About
Managing Partner: Andre Zerafa
Number of partners: 22
Number of fee-earners: 90+ (incl. partners)
Total number of staff: 170+
Firm overview:
Ganado Advocates is a leading commercial law firm with a particular focus on the corporate, financial services and maritime /aviation sectors, predominantly servicing international clients doing business through Malta. The firm also promotes other areas such as tax, pensions, intellectual property, employment and litigation. The firm traces its roots back to the early 1900s and is today one of Malta’s foremost law practices, consistently ranking as a leading firm in all its core sectors. Ganado Advocates has over the past decades contributed directly towards creating and enhancing Malta’s hard-won reputation as a reliable and effective international centre for financial and maritime services. Today, the firm continues to provide high standards of legal advisory services to support and enhance Malta’s offering.
Main areas of practice:
■ Financial services
■ Corporate, M&A & capital markets
■ Shipping, yachting & aviation
■ Litigation & dispute resolution
■ Corporate finance & tax
■ Private client, trusts & foundations
■ Labour & employment
■ Environment, energy & renewable energy
■ Intellectual property, media, entertainment & technology
■ Competition/European
■ Construction
Financial services:
The firm’s financial services and regulatory practices are internationally renowned as country leaders. This practice grouping encompasses the firm’s industry-focused teams servicing asset managers and their funds, banks, insurers and reinsurers, pension schemes and funds, investment firms, payment service providers, e-money institutions, fintech operators, blockchain and cryptocurrency service providers, trade finance institutions and other operators in the financial services sphere. The practice covers all corporate, regulatory and transactional work and, in conjunction with lawyers from other practice areas, litigation, dispute resolution, tax and regulatory.
Key Contacts: Matthew Bianchi, Andre Zerafa, Conrad Portanier, James Farrugia, Matthew Brincat, Leonard Bonello, Marina Grech
Corporate, M&A & capital markets:
The firm regularly advises on major corporate and capital market
ts transactions in Malta, for the benefit of international corporate groups and private equity firms. This practice provides the full range of transactional corporate legal services, having long-standing experience in assisting foreign clients in establishing local presence across all commercial sectors. The firm also operates a corporate services and governance team focused in particular on supporting the boards of both regulated and non-regulated businesses.
Key Contacts: Stephen Attard, Nikolai Muscut Farrugia, Simon Schembri, Nicholas Curmi, Annalise Papa
Shipping, yachting & aviation:
Ship registration, ship finance and admiralty law are at the heart of the firm’s maritime law practice. The firm was a pioneer in this field and its specialist maritime lawyers hold leading industry expertise and provide dependable support and advice, making the firm amongst the most established in this area. While very active in the yacht and superyacht space, the firm was also a prime mover in the development of local aviation law; today it regularly advises aircraft financiers, owners, lessors and operators.
Key Contacts: Karl Grech Orr, Jotham Scerri-Diacono, Daniel Aquilina, Christine Cassar Naudi, Matthew Attard, Matthew Xerri
Litigation & dispute resolution:
Traditionally prominent in commercial and civil litigation, the firm has represented clients in some of Malta's largest and most complex commercial and maritime litigation. This includes arrests and judicial sales of vessels, salvage and other maritime disputes, corporate and financial services, and insurance claims. Today, the firm also offers highly specialised litigation in the fields of corporate disputes, insolvency, intellectual property, public procurement, competition law, funds, press law and international arbitration.
Key Contact: Antoine G Cremona
Corporate finance & tax:
Ganado Advocates has one of the largest and longest-established tax practices amongst Maltese law firms. The firm’s multidisciplinary team of legal and tax specialists regularly advises corporate and individual high-net-worth clients, both international and local, on all aspects of Maltese tax legislation and their impact, whether at structuring stage, transactional or on an ongoing basis.
Key Contacts: Stephen Attard, Christine Cassar Naudi
Private client, trusts & foundations:
Regularly involved in structuring and providing general legal advice on trusts and foundations, the firm actively provides ongoing assistance to various Maltese-based (local and international) trustees, administrators of foundations and other fiduciaries on regulatory aspects of their fiduciary activities. It regularly assists private clients with their various legal needs, ranging from estate planning to setting up the appropriate trustees for them (which includes private trust companies). This includes, where required, the acquisition of Maltese citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investment, as a second citizenship.
