The Legal 500

Gibraltar > Corporate and M&A > Corporate and M&A

Editorial sections

Other

All countries

Other countries

Hassans has recently strengthened its corporate team with the recruitment of high-profile partner Kenneth Bonavia, previously a corporate partner at DLA Piper’s Madrid office. Bonavia, a Spanish-qualified lawyer, brings a wealth of experience handling complex corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and joint ventures. According to market feedback, ‘Kenneth is an excellent corporate lawyer with a great commercial sense’. Observers highlight Hassans’ strengths in the online gaming sector, with some of its most prominent clients including PartyGaming and 888 Holdings. While senior partner James Levy QC attracts numerous commendations for his outstanding dedication and proficiency in this area, the ‘very capable’ Michael Castiel and the ‘client-oriented’ Peter Montegriffo also receive praise from clients.

Isolas’ senior partner Peter Isola ‘is an outstanding practitioner, clearly one of the best respected names in Gibraltar’. Isola is in charge of financial services, corporate and trust law and is strongly supported by real estate expert partner Elaine Bingham. The firm has advised on major transactions, spanning equity capital markets, including flotations and secondary offerings for Gibraltar registered corporations, corporate governance, regulation and domestic and cross-border mergers, as well as acquisitions in the public and private markets. Clients include international corporates, investment banks and private equity houses. Isolas’ company management business, Fiduciary Management, is the largest in Gibraltar.

Although smaller in size, Triay & Triay boasts an impressive experience across a wide range of corporate issues, including company formation and structuring, M&A (including management buy-ins and buy-outs), corporate finance and corporate restructurings. While the ‘extremely competent’ Javier Triay advises on all company and commercial issues, as well as private client matters, James Rammage is particularly experienced in the shipping sector.

Triay Stagnetto Neish fields a ‘powerful corporate and commercial team’. The firm has represented blue chip companies on a variety of matters, from global restructurings, to corporate financing, corporate governance, M&A and commercial contracts. Managing partner Louis B. Triay heads up the firm’s corporate and commercial and is lauded for his ‘sharp business sense’.

Attias & Levy’s ‘fine’ corporate and commercial practice is spearheaded by name partner Abraham Levy, regarded in the market as ‘a very skilled lawyer’. With a pre-eminent tax expertise, the firm acts for both private clients and international corporates on a wide range of tax-driven commercial work, from the creation of trusts to offshore company formations.

Charles A Gomez, Barrister-at-Law has advised foreign investors on company incorporation in Gibraltar, as well as setting up corporate structures, drafting shareholders agreements, employment contracts and share sale agreements. Name partner Charles Gomez is highly recommended.

Paul Borge, at Cruz & Co, receives praise as being ‘extremely pro-active and commercial-minded’. Borge acts for several international clients, from international banks and corporates to high-net-worth individuals with investments in Gibraltar.

Eric C Ellul & Co has represented an array of foreign clients on incorporation of companies in Gibraltar, tax planning and offshore structuring. Name partners Eric Ellul and Marc X Ellul are recommended.

At Massias & Partners, Isaac Massias stands out for his leading reputation in the market. The firm is regularly involved in setting up corporate structures and purchasing assets for foreign clients.

Stephen Bullock & Company advises on the full spectrum of commercial work, from incorporation of companies in Gibraltar, to M&A, corporate tax planning and shareholders agreements.

Press releases

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to

Legal Developments in Gibraltar

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to
  • Gibraltar – Limited Partnerships

    UK commercial property purchasers lucky enough to find a willing vendor and financier may deem it worthwhile from a stamp duty land tax (“SDLT”) point of view to structure the transaction using a Gibraltar limited partnership (“LP”).
    - Hassans
  • Why Gibraltar as a Jurisdiction?

    The Rock's attractions as a place to conduct international business or establish company structures have been enhanced in recent years by several developments – a warmer relationship with neighbouring Spain has been established and talks on closer cooperation at several levels continue; a new constitution is in place that, while retaining Gibraltar's ties with Britain, gives the Rock greater autonomy; and a glowing report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lauding the high standards of the jurisdiction's regulatory regime was issued at the end of May 2007.
    - Hassans
  • Tax Fact Sheet ‘A home for your Holding Company’

    Many jurisdictions now have in place a specialist “Holding Company Regime”. At present Gibraltar does not distinguish between holding companies and companies for other purposes, but certain characteristics of the overall Gibraltar regime for companies make the jurisdiction particularly attractive.
    - Hassans
  • So you found your ideal house... What next?

    Once you have paid a deposit on a property it is important to note that on the whole, reservation agreements tend to be “subject to contract”. This means that until such time as exchange of contracts is effected either the purchaser or the vendor may withdraw from the transaction at any time. However, you should consider the terms of the reservation agreement very carefully as some estate agents will retain the reservation deposit if the purchaser fails to complete the transaction.
    - Hassans
  • GROWTH IN THE GIBRALTAR FUNDS INDUSTRY

    Following the introduction of the Experienced Investor Fund regime (EIF) a couple of years ago there has been a substantial growth in the Gibraltar funds industry. The number of funds established has been growing at a compound rate and funds now range from $1Million to over $1Billion. The funds invest in all areas of the world including America, Europe, Eastern Europe and the Middle East with investors in a number of different jurisdictions.
    - Hassans
  • Funds find a New Home in Gibraltar

    Despite numerous proposed changes, Gibraltar is well placed to capitalise on to the proposed European Directive controlling Fund Managers, argues Joey Garcia
    - ISOLAS
  • Banking Briefing - November 2009

    An introduction to the banking industry in Gibraltar
    - ISOLAS
  • Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive - Funds find a new home in Gibraltar

    Everyone in the fund industry is more than aware of the European Commission’s draft directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFM). The Directive, generally speaking, will not only affect the European hedge fund industry but also private equity and other sectors including real estate investment products. Needless to say, this is a matter which will no doubt need to be given significant consideration by Gibraltar-based funds and managers in the future.
    - ISOLAS
  • the proposed legislative framework for the incorporation of limited liability partnerships

    The Limited Liability Partnerships Bill 2008 (the “Act”) is little more than a framework piece of legislation, only containing details of incorporation, membership and taxation. The Act empowers the Minister for Finance to adopt regulations, likely to be known as the Limited Liability Partnerships Regulations 2008, to regulate the management and winding-up of limited liability partnerships (LLP(s)).
    - ISOLAS
  • Gibraltar crosses the OECD white line

    At the conclusion of a very busy period of negotiations with a large number of jurisdictions, Gibraltar’s government yesterday signed a further three Tax Information Exchange Agreements (‘TIEA’) with the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Finland. This brings the total number of TIEAs signed by the Gibraltar government to thirteen, one more than the magic number twelve, as a result of which, Gibraltar has now been moved on to the so-called ‘White List’ of jurisdictions that have substantially implemented the internationally agreed standard (see below progress report updated 20 October 2009).
    - ISOLAS

Press releases

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to