GVZH Advocates

We regularly act as Maltese counsel for Fortune 500 companies, advising on international merger and acquisition transactions, tender offers, corporate restructuring, transfers of business, spin-offs and leveraged buy-out transactions, and capital market transactions. The firm is geared to assist buyers, sellers, investors, investment banks, commercial banks, private equity and venture capital funds, institutional lenders, and management groups.

Mergers & Acquisitions

GVZH Advocates has been involved in several cross-border merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions, tender offers, corporate restructurings, transfers of business, spin-offs and leveraged buy-out transactions, with a particular focus on Malta-based entities forming part of multi-national business groups, both regulated and unregulated. We are geared to assist sellers, buyers, investors, investment banks, commercial banks, private equity and venture capital funds, institutional lenders, and management groups.

The firm regularly advises on the structuring of various takeover defence mechanisms available under Maltese law for its corporate clients, including the adoption of effective shareholder agreements and special provisions in the company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, covering minority protection mechanisms, creation of distinct share classes, “poison pills” and similar devices.

The multi-faceted nature of such transactions, and the due diligence exercises undertaken before any binding offers are made, has seen the firm co-ordinating matters with other professional advisors, all experts in their respective fields, to effectively deal with environmental and planning issues, intellectual property rights, labour and employment matters, tax issues and regulatory concerns, ensuring that all potential risk areas are covered. GVZH Advocates has an established professional rapport with key persons within these practice areas to obtain the necessary input in the context of such transactions, providing its clients with the crucial information necessary to gauge and assess the associated risks.

Our Employment & Industrial Relations Services

GVZH Advocates provides an array of employment-related solutions including contracts of service, terminations, redundancies, transfers of employees between undertakings, equal treatment on the workplace and the implementation of appropriate systems and procedures for clients’ human resources.

GVZH Advocates’ Malta relocation services are targeted to both individuals and businesses. Upon assessing your relocation inquiry, we will strive to guide you and present you with a number of options in order to facilitate your move to Malta. Our professional and quality-driven solutions are geared to assist you and to save you precious time.

Why Would One Opt For Malta?

Relocating your business and or family to Malta can be advantageous for a number of reasons, besides the sun and sea, Malta offers a number of programmes which grant one a special tax rate, residency and/ or citizenship.

This includes filing trade mark and patent applications, prosecution of unlawful competition and infringement actions, as well as a large enforcement and anti-counterfeiting practice, whereby we advise a great number of large multinational firms, and act as their local brand representatives for cross-border protection purposes.

Our IP practice covers the following services:

• Software licensing contracts;
• Software development agreements;
• Transfer of IP rights and internet domain-names;
• IP escrow agreements;
• Handling, processing and assignment of customer databases;
• Registration of trademarks, patents and designs in Malta and within the EU

Our Litigation Practice Provides the Following Services:

• Assertion of non-monetary claims;
• Admiralty law issues and arrest of vessels;
• Arrest of aircraft;
• Corporate deadlock and unfair prejudice;
• Court winding-up of companies;
• Enforcement of foreign judgements and arbitration awards;
• Division of estates;
• Debt collection;
• European Payment Orders (EPOs)

The firm’s litigation team deals with litigation, arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution and provides legal and regulatory advice for clients in a variety of sectors including most notably energy, financial services, manufacturing, construction and aviation.

GVZH Advocates can assist with:

• Sales & Purchases of Properties in Malta & Gozo;
• Lease agreements;
• Turnkey and fit-out agreements;
• Implementation of condominium rules;
• Real estate finance;
• Registration or cancellation of privileges and hypothecs over immovable property;
• Divisions of co-owned property;
• Obtaining of necessary acquisition permits;
• Creation of property-owning trusts;
• Property searches with the Public Registry and Land Registry;
• Co-ordination of planning permits with qualified architectural engineers;
• Co-ordination of notarial services;
• Tax structuring.