Key Contact: Anthony Cremona
Labour & employment:
This practice encompasses the full range of employment services, including advice on litigious and non-litigious employment law matters, industrial relations, employment benefits and pensions. While having a practice in its own right, the employment team also provides invaluable support to the other teams within the firm on transactions which span a broad range of areas, such as M&A transactions.
Key Contact: Matthew Brincat
Environment, energy & renewable energy:
Ganado Advocates has been at the forefront of the significant developments in this dynamic and ever-changing sector in Malta and advises a wide variety of clients on both regulatory and commercial issues, including drafting and negotiating power purchase agreements, assisting with public procurement, implementing EU Directives into local law and advising on ship-sourced pollution issues. The firm has also experienced increasing interest from industry stakeholders acting as intermediaries in the recycling of hazardous waste on account of Malta’s central Mediterranean location, its ratification of the most important environmental Conventions and an efficient and proactive regulator.
Key Contacts: Jotham Scerri-Diacono, Antoine G Cremona
Intellectual property, media, entertainment & technology:
The firm advises clients on the full range of contentious and non-contentious issues in the technology, media and entertainment space. Services include the registration of trademarks, advice on and drafting of IP agreements, and representing clients in IP infringement lawsuits. The firm leads a project for the Government of Malta bringing together the various Malta-based legal and advisory service providers with a view to overhauling the current IP legal framework and providing solid and innovative legislative solutions to the IP industries, not least involving blockchain and digital currencies. The team also leads the firm’s privacy law practice, assisting all clients with their ongoing GDPR requirements, including data subject requests and investigations by the Information and Data Protection Commissioner. In the media space, the team regularly advises and assists, including through the legal representation in Court, key local players on legal matters relating to journalistic freedoms, freedom of information and defamation.
Key Contact: Paul Micallef Grimaud
Competition/European:
The firm’s competition and EU law practitioners have gained substantial recognition in this field, advising clients and public authorities in all industry sectors serviced by the firm and frequently also engaging in privatisations and public procurement processes. Besides regularly providing advice on antitrust issues affecting agreements between undertakings and abuse of dominance, merger control and State aid law, the firm often represents undertakings in competition investigations and litigation as well as merger notifications.
Key Contacts: Antoine G Cremona, Sylvann Aquilina Zahra
Construction:
The firm has one of the leading international construction law practices in Malta with specialist focus on FIDIC contracts and construction arbitration. Lawyers practising in this area have specific academic qualifications in international construction contracts and construction dispute resolution. The firm has assisted developers, financiers, contractors and engineers in a significant number and across a wide range of large-scale construction projects in Malta, from major infrastructural works, to waste management and recycling plants, hospitality, residential and marina developments. The firm also regularly assists in all matters relating to real estate and in the design and execution of procurement models for major construction works.
Key Contact: Antoine G Cremona
Ranked Offices
Provided by Ganado Advocates
- Valletta171 Old Bakery Street, Valletta, Malta, Malta, VLT 1455
- Web: www.ganado.com
- Tel: (+356) 21 23 54 06
- View ranked office
Contributions
Latest contributions provided by Ganado Advocates
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Articles, highlights and press releases
337 items provided by Ganado Advocates
The battle between Malacalza and the European Central Bank
In the case T-134/21, Malacalza Investimenti Srl and Vittorio Malacalza , shareholders of the Italian bank, Banca Carige, brought a case before the General Court of the Court, seeking compensation for unlawful conduct of the ECB in exercise of its supervisory functions of Banca Carige.
The dynamics of multi-generational family businesses
Family businesses, often spanning generations, possess a unique dynamic that necessitates special attention and care.
Anti-money laundering in Malta
Ganado Advocates has re-contributed the Malta chapter in the 2024 edition of the International Comparative Legal Guide to Anti-Money Laundering
Artificial intelligence in Malta
Ganado Advocates has contributed the Malta chapter in the 2024 edition of the Chambers Artificial Intelligence Global Practice Guide.
Publication of the Malta Financial Services Authority Act (Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA)
As the date of application of Regulation (EU) is drawing closer, on the 16th July, 2024, a Legal Notice implementing the relevant provisions of the Regulation into Maltese law was published in the Malta Government Gazette.
ESMA publishes Report on Suspicious Transaction and Order Reports (“STORs”)
Today, ESMA has published its Annual Report on STORs, which aims at providing the market with insight over the use of STORs in different EU jurisdictions, and how this key information tool has evolved over time considering the Market Abuse Regulation regime.
