SINGAPORE - Mr Philip Antony Jeyaretnam has been appointed a judicial commissioner of the Supreme Court by President Halimah Yacob, said the Prime Minister's Office on Monday (Dec 7).

His one-year term will start on Jan 4.

Mr Jeyaretnam, 56, was one of the youngest lawyers to be appointed senior counsel when he was given the title in 2003 at the age of 38.

He read law at Cambridge and graduated with first-class honours in 1986.

He was called to the Singapore Bar in 1988 and entered private practice as an associate at Robert Wang & Woo, before moving on to Chor Pee and Partners.

In 1992, he joined Helen Yeo & Partners and was a partner until 2002, when the firm merged with Rodyk & Davidson.

Mr Jeyaretnam was then elected managing partner of Rodyk & Davidson from the beginning of 2011.

He led the firm's combination with Dentons in 2016, forming Dentons Rodyk & Davidson, where he continued to serve as managing partner.

Dentons Rodyk & Davidson is currently the fifth largest law firm in Singapore.

Along with his active participation in arbitration and litigation, he holds the position of Asean chief executive officer and global vice-chair of Dentons until Jan 4.

Mr Jeyaretnam, the son of former Workers' Party leader J.B. Jeyaretnam, is widely recognised as a leading expert in arbitration, construction law and litigation.

He was also president of the Law Society from 2004 to 2007.

Following his appointment, the Supreme Court will have six judicial commissioners.

Dentons Rodyk & Davidson announced on the same day that Mr Gerald Singham will take over as managing partner from Jan 1.

"Philip has been instrumental in making us a cornerstone of the leading global law firm, said Mr Singham, 59, currently the deputy managing partner.

"Together with his judicious temperament and insightful mind, I am confident that in his commitment to public service he will serve Singapore with distinction."