Shipping & Admiralty, Commercial Dispute Resolution

John’s fundamental emphasis in his practice is to help clients identify and achieve practical and feasible solutions to legal issues. He strives to provide clear, frank, precise analysis, advise and execution of strategies to achieve desired outcomes. His litigation skills are honed through training and constant litigation work, and he never shirks from a dogfight when required.

John’s practice since being called to the bar in 2004 has primarily been in commercial litigation, with a particular focus on shipping litigation. He has appeared at all levels of the Singapore Courts, and represented clients as lead counsel in arbitration proceedings in Singapore, Hong Kong and London. John has worked on the entire spectrum of shipping disputes, including collisions, charterparty disputes, cargo claims, shipyard and repair disputes, shipboard incidents such as fire and personal injury. With the growth of technology usage in the trade finance and shipping industries, John has recently been actively advising the industry on the legal and regulatory issues arising from the industry’s adoption of technology in their trading, client management, operations and technical management functions.

John has also been involved as Counsel in numerous arbitrations, including arbitrations under SCMA, SIAC, LMAA, HKIAC, GAFTA as well as ad hoc rules.

Given the spate of winding up and judicial management cases involving shipping and Oil & Gas companies in recently years, John has also acted and advised creditors across the various forms of insolvency mechanisms such as liquidation, judicial management, schemes of arrangement and Chapter 11 filings.

John’s non-shipping commercial work including litigation and legal advisory work for Telcos, chemical and the Oil & Gas Industries.

- Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) legal and insurance committee member since 2013- Honorary Treasurer of the Singapore Maritime Arbitrators Association- Member of the Board of Visitors to the Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRCs), an independent Board that is involved in looking after welfare, discipline and conditions of inmates detained in the DRCs- Co-author for Atkins Singapore Court forms Maritime Chapter

John is the Deputy Managing Partner of Joseph Tan Jude Benny LLP. He is a commercial litigation lawyer with a specialization in maritime related litigation and arbitration matters. He has be instructed as lead counsel in many maritime arbitration cases, and regularly handles arbitrations in Singapore, Hong Kong and London. These include SCMA, SIAC, HKIAC, LMAA and ICC arbitrations.

LLB (Hons), National University of Singapore LLM (Maritime Law), University of Southampton Advocate and Solicitor, Singapore Admitted as a Solicitor in England and Wales Called to the Singapore Bar: 2004