Alison Vassallo

Areas of Practice
All aspects of maritime law including EU shipping law; Tax treatment of private and commercial yachts; Recognition and enforcement of foreign judgements and arbitral awards; Charterparties and bills of lading; Salvage, towage, pilotage and collisions; Ship arrest and other precautionary measures for obtainment of security; Co ordination of tender procedures involving a maritime element.

Languages
Maltese, English and Italian

Education
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.


Publications

• 29th July 2010 - "Malta - Key Factors in the Choice of the Appropriate Jurisdiction for Registering a SuperYacht", Times of Malta Business Section, International Law Office Shipping & Transport Newsletter, and distributed by MONDAQ. 
• August 6, 2009 - “A review of legal measures to combat maritime violence” - Published in the Times Business
• October 9, 2008 - “The entry into force of the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001 - some considerations on the international regime for compensation of victims of oil spills” – Published in the Times Business
• September 17, 2008 - New Rules for the Place of Supply of Services in Relation to the Hiring of Pleasure Yachts” – Published by the International Law Office
• August 7, 2008 - “New Rules for the Place of Supply of Services in Relation to the Hiring of Pleasure Yachts” – Published in the Times Business
• May 3, 2007 - “Should EU states be Collectively Represented in the IMO” – Published in the Times Business as part of a series of articles on the Green Paper on EU Maritime Policy
• April 5, 2007 - “Sanctions for Marine Pollution” - Published in the Times Business as part of a series of articles on the Green Paper on EU Maritime Policy; co-authored with Ms Lara Saguna
• March 22, 2007 - “Should there be an EU Register” - Published in the Times Business as part of a series of articles on the Green Paper on EU Maritime Policy; co-authored with Dr Ann Fenech

Involments/ Memberships
Malta Chamber of Advocates
Committee Member, Malta Maritime Law Association
Board member of the yachting sub committee within the MMLA
Lecturer on shipping law topics at the Maritime Institute within the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology