Ann Fenech

Ann Fenech is our exclusively recommended Marine Litigation expert in Malta on the Advisory Excellence website. If you need assistance in this area, please contact Ann directly using the contact details listed above.

Ann is the Managing Partner of Fenech and Fenech Advocates, and the Head of the Marine Litigation Department. After qualifying in 1986 she joined the shipping and commercial firm of Holman Fenwick and Willan in London where she stayed until 1991 prior to joining New Orleans firm of Chaffe, McCall, Phillips Toler and Sarpy.

She is the President of the Malta Maritime Law Association, Committee Member of the European Maritime Law Association and recently elected member of the Comité Maritime International.

Ann Fenech deals exclusively with ship related issues and has now gained extensive experience in the handling of the whole spectrum of ship related matters including disputes arising out of Charterparties and Bills of lading both in terms of preliminary issues such as jurisdiction, title to sue, time bar, limitation as well as issues on the merits; Disputes arising out of ship building and ship repair contracts; disputes arising out of salvage, collision, towage and pilotage; the provision of the immediate response and assistance necessary following a casualty and disputes arising out of the casualty; disputes arising out of the carriage of petroleum products and in particular shortage claims, contamination claims, off speck fuel oil etc; handling the pre contractual and contractual negotiations between vendors and purchasers in ship sale and purchase contracts; substantial experience in the arrest of vessels and the issuing of other similar procedures with a view to obtaining security for claims and / or defending claims.

Recent and current cases in which she is involved include acting for Finaval S.p.a in their action against Scorpio Ship Management in which case the Court of Appeal in July 2010 awarded Finaval S.p.a $22.5 million – being the highest amount of damages ever awarded by a Maltese Court; acting for the Government of Malta together with the Attorney General of Malta in the defence of a case brought by the European Commission against the Republic of Malta claiming an alleged breach by Malta of Regulation 3577 before the European Courts of Justice – this case was decided in October 2010 whereby the claim of the European Commission against Malta was dismissed with costs;   acting  for the Privatisation Unit of the Government of Malta in the privatisation of Malta Shipyards Limited, Manoel Island Yacht Yard, Malta Superyachts Facilities, and the Ta’ Xbiex and Msida  Yacht Marinas; acting for the gas carrier Sichem Pandora in an alleged collision between it and the fishing vessel Klein Familie in the English Channel; acting for the owners of the Coral Water in a collision with Mare Blu fish farm in Malta.

Firm Overview:

Fenech & Fenech Advocates, founded in 1891, is one of the leading law firms in Malta. The firm has evolved to a full-service firm which is today a recognised leader in a number of areas including Shipping and Maritime Law, International Trade, Financial Services and TMT Law.

The firm draws on the human resources of its over 30 lawyers and its associated company, Fenlex Corporate Services, which enables it to offer circa 70 qualified persons to service the requirements of various clients.

Fenech & Fenech Advocates is a true multi-disciplinary firm catering fully for the needs and exigencies of the local as well as international market and ensuring that the demands of  its diverse clients are always met on time. A number of service companies that form the Fenlex Group of Companies were incorporated as subsidiaries of the firm in order to ensure that the firm’s clientele could benefit from even more comprehensive services.

The law firm is housed in three adjoining town houses that date back to the era of the Knights Hospitallier of St. John’s presence in Malta (late 16th to early 17th century) in the heart of Valletta, Malta’s capital, a UNESCO World Heritage City.