GVZH Advocates

Managing Partner: Dr Andrew J Zammit

Number of partners: 4

Number of associates: 13

Languages: Maltese, English, French, Italian

Firm Overview:

GVZH Advocates is a modern and sophisticated legal practice composed of top-tier professionals, firmly rooted in almost 80 years of experience in the Maltese legal landscape. The firm has established itself as a market leader in cross-border merger and acquisition transactions and business structuring particularly in banking and finance, hospitality, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications and technology. Built on the values of acumen, integrity and clarity, the firm provides the highest levels of customer satisfaction, ensuring that legal solutions are soundly rooted, rigorously tested and meticulously implemented.

Main Areas of Practice

Aviation:

The firm is one of the leaders in the aviation space in Malta, assisting operators with their Air Operator Certificates (AOC) in Malta, the registration of aircraft and aircraft leasing and financing projects.

Contact: Dr Michael Grech & Dr Ann Bugeja

Email: [email protected]

Banking & Finance:

GVZH Advocates is actively involved in banking, finance and capital market transactions in Malta, and the volume, nature and complexity of deals handled by the firm each year stands as evidence of the depth and breadth of its expertise. The firm acts for both institutional lenders and borrowers on a variety of financing and secured lending transactions.

Contact: Dr Kurt Hyzler and Dr Andrew J Zammit

Email: [email protected]

Competition/Antitrust Regulations:

The firm advises clients on the compatibility of their commercial practices with competition law, being actively involved in control of concentrations clearances, in the context of its strong M&A practice, assisting clients submit the relevant concentration notification to the national competition authority (MCCAA). GVZH Advocates also advises on state aid control.

Email: [email protected]

Corporate & M&A:

The foundations of GVZH Advocates lie in its corporate and M&A practice, acting predominantly for an international client base in cross-border transactions, advising on all aspects of the Maltese legal and regulatory landscape. The firm has acted as Maltese counsel for several Fortune 500 companies, advising on international merger and acquisition transactions, tender offers, corporate restructuring, transfers of business, spin-offs and leveraged buy-out transactions, mandatory bids, and capital market transactions. The firm is geared to assist buyers, sellers, investors, investment banks, commercial banks, private equity and venture capital funds, institutional lenders, and management groups.

Contact: Dr Kurt Hyzler & Dr Andrew J Zammit

Email: [email protected]

Data Protection:

Forming part of the firm’s TMT practice, the privacy and data protection practice is active in advising on all aspects of the GDPR, from audits and compliance to the handling of data breaches, incident responses, and international data transfers.

Contact: Dr Andrew Zammit & Dr Jackie Mallia

Email: [email protected]

Employment & Industrial Relations Law:

Whilst the firm’s M&A practise generates a significant volume of work on transfers of undertakings and the related safeguarding of employee rights, principally from an employer perspective, the firm is also heavily engaged in advising on collective agreements, posting of workers, gig economy models for freelance workers, managing work permits, structuring employee share option programmes, and the hiring and dismissal of C-suite staff.

Contact: Dr Ann Bugeja

Email: [email protected]

Financial Services:

GVZH Advocates boasts a leading financial services practice, covering banking, payment services, asset management, and insurance business, and is retained by top names for their legal and regulatory needs in Malta.

Contact: Dr Kurt Hyzler & Dr Andrew J Zammit

Email: [email protected]

iGaming:

The firm advises top-end gaming operators on their licensing, legal and compliance requirements in Malta, working with a wide network of advisors around the globe.

Contact: Dr Andrew J Zammit & Dr Jackie Scerri

Email: [email protected]

Intellectual Property:

GVZH Advocates offers a full spectrum of IP related services, advising clients on technology and software related issues, as well as traditional trademark, copyright and patent-related work for several household name brands.

Contact: Dr Michael Grech

Email: [email protected]

Litigation & Arbitration:

GVZH Advocates has handled some high-profile litigation matters dealing primarily with material corporate and commercial issues having an international dimension.

Email: [email protected]

Private Client, Citizenship & Residence:

The firm provides an array of solutions to private clients including assistance with obtaining work permits; obtaining special tax statuses; applying for Maltese citizenship by investment or naturalisation and all legal aspects of relocating to Malta.

Contact: Dr Ann Bugeja, Dr Andrew J Zammit

Email: [email protected]

Projects & Public Procurement:

Our public procurement practice is regularly engaged in high-profile procurement work, advising clients throughout the bidding process and handling appeals from decisions by the relevant authorities.

1 partner, 2 fee earners based in Valletta

Email: [email protected]

Real Estate:

In keeping with Malta’s significant increase in lifestyle real estate developments over the past 15 years, GVZH Advocates has played an instrumental part in advising on some of the largest real estate developments on the island, covering planning, construction, and sale of the development.

Email: [email protected]

Maritime:

The firm has a strong maritime law practice focusing primarily on yachts and super-yachts and servicing owners, financiers and managers. The maritime team adopts a strategic advisory role, providing sophisticated, tailor-made solutions for a discerning client base.

Contact: Dr Michael Grech & Dr Ann Bugeja

Email: [email protected]

Tax:

GVZH Advocates provides a range of local and international clients with consultancy and advisory services addressing various aspects of domestic and international taxation. Its tax practice is regularly called upon to assist in high-level tax and estate planning and also to advise on the Malta tax implications of non-tax driven exercises involving corporate, trusts and other arrangements.

Contact: Dr Jonathan Abela

Email: [email protected]

Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT):

The firm’s TMT team is a cross-disciplinary team dealing with various aspects of the technology, media and telecommunications industries, advising on various legal, regulatory and compliance issues from the regulation of satellite transmissions to AI and converging technologies, and from the legal aspects of IOT technologies to legal intercept allowances under Maltese legislation.

Contact: Dr Andrew J Zammit, Dr Jackie Mallia

Email: [email protected]