Jotham Scerri-Diacono > Ganado Advocates > Valletta, Malta > Lawyer Profile

Ganado Advocates
171 OLD BAKERY STREET
VALLETTA VLT 1455
Malta

Work Department

Ship Registration and Shipping Litigation; Environment, Energy and Renewable Energy

Position

Jotham Scerri-Diacono is a Partner within Ganado Advocates’ shipping team, with particular focus on ship registration, shipping litigation and maritime law generally. Jotham also regularly advises and assists clients on corporate law and dispute resolution.

Jotham sits on a number of Committees and Boards involved in maritime and environmental law. He lectures and is an examiner at the University of Malta on topics dealing with shipping and advocacy. He regularly writes and contributes articles on maritime law in various local and international journals.

Jotham has acted for major banks, owners and buyers in arrest and sale of vessels in Malta. He regularly assists clients with the registration of yachts under the Malta Flag.

In 2020, Jotham chaired the subcommittee of the Malta Maritime Law Association (MMLA) dealing with amendments to Maltese maritime law and concluded the ambitious task of drafting proposed amendments to the COCP and the MSA, which proposals are currently being discussed by a working group purposely set up to finalise this endeavour. During the same year, a task force led by Jotham proposed to the transport authorities revamped “policy and procedures on the application of the tonnage tax scheme regarding time/voyage charters”, which policy and procedures have now been taken on board by the said authorities.

Career

Ganado Advocates, Partner: 2009
Visiting Lecturer and Examiner since 2007 in the LL.D and LL.B courses offered by Faculty of Laws of the University of Malta
Ganado Advocates, Senior Associate: 2000
Ganado Advocates, Associate: 1994

Languages

Maltese, English and Italian

Memberships

Admitted to the Maltese Bar, Superior Courts of Malta
Member of the Chamber of Advocates
Member of the International Bar Association
Member of the Executive Committee of the Malta Maritime Law Association
Honorary Member of the Association of Fellows and Legal Scholars of the Centre for International Legal Studies
Member of the Maritime Legislative Advisory Council
Member of the Domestic Arbitration Panels (Maritime and General Civil/Commercial), Malta Arbitration Centre
Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK
Executive Council Member, Malta Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energies Association (MEEREA)
Secretary/Treasurer of the International Propellor Club, Port of Valletta
Member of the University Maritime Platform

Education

Diploma International Commercial Arbitration (2006) (UK Chartered Institute of Arbitrators)
Certificate in Trusts law & Administration 2004 (Malta)
Master of Laws (LL. M)(Maritime Law) 1994 (I.M.L.I.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D) 1993 (Malta)

Lawyer Rankings

Malta > Shipping

(Leading individuals)

Jotham Scerri-DiaconoGanado Advocates

Ganado Advocates’ practice stands out for its ‘tremendous strength in depth‘. The team regularly represents financial institutions and shipowners in the registration of vessels and mortgages, yachting matters, and ship finance issues, to name a few areas. Karl Grech Orr and Jotham Scerri-Diacono are recognised for their expertise in advising on ship and yacht registrations and ship mortgages. Daniel Aquilina, Matthew AttardCaroline Risiott and Matthew Xerri are active on ship finance, loan restructuring and mortgage enforcement matters, as well as shipbuilding contractual issues. Christine Cassar Naudi brings experience in tax matters.