JTJB Advocates & Solicitors: Growing the International Client Base Through Competitive Positioning By Wee Beng Geok & Shirley Tan

Abstract

One sunny day in June 2004, at Posidonia's biennial International Maritime Exhibition in Greece, Jude Benny, a senior partner in Joseph Tan Jude Benny (JTJB), a law practice in Singapore, recalled the events of the past four years as he chatted with a group of Greek shipowners. It was not the first time he had attended the maritime exhibition, and he always enjoyed the easy banter and the convivial atmosphere among the visitors and guests. Earlier in 2000, JTJB had opened the practice's first overseas office in Greece. It was the first Singapore law practice as well as the first Asian law firm to set up an office in the ancient city of Piraeus. At that time, Jude Benny knew very few people in the shipping community in Greece. He remembered making the rounds and "knocking on the doors" of Greek shipowners, many of whom were unaware of the law firm from Singapore. Four years on, he and his collegues could count many Greek shipowners as friends or close associates. Since then, the firm had handled a steady flow of legal work to the firm from Greek clients.

This case was commissioned by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
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Issues: Expanding Client Base, Strategy

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