CJEU annuls resolution board’s decision due to lack of transparency
On the 8th of May 2024 following an action for annulment by German credit institution Max Heinr. Sutor OHG, the General Court annulled a decision by the Single Resolution Board (“SRB”) in regard to the setting of 2021 contributions to the Single Resolution Fund.
The CJEU Rules on the Obligation of Traders when Online Contracts are concluded
On the 30th of May 2024, the CJEU laid down its preliminary ruling in the case of VT and UR v Conny GmbH[1], concerning the interpretation of Directive 2011/83/EU as to the conclusion of distance contracts concluded by electronic means.
Competition Law and Labour Markets – EU Commission Looks at Wage-Fixing and No-Poach Agreements
In recent years, competition authorities in the US have focused quite heavily on tackling anti-competitive practices in labour markets, and have taken several actions on this front.
No cutting corners in state aid assessment
On 14 June 2024, in ‘European Commission vs Kingdom of the Netherlands’ the ECJ had, for the first time ever, to decide a dispute as to whether the European Commission must assess and verify the existence of state aid, prior to deciding on the measure’s compatibility with the Internal Market.
CSDDD – Whatever happened to article 25?
Many will have heard of the relatively recent adoption of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD or CS3D) by the European Parliament back in April 2024.
European Competition and Regulatory Law Review (CoRe)
Chris Grech has authored a case note in the European Competition and Regulatory Law Review (CoRe).
Contracts of work and the burden of proof
In the case Aretrop Limited vs Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools (the “Foundation”) & the Hon. Dr. Justyne Caruana in her capacity as Education Minister, the Hon
Exemptions from survey and certification requirements for unmanned non-self-propelled barges
Last week, The Merchant Shipping Directorate has published a new technical notice concerning exemptions from survey and certification requirements which may be applied for unmanned non-self-propelled (UNSP) Barges.
In detail: Enforcing the EU Ship Recycling Regulation
Last month, The Merchant Shipping Directorate published a notice concerning the enforcement of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation No. 1257/2013[1], relating to the Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM).
GRC in Malta: Board Committees – Driving effective governance and maximising director potential
The role of Board committees has significantly evolved during past years as a direct consequence of ever-increasing regulation, lessons learned, and the wide array of complex risks faced by the financial services industry.
Publication of the EU AML/CFT Legislative Package in the EU’s Official Journal
On 19th June 2024, the EU has published the AML/CFT legislative package in its Official Journal, comprising of the following legislative texts...
The Small Commercial Yacht Code (sCYC) 2024 proving popular
The sCYC 2024 updates and replaces the applicable requirements for Commercial Yachts smaller than 24m contained within the current CYC 2020.
‘Tour De France’ and ‘Tour De X’… Confusing? The General Court of the EU thinks otherwise.
In a judgment delivered by the GCEU on the 12 June 2024 in the case of Societe du Tour de France, vs EUIPO and FitX Beteiligungs GmbH (“FitX”), the Plaintiff sought the annulment of a decision by the board of appeal of the EUIPO concerning the registration of an EU trademark.
Brussels 1 Recast - Interpreting the Grounds for the Refusal of Recognition of Judgements
On the 21st of March 2024 the CJEU delivered a preliminary ruling clarifying the scope of the grounds for the refusal to recognise judgements of EU Member States in terms of Regulation No 1215/2012 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and commercial matters.
ESMA's Statement on Best Practices for Information Sharing in Pre-Close Calls in terms of MAR
On 29th May 2024, the European Securities and Markets Authority (“ESMA”) issued a statement relating to the applicable requirements and corresponding good practices for issuers to consider when engaging in pre-close calls sessions with financial analysts in light of the Market Abuse Regulation.
Conflicts of Interest for CASPs under MiCA
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) recently published its Final Report covering conflicts of interest for crypto-asset service providers (CASPs).
The special privilege granted under Maltese Law for the payment of outstanding crew wages
In a decision delivered by the First Hall of the Civil Court on the 21st of March 2024 in the names of Paul Falzon vs. Il-Bastiment ‘Sky’, which was not appealed to by the defendant due to the fact that the owner(s) of the vessel m.v. ‘Sky’ were never present throughout the entirety of these proceed
GRC in Malta: The Compliance Officer as a strategic partner - Beyond regulatory oversight
Compliance officers are responsible for ensuring that their organisation complies with applicable laws and regulations, and in a regulated sector like financial services, they must also adhere to the conditions attached to the license issued by the regulatory authority.
