Ganado Advocates

Ganado Advocates is a large Maltese law firm with a mainly international client base, working from a restored limestone building at 171 Old Bakery Street in Valletta. It advises companies, banks, funds, shipowners, family businesses and private individuals on Maltese and EU law, and a second office in Luxembourg supports its cross-border work.

For a UK business or investor, it offers specialist teams under one roof: corporate, regulatory, tax, shipping, aviation and disputes. The firm is listed on VisitMalta.co.uk in our directory of lawyers in Malta.

The Malta practice has grown steadily since the 1980s, and its lawyers regularly speak at local and foreign events. For anyone curious about the island itself, the firm's own pitch is simple: Malta has around 300 days of sun a year, 11 blue flag beaches, over 7,000 years of history and three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the whole of Valletta. See our best beaches in Malta and things to do in Malta pages for the leisure side of a business trip.

A long-established firm

The practice traces its roots to the early 1800s, when members of the Ganado family practised law and later sat as judges. The modern firm began in 1951, when Professor Joseph Ganado returned from his doctoral studies in London and continued the practice from the Valletta building that still forms the core of its offices. During the 1960s, as shipping grew in Malta, the work took on an international dimension.

In 1983 the firm moved to a shared partnership and in 1994 it added investment services, funds, banking, insurance and corporate work as Malta prepared for EU accession. It became the exclusive Malta member of the Lex Mundi network of independent law firms in 1995, grew again after Malta joined the EU in 2004, renovated and combined several buildings, some dating from the time of the Order of St John, in 2014, and opened its Luxembourg office in 2019. In 2026 it marked 75 years of practice. Our guide to the Knights of Malta explains the Order that shaped much of Valletta's architecture.

Today more than 120 lawyers and other professionals work at the firm, supported by management and administrative staff. Its ownership is shared, associated lawyers are self-employed and work as a team, and it favours recruiting lawyers with postgraduate qualifications. Several lawyers lecture at the University of Malta, and the firm founded the Institute of Legal Studies, which runs courses for its own people and for outsiders.

The firm has often been at the forefront of local legislative initiatives and has prompted major legislative change in maritime, ship finance, banking, aviation, trusts and investment services. Integrity, responsibility and loyalty are the personal values it looks for, and preparation, creativity and problem-solving are its professional goals. Mentoring and continuous training are part of daily life at the firm, and it dedicates time to developing younger lawyers, which supports continuity for clients whose relationships last many years.

Financial services, funds and banking

Financial services is a core strength. The firm advises on financial markets, banking and finance, capital markets, insurance and reinsurance, fintech and blockchain, financial crime advisory, pensions and financial services regulation. It has been involved in local financial regulation projects and invested early in fintech, covering banking, payments, investments and insurance.

Financial markets work in Malta was once a very local affair, advising issuers and stockbrokers on shares and debt listed on the Malta Stock Exchange. Activity has since grown in volume and complexity, with a rapid rise in regulated investment funds and managers and in licences for insurance vehicles managed from the island, alongside tighter regulation of hedge fund managers, UCITS, credit institutions and market abuse. The firm has taken part in several financial services projects and in the development of local regulation, which has raised its profile in the field.

Its investment services and funds team acts for fund promoters, managers, investment firms and custodians. Help includes fund structuring, offering documents, set-up and authorisation by the Malta Financial Services Authority, ongoing regulatory advice, passporting under MiFID, UCITS and AIFMD, and transactional documents. Working with the firm's other teams, it aims to give an integrated one-stop service for the sector. Readers who want the wider context can use our overview of financial services in Malta.

A governance and company secretarial team advises regulated entities and listed companies on board frameworks, governance manuals, committee structures, board evaluations, director training and the preparation of meeting papers and minutes.

The wider fund practice covers investment services regulation, investment funds, fund custody and asset management, including asset management work run from Luxembourg. In Malta, the regime combines a flexible legal framework, an approachable regulator and a network of double taxation treaties, which is why many financial businesses use the island as their EU base.

Corporate, tax and everyday business law

The corporate and commercial team handles mergers and acquisitions, company set-up and commercial contracts, while other groups cover employment and pensions, data protection and privacy, competition and antitrust, construction, energy and renewable energy, public procurement, restructuring and insolvency, and sustainability and ESG. An affiliate, Ganado Corporate, is authorised by the MFSA as a company service provider.

Tax advice is a separate practice. UK readers weighing a Maltese structure can start with our explainer on Malta's corporate tax structure and the Malta tax guide for UK nationals, and a private client team advises individuals and families. Another team handles intellectual property, media and technology, and recent work includes guidance on artificial intelligence law in Malta.

Shipping, yachts and aviation

Maritime law helped build the firm. It advises on merchant shipping, ship finance, and yachts and superyachts, and it lists aviation among its main sectors. An affiliate, Ganado Management, looks after the regulatory, technical and administrative upkeep of vessels and the companies that own them.

The transport team also covers asset finance and leasing and marine casualty matters. The firm has contributed to local legislation in maritime, ship finance, aviation and trusts. Our about Malta page explains why the island has become an international maritime and aviation centre.

Disputes and community work

The dispute resolution group acts in litigation and arbitration, and the firm also handles restructuring and insolvency matters. Recent publications cover marine casualties, travel law, anti-money laundering reform and AI, which show the practical topics the lawyers follow. The firm's Luxembourg arm, Ganado SARL, is an independent law firm that handles investment funds work and is registered with the Luxembourg Bar.

The firm hosts and joins events such as the Malta Asset Management Forum, in its tenth edition in 2026, and a Family Business Forum on succession planning, governance and access to finance. It supports charities with pro bono legal help and has a green committee for its environmental policy. Chambers and Legal 500 have ranked the firm in 2025 across several practice areas.

Visiting the Valletta office

The Valletta office is on Old Bakery Street, in the heart of the capital. Our Valletta guide helps you plan a visit around a meeting, and if you want to stay overnight, see our page on hotels in Valletta. Valletta is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Upper Barrakka Gardens are a short walk from most central offices.

The firm does not publish its fees. Describe the matter, the countries involved and your timetable, then use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page, and we will pass your message to Ganado Advocates, who will reply to you directly.