious matter concerning the delivery of the "John Brewer", the world's first floating hotel, to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.  He conducted the two ship collision trials to go to Court in Singapore in the last 40 years, involving the vessels "Ming Galaxy" / "Herceg Novi" and "Tai He"/Nordic Explorer.

Other Appointments:
Dato’ Benny is an Accredited Arbitrator at the following Institutions:

• Appointment to Board of Directors, MPA

• Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC)

• Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA)

• Singapore Trade Development Board  (Timber)

• Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB)

• Badan Arbitrase Nasional Indonesia (BANI)

• Kuala Lumpur Regional Center for Arbitration (KLRCA)

He was conferred the title of DATO' by the Sultan of Pahang in October 2000. In 2004, he was appointed by the Minister of Transport to the Board of Directors of the Singapore Maritime Foundation

Publications:
Admiralty Practice, Chapter XLVII, Atkin's Court Forms, Singapore,
Issue 3, 2007.

International Ship Arrests (Lloyds Press London)

Cross-Border Insolvencies (Oceania Publications)