Alison Vassallo

Partner

VCARD

Yachting Marine Litigation Energy Law

Alison Vassallo

Partner

Alison is a Partner of Fenech and Fenech Advocates and heads the Yachting Department. She also works within the Marine Litigation Department.

Alison qualified as a lawyer in 2004 with a Doctorate of Laws from the University of Malta and proceeded to obtain her Master’s Degree with Distinction in International Maritime Law from the International Maritime Law Institute (IMO) in 2005. She was also awarded the IMO Secretary General’s Prize for Best Dissertation.

Alison joined Fenech and Fenech Advocates in 2006 and has since been heavily involved in advising and co-ordinating projects for owners and financiers relating to the acquisition and sale of private yacht and commercial yachts. She has extensive experience in advising clients with regard to registration, ownership structuring, importation, financing, chartering, yacht leasing, crewing and fiscal requirements and solutions. Furthermore her areas of practice within the firm embrace all aspects of maritime law including EU shipping law, recognition and enforcement of foreign judgements and arbitral awards, ship arrest and other precautionary measures for obtainment of security and co ordination of tender procedures involving a maritime element.

Alison is the Chairperson of the Yachting Services Business Section within the Malta Chamber since 2015. She was appointed as the Malta legal representative to MYBA – The Worldwide Yachting Association in 2021. She is also a Committee Member of the Yachting Sub-Committee within the Malta Maritime Law Association and a member of the International Superyacht Society (ISS).

Alison also lectures on Yachting Law at the ELSA (European Law Students Association) Summer Law School.

Languages: Maltese, English, Italian

Career Highlights

NOVEMBER 2021

Present, MYBA THE WORLDWIDE YACHTING ASSOCIATION, MALTA LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE

APRIL 2019

Present, MALTA CHAMBER, COUNCIL AND ECONOMIC GROUP EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER

OCTOBER 2016

SUPERYACHT INDUSTRY NETWORK MALTA, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER, COUNCIL SECRETARY

MARCH 2015

Present, YACHTING SERVICES TRADE SECTION, MALTA CHAMBER, CHAIRPERSON

JANUARY 2015

Present, Fenech & Fenech Advocates, Partner

AUGUST 2011

Fenech & Fenech Advocates, Senior Associate

NOVEMBER 2006

Fenech & Fenech Advocates, Associate

Education

IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI)

2005, Master of Laws (LL.M) in International Maritime Law with distinction. Awarded IMO secretary general’s prize for best dissertation for the work ‘Persons rescued at sea: recent developments and trends in coastal state response’. The latter delves into coastal state obligations relating to the treatment of illegal immigrants arriving by sea and covers the impact of the present security-sensitive environment on the coastal state’s concerns to protect its legitimate interests when faced with this problem.

Advocate in the courts of Malta and Gozo

2005, Presented with warrant to exercise the profession of advocate in the courts of Malta and Gozo by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice and Home Affairs.

University of Malta

2004, Graduated Doctor of Laws (LL.D) from the University of Malta after submission of LL.D thesis entitled ‘recent initiatives affecting port and vessel security regimes’ which delves in current developments in maritime security, on both an international and European level, and their subsequent incorporation into Maltese law.

University of Malta and the University of Verona, Italy

2003-2004, Chosen by the University of Malta and the University of Verona, Italy, to participate in the Erasmus exchange programme of the European Union during semester 1 of the academic year. During such period, undertook studies in the law of international organizations and EU labour law.