Fenech & Fenech Advocates

Marine Litigation, Yachting

Partner

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

She qualified in 2004 with a Doctorate of Laws from the University of Malta and obtained her Masters Degree in International Maritime Law from the International Maritime Law Institute in 2005.

She joined Fenech and Fenech Advocates in 2006.  For the past 16 years she has advised and co-ordinated projects for owners and financiers relating to the acquisition and sale of private and commercial yachts with regard to registration, financing, chartering, leasing 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 coordination of tender procedures involving a maritime element.

Alison is a Council and Executive Board Member within the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Chairperson of the Yachting Trade Section within the Chamber of Commerce, and a Board Member of the yachting subcommittee formed within the MMLA. In 2021 she was appointed as Malta Legal Representative to MYBA The Worldwide Yachting Association.

Maltese, English and Italian (fluent).

Council and Economic Group Executive Board Member, Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry (2019 – to date)

Council Secretary, Superyacht Industry Network Malta (SYINM) (2016 – to date)

Committee Member, Superyacht Industry Network Malta (SYINM) (2016 – to date)

Board member, Malta Marittima (2016 – 2017)

Lecturer on Yachting Law – Elsa Summer Law School (2015-2016)

Chairman, Executive Committee of the Yachting Trade Section, Chamber of Commerce (2015 – 2017)

Malta Chamber of Advocates

Member of International Bar Association

Committee Member, Malta Maritime Law Association (2008 – to date)

Board member of the yachting sub committee within the MMLA (2009 – to date)

Lecturer on shipping law topics at the Maritime Institute within the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (2009-2010)

• 2005 Master of Laws (LL.M) in International Maritime Law with distinction conferred by International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) (IMO) Malta. 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. • 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. • 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. • 2004 Awarded a scholarship following nomination by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pursue the IMLI (IMO) LLM programme in Maritime law, starting mid-September 2004 and ending May 2005. • 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. • 2002 Graduated Diploma of Notary Public from the University of Malta. • 2001 Graduated Bachelor of Arts in legal and Humanistic Studies from the University of Malta.