Virtual IBANs: the EBA’s report on their issuance and regulation
Virtual IBANs (“vIBANs”) are increasingly being used as payment account identifiers across the EU to redirect payments, yet the definition and the appropriate regulatory treatment thereof remains ambiguous.
Revising Chapter 3 of the Financial Institutions Rulebook – MFSA issues new Consultation Document
The MFSA has, on 21 May 2024, issued a consultation on the revised Chapter 3 of the Financial Institutions Rulebook (‘FIR/03’) which will be applicable to both payment institutions and electronic money institutions once finalised.
‘Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value’ the importance of comparing like with like
In a decision handed down by the Industrial Tribunal on 5th October 2022 in the names James D’Anastas vs Wembley Stores Company Limited, the Tribunal was tasked with assessing whether there had been a violation of the principle of ‘equal pay for work of equal value’ due to the employee receiving...
Navigating Malta’s financial landscape: Ganado Advocates hosts Milan event
On May 16th, Ganado Advocates and the Maltese Embassy in Italy collaborated to host an event in Milan focusing on regulatory developments in the Maltese financial services industry.
If the shoe fits, register the design in time
In ‘Puma v European Union Intellectual Property Office’ (Case T-647/22), decided on 6 March 2024, the GCEU delivered a decision concerning a declaration of invalidity of a Registered Community Design for sports shoes (the “Contested Design”).
Ganado Advocates at the IFSP Annual Conference 2024
The Institute of Financial Services Practitioners hosted its annual conference on 22 May, 2024, at the Hilton Malta.
The battle between Malacalza and the European Central Bank
In the case T-134/21, Malacalza Investimenti Srl and Vittorio Malacalza , shareholders of the Italian bank, Banca Carige, brought a case before the General Court of the Court, seeking compensation for unlawful conduct of the ECB in exercise of its supervisory functions of Banca Carige.
The dynamics of multi-generational family businesses
Family businesses, often spanning generations, possess a unique dynamic that necessitates special attention and care.
Anti-money laundering in Malta
Ganado Advocates has re-contributed the Malta chapter in the 2024 edition of the International Comparative Legal Guide to Anti-Money Laundering
Artificial intelligence in Malta
Ganado Advocates has contributed the Malta chapter in the 2024 edition of the Chambers Artificial Intelligence Global Practice Guide.
Publication of the Malta Financial Services Authority Act (Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA)
As the date of application of Regulation (EU) is drawing closer, on the 16th July, 2024, a Legal Notice implementing the relevant provisions of the Regulation into Maltese law was published in the Malta Government Gazette.
ESMA publishes Report on Suspicious Transaction and Order Reports (“STORs”)
Today, ESMA has published its Annual Report on STORs, which aims at providing the market with insight over the use of STORs in different EU jurisdictions, and how this key information tool has evolved over time considering the Market Abuse Regulation regime.
CJEU annuls resolution board’s decision due to lack of transparency
On the 8th of May 2024 following an action for annulment by German credit institution Max Heinr. Sutor OHG, the General Court annulled a decision by the Single Resolution Board (“SRB”) in regard to the setting of 2021 contributions to the Single Resolution Fund.
The CJEU Rules on the Obligation of Traders when Online Contracts are concluded
On the 30th of May 2024, the CJEU laid down its preliminary ruling in the case of VT and UR v Conny GmbH[1], concerning the interpretation of Directive 2011/83/EU as to the conclusion of distance contracts concluded by electronic means.
Competition Law and Labour Markets – EU Commission Looks at Wage-Fixing and No-Poach Agreements
In recent years, competition authorities in the US have focused quite heavily on tackling anti-competitive practices in labour markets, and have taken several actions on this front.
No cutting corners in state aid assessment
On 14 June 2024, in ‘European Commission vs Kingdom of the Netherlands’ the ECJ had, for the first time ever, to decide a dispute as to whether the European Commission must assess and verify the existence of state aid, prior to deciding on the measure’s compatibility with the Internal Market.
CSDDD – Whatever happened to article 25?
Many will have heard of the relatively recent adoption of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD or CS3D) by the European Parliament back in April 2024.
European Competition and Regulatory Law Review (CoRe)
Chris Grech has authored a case note in the European Competition and Regulatory Law Review (CoRe).
