Deguara Farrugia Advocates

The firm: Deguara Farrugia Advocates is a Malta-based law firm advising clients on general and complex business transactions and assisting in disputes across a range of industries and sectors.

The practice has established itself as a prominent commercial law firm covering various practice areas, including funds and investment services; banking law; capital markets; corporate and commercial law; gaming and betting law; litigation and arbitration; public procurement and privatisation; trust and fiduciary services; real estate, aircraft registration and finance; shipping and Admiralty law; and taxation law, notably international tax planning.

Deguara Farrugia Advocates acts for and advises international organisations, private and listed companies, funds and investment service providers, financial institutions and high-net-worth individuals from around the globe. Throughout the years the firm has assisted clients on a multitude of deals and local and cross-border transactions, including the provision of legal assistance and advice on the setting up of businesses and joint ventures; licensing and regulatory matters; mergers and acquisitions; listings; setting up of international corporate structures; and group reorganisations. The firm assists bidders in acquiring and taking control of state-owned entities in the course of privatisation and tender processes, and acts as legal advisor for the privatisation unit of the Government of Malta in connection with public concessions and tenders.

Areas of practice: The financial services department at Deguara Farrugia Advocates has grown from strength to strength. The firm has advised both financial services providers, including investment funds, investment management companies, funds administrators, and credit and financial institutions, as well as investors, on a plethora of legal, regulatory, compliance and commercial issues.

Deguara Farrugia Advocates is also active in the corporate, trust and fiduciary services field. DF Corporate Services Limited, a sister entity within DF Group, is licensed by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) to provide fiduciary and trustee services.

The corporate law department is central to Deguara Farrugia Advocates. The general corporate advice given by the firm includes advice on local company legislation in connection with the incorporation of private and public limited liability companies; shareholder rights; directors’ duties; mergers and acquisitions, liquidations and company recovery. Members of the corporate law department are also frequently involved in security issues, listings and IPOs.

The specialised lawyers composing the transport law team are highly knowledgeable in aspects related to the shipping and aviation industry, particularly registration; sales and purchase contracts; finance and mortgages; crewing; importation and fiscal matters; chartering; management and insurance. Admiralty law and wet and dry claims also fall within the competence of the transport law team.

To co-ordinate clients’ projects and transactions across various jurisdictions, Deguara Farrugia Advocates has established close relationships with leading law firms around the world. Through memberships and contacts in leading international legal services and law firm networks, the firm provides clients with quality resources and the expert local knowledge of fellow colleagues in Europe, the US, North Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.