Fenech & Fenech Advocates

Investment Funds, Financial Services, Aviation.

Partner

Joseph Ghio is a Partner at Fenech & Fenech Advocates where he co-heads the Financial Services and Aviation Departments.  He graduated as a Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) from the University of Malta in 2001 and was admitted to the Bar in Malta in January 2002. In 2006, he completed a Masters Degree (MA) in Financial Services also from the University of Malta.

Joseph started his career with Fenech & Fenech Advocates in 2002, working principally in the International Practice and Financial Services Department of the Firm and being involved in a number of privatisation and restructuring deals, advising overseas financial services institutions on the local regulatory framework, as well as being on the legal advisory team of the Firm for Air Malta plc.

He was admitted to Partnership within the Firm in 2010 where he continues to practice within the International Practice and Financial Services Department.

Joseph Ghio is ranked as a leading Maltese practitioner in Financial Services and Corporate / Commercial by the Chambers and Legal 500 directories.

Joseph Ghio has a wealth of experience and expertise in the areas of financial services, securities law, corporate law, asset finance and related areas, aviation, as well as being active in M&A work.  He has acted for Government on various assignments.

Joseph’s principal fields of practice are investment funds, securities law and asset financing.  Within the investment funds field, he advises firms in the setting up and licencing of investment management and fund entities, and also holds directorship and MLRO posts with a number of financial services firms licensed by the Malta Financial Services Authority principally within the hedge fund and investment firm fields.  He also advises regulated entities with obtaining regulatory approval for necessary changes to their licences, offering documentation and authorised personnel.

Joseph is also active in the asset finance space, including aviation financing, wherein he acts as local counsel to both financiers and corporate firms in corporate and asset finance transactions, including the taking of appropriate security over locally-based assets.

Joseph Ghio also forms part of the Firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions Team, which has assisted potential acquirers in the privatisation or purchase of Go plc (formerly Maltacom plc), the Malta Freeport, FIMBank plc, Volksbank and the Valletta Cruise Port Terminal, amongst others, advising also on matters relative to local securities legislation.

Joseph also advises clients on general corporate/commercial law matters on an ongoing basis.  He is a visiting lecturer in Aviation Finance at the Doctorate degree within the Faculty of Laws of the University of Malta and in Securities Regulation within the MA (Financial Services) programme of the same university.

Maltese, English, Italian, French (basic knowlege)

• Admitted to the Bar in November 2001 and holds Warrant to practice as Advocate in Malta. • Member of the Camera degli Avvocati, Malta. • Member of the International Bar Association. • Member of the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners, Malta. • Member of the European Air Law Association. • Member of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry. • Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, United Kingdom.

• 2003 - 2006 Faculty of Laws, University of Malta - Masters of Arts in Financial Services with a dissertation on 'Asset Securitisation in Aviation Finance: A Maltese Perspective'. • 1998 - 2001 Faculty of Laws, University of Malta - Doctorate in Laws with a doctoral thesis on 'Indirect Taxation of Electronic Commerce: The Challenge to the European VAT System'. • 1998 - 1999 Faculty of Laws, University of Malta - Diploma as Notary Public. • 1995 - 1998 Faculty of Laws, University if Malta - Bachelorship of Arts in Legal and Humanistic Studies (International Relations stream).