Contracts of work and the burden of proof
In the case Aretrop Limited vs Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools (the “Foundation”) & the Hon. Dr. Justyne Caruana in her capacity as Education Minister, the Hon
Exemptions from survey and certification requirements for unmanned non-self-propelled barges
Last week, The Merchant Shipping Directorate has published a new technical notice concerning exemptions from survey and certification requirements which may be applied for unmanned non-self-propelled (UNSP) Barges.
In detail: Enforcing the EU Ship Recycling Regulation
Last month, The Merchant Shipping Directorate published a notice concerning the enforcement of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation No. 1257/2013[1], relating to the Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM).
GRC in Malta: Board Committees – Driving effective governance and maximising director potential
The role of Board committees has significantly evolved during past years as a direct consequence of ever-increasing regulation, lessons learned, and the wide array of complex risks faced by the financial services industry.
Publication of the EU AML/CFT Legislative Package in the EU’s Official Journal
On 19th June 2024, the EU has published the AML/CFT legislative package in its Official Journal, comprising of the following legislative texts...
The Small Commercial Yacht Code (sCYC) 2024 proving popular
The sCYC 2024 updates and replaces the applicable requirements for Commercial Yachts smaller than 24m contained within the current CYC 2020.
‘Tour De France’ and ‘Tour De X’… Confusing? The General Court of the EU thinks otherwise.
In a judgment delivered by the GCEU on the 12 June 2024 in the case of Societe du Tour de France, vs EUIPO and FitX Beteiligungs GmbH (“FitX”), the Plaintiff sought the annulment of a decision by the board of appeal of the EUIPO concerning the registration of an EU trademark.
Brussels 1 Recast - Interpreting the Grounds for the Refusal of Recognition of Judgements
On the 21st of March 2024 the CJEU delivered a preliminary ruling clarifying the scope of the grounds for the refusal to recognise judgements of EU Member States in terms of Regulation No 1215/2012 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and commercial matters.
ESMA's Statement on Best Practices for Information Sharing in Pre-Close Calls in terms of MAR
On 29th May 2024, the European Securities and Markets Authority (“ESMA”) issued a statement relating to the applicable requirements and corresponding good practices for issuers to consider when engaging in pre-close calls sessions with financial analysts in light of the Market Abuse Regulation.
Conflicts of Interest for CASPs under MiCA
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) recently published its Final Report covering conflicts of interest for crypto-asset service providers (CASPs).
The special privilege granted under Maltese Law for the payment of outstanding crew wages
In a decision delivered by the First Hall of the Civil Court on the 21st of March 2024 in the names of Paul Falzon vs. Il-Bastiment ‘Sky’, which was not appealed to by the defendant due to the fact that the owner(s) of the vessel m.v. ‘Sky’ were never present throughout the entirety of these proceed
GRC in Malta: The Compliance Officer as a strategic partner - Beyond regulatory oversight
Compliance officers are responsible for ensuring that their organisation complies with applicable laws and regulations, and in a regulated sector like financial services, they must also adhere to the conditions attached to the license issued by the regulatory authority.
Virtual IBANs: the EBA’s report on their issuance and regulation
Virtual IBANs (“vIBANs”) are increasingly being used as payment account identifiers across the EU to redirect payments, yet the definition and the appropriate regulatory treatment thereof remains ambiguous.
Revising Chapter 3 of the Financial Institutions Rulebook – MFSA issues new Consultation Document
The MFSA has, on 21 May 2024, issued a consultation on the revised Chapter 3 of the Financial Institutions Rulebook (‘FIR/03’) which will be applicable to both payment institutions and electronic money institutions once finalised.
‘Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value’ the importance of comparing like with like
In a decision handed down by the Industrial Tribunal on 5th October 2022 in the names James D’Anastas vs Wembley Stores Company Limited, the Tribunal was tasked with assessing whether there had been a violation of the principle of ‘equal pay for work of equal value’ due to the employee receiving...
Navigating Malta’s financial landscape: Ganado Advocates hosts Milan event
On May 16th, Ganado Advocates and the Maltese Embassy in Italy collaborated to host an event in Milan focusing on regulatory developments in the Maltese financial services industry.
If the shoe fits, register the design in time
In ‘Puma v European Union Intellectual Property Office’ (Case T-647/22), decided on 6 March 2024, the GCEU delivered a decision concerning a declaration of invalidity of a Registered Community Design for sports shoes (the “Contested Design”).
Ganado Advocates at the IFSP Annual Conference 2024
The Institute of Financial Services Practitioners hosted its annual conference on 22 May, 2024, at the Hilton Malta.