Legal and Technical Practice

Malta | UK

Vassallo Associates is a specialist multidisciplinary legal and technical practice with a heritage in the marine field since 1870. We offer a diverse range of claims and risk services for international clients and their underwriters.

Vassallo Associates has the ability to deal with complex cases by bringing together a prominent team of advocates and litigation lawyers with extensive experience in marine and commercial dispute resolution, with a formidable team of engineers, master mariners and marine surveyors that provide a full range of technical consultancy, surveying services and audits. We also support clients across any industry segment with management systems and ESG consultancy, with a strong involvement in the UK and beyond.

About

Services

We provide reliable and expert-driven services that combine legal, technical, and strategic insight to support your operations.

Legal

We provide comprehensive legal advice in maritime and commercial litigation, covering all aspects of law with expertise.

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Technical

Our expert engineers and surveyors provide consultancy, inspections and audits with a reliable and professional approach.

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Advisory

With over 150 years of experience, we offer strategic advice tailored to diverse industries and global business sectors industry.

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Cases handled

Years in business

Offices in London and Malta

A Trustworthy & Committed Team

Vassallo Associates is a team of dedicated, experienced professionals with an established heritage in Malta, where we have been providing surveying and advisory services to the maritime industry since 1870.

With the addition of a UK-based operations hub, we have developed to become a specialist GRC consultancy practice, with an enhanced capability to provide a portfolio of Operational Improvement, Security and Resiliency services aligned to ISO Management Standards and good industry practice.

These services support a select portfolio of clients operating across multiple jurisdictions and industry sectors.

We bring clarity and confidence to every challenge — where precision meets purpose, and expertise delivers results.

We treat quality, like safety, as a mandatory requirement in our work

Vassallo Associates stands for technical excellence, delivering services of the highest quality. We know that those standards would not be possible without the commitment, and dedication of our people. That’s why our People Excellence strategy supports their career progression and rewards their success as they shape ours

Our litigation lawyers advise many foreign firms and institutions on complex, high-value and sensitive multijurisdictional disputes.

Our experience across industries gives us the insight and knowledge to meet your business needs effectively and with lasting impact.

News

New Global Accreditation Body Launches to Strengthen International Trust and Simplify Market Access

A major transformation in the global accreditation landscape has taken effect with the launch of Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated, a unified international accreditation organisation, that replaces two long-standing bodies, the International Accreditation...

ISO 9001:2026 – What’s Changing and How to Prepare

The world’s most widely adopted Quality Management System (QMS) standard, ISO 9001, is undergoing revision to reflect the evolving needs of modern organisations. The publication of the Draft International Standard (ISO/DIS 9001) marks a significant milestone in the...

Updated Malta Guidelines on Implementing the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC)

Transport Malta has issued Merchant Shipping Notice 105 Rev.2, outlining updated guidance on the application and enforcement of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC) across Maltese-flagged vessels. The notice clarifies obligations for shipowners, operators,...

Plaintiff Secures First-Ranking Creditor Status Before Maltese Courts

In a judgement delivered by the First Hall of the Civil Court on 14 October 2025 in the names Dr John Bugeja nomine vs Petroplus Ltd, the Maltese Court affirmed the first-ranking creditor status in a complex Competition of Creditors procedure concerning funds seized...

Maltese Court Enforces Cypriot Judgment Despite Attempts to the Contrary

In a recent judgement delivered by the First Hall of the Civil Court, it ruled that a foreign judgment delivered in Cyprus against a credit institution incorporated in the European Union is valid and enforceable in Malta. Background of the Dispute The case originated...

ISO 14001:2026 – Preparing for the Next Evolution of Environmental Management​

The widely adopted ISO 14001 standard, which sets the framework for Environmental Management Systems (EMS), is moving towards a new edition. The update, due for publication in 2026, is not intended to reinvent the standard but rather to bring improved clarity and...

Maltese Court Holds Freight Forwarder Liable for Theft of Goods in Transit Under the CMR Convention

The Civil Court, First Hall, recently delivered a significant judgment (20 May 2025, Elmo Insurance Ltd v Jet Freight Ltd & Clayton Abela Logistics Ltd, Rikors Ġuramentat 1147/2021) addressing liability for the loss of cargo during international road transport...

Port State Control Concentrated Inspection Campaign On Ballast Water Management

Transport Malta has issued Shipping Notice 197 to Ship-owners, Ship Operators, Managers, Masters, Owners’ Representatives and Recognised Organisations. The Paris Memorandum of Understanding (Paris MoU) and the Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding (Tokyo MoU) have...

Judicial Sale of Vessels in Malta: A Creditor’s Enforcement Tool in Maritime Finance

In the realm of maritime finance, vessel mortgages offer security to lenders, yet defaults are an unavoidable risk. When a shipowner is unable to meet mortgage obligations, Maltese law provides an effective legal remedy through the judicial sale of the vessel. This...

Clawback Provisions and Ship Mortgages Under Maltese Law: What Creditors Need to Know

Malta continues to uphold its reputation as one of the world’s leading maritime jurisdictions, not only for ship registration but also for the strong legal infrastructure supporting ship financing. One of the cornerstones of this system is the Maltese registered ship...

Contact us

MALTA 

53 Old Theatre Street
Valletta VLT 1427
Phone: (+356) 2540 7900
Email: malta@hvassallo.com

 

UK

75 King William Street
London EC4N 7BE
Phone: +44 (0) 203 7862 131
Email: london@hvassallo.com

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