Q: How has your vision for the firm evolved? 

I joined the equity pool in 2018, which is when I took over the commercial and corporate department of the firm. That department has developed very well and is today the largest in Fenech & Fenech in terms of revenue and the number of people within the team. 

When I became Managing Partner in 2021, my key priority was to transition the firm from what was already a successful but family-run, traditional practice into one that is internationalising and becoming more specialised across a broader range of services. 

Q: How has the firm grown during your tenure? 

We have invested significantly in our people and in technology. Over the six years of my tenure, the firm has nearly doubled its revenue and grown from around 35 lawyers to more than 50 legal professionals. Malta’s economy has supported that trajectory, driven by strong performance across tourism, financial services, maritime, aviation, technology, iGaming, pharmaceuticals and, more recently, digital businesses including e-payment services, online banking and crypto assets. 

My focus today remains rooted in a simple principle: preserving the values we have carried since 1891, while ensuring we continue to meet the needs of an increasingly sophisticated international clientele. 

Q: How should UK investors perceive the firm? 

I would like UK investors to look at the firm as a trusted gateway to Malta and, by extension, to the European Union. One of the significant advantages we offer today, particularly for UK businesses, investors and family offices, is that Malta is a fully fledged EU member within the Eurozone. 

We do not see ourselves merely as advisers on Maltese law. We help international businesses understand how the regulatory, commercial and institutional landscape of Malta can support their broader strategic objectives as they internationalise and grow. 

Q: What role does Fenlex play in your offering? 

Part of our offering is Fenlex, a fully licensed corporate services provider owned by the partners of the firm. Fenlex is authorised to establish Maltese structures and companies and provides the full range of corporate services that international clients need to maintain those companies in good standing, including accounting, tax compliance, VAT compliance, payroll and company secretarial services. 

Working together, Fenech & Fenech and Fenlex offer a genuine one-stop-shop solution to clients coming to Malta, from the moment they consider establishing a presence on the island. We can provide tax-structuring advice, handle incorporation and then support all legal and corporate needs for the duration of their time in Malta.

Q: What strategic decisions are shaping the firm’s future? 

Maintaining a service proposition that gives international businesses a genuine one-stop-shop solution remains our primary area of focus. The collective view of our partners and management is that the synergies between Fenlex and Fenech & Fenech represent perhaps the strongest selling point of the organisation. Our investments are therefore going into preserving and deepening that unique proposition. 

We have recently invested in a new ERP system and a new CRM system that serves both organisations on a single platform. On the back of that, we are making significant investments in artificial intelligence from two perspectives: improving administrative efficiency, which ultimately benefits clients through reduced costs, and enhancing the quality of the service we are able to offer. 

Q: How is innovation creating new opportunities for the firm? 

From the client’s perspective, innovation is creating entirely new industries and business models. Areas such as artificial intelligence, digital assets, crypto assets, fintech and other emerging technologies present novel legal and regulatory challenges that require specialised expertise. 

From an internal perspective, I can say with confidence that Fenech & Fenech is ahead of peers insofar as technology is concerned. We see AI as an enabler, and are building our own AI agents and are developing proprietary tools, built on a well-resourced and fully controlled data stack, which ensures unique and accurate output. Long term, we intend to develop products we can license to clients. Within the next five years, we hope to be in a position to offer certain legal services in a fundamentally different manner to the way they are offered today. 

Q: What edge do you give clients with innovative business models? 

Our advantage lies in combining a strong financial services regulatory team with a genuinely technical IT law practice. The head of our IT law department has deep technological knowledge, which gives us a considerable edge in understanding highly technical client propositions and engaging constructively with authorities on the regulatory response. 

Clients approach us with innovative ideas that push the boundaries of the existing regulatory landscape. Fenech & Fenech was one of the firms that spearheaded the regulatory framework that brought the iGaming industry to Malta. Malta became one of the first jurisdictions globally to legislate for the industry, and the results speak for themselves. That willingness to listen to clients, to think creatively and to push regulatory boundaries where there is a genuine opportunity has defined the firm’s methodology for many years. 

An advantage to Malta as a jurisdiction is its size, which facilitates open lines of direct communication with the relevant authorities, bringing new ideas to their attention and assisting with the legislative changes required to get an innovative business model off the ground. 

Q: How significant are language and legal familiarity for UK investors? 

They are extremely significant. Malta is bilingual by constitution, so English is a national language. Our laws are published in English and in Maltese, and all communications with authorities are conducted in English. That transparency matters to international clients, who can follow every step of the process without reliance on translation. 

From a corporate perspective, Malta’s company law system is based on the English law model, derived from the 1985 Companies Act in the UK. For British businesses and investors, it is immediately familiar. When they come to Malta, they will understand precisely how a Maltese company works because it operates in essentially the same way as a UK company. 

Q: What else makes Malta attractive to UK businesses? 

Beyond legal familiarity, Malta is a full EU member within the Eurozone, sits approximately three hours from the UK, operates in virtually the same time zone and is supported by a mature and well-developed professional services industry, including a strong presence from the Big Four. Its location at the centre of the Mediterranean remains strategically relevant: the Freeport continues to perform exceptionally well and is currently exploring expansion. For those who choose to establish a physical presence here, Malta also offers a quality of life that is difficult to match, with over 300 days of sunshine each year. 

Q: Why is now the right moment to invest in Malta? 

Malta continues to offer a compelling platform for UK investors. It is supported by strong professional services, a capable IT sector, a robust financial services industry and a resilient tourism base. It is also, increasingly, a destination for high-net-worth individuals and family offices, with well-developed regulatory frameworks for private aviation and the yachting sector. 

Its location, its institutional stability and its EU membership make it a genuinely safe and credible environment in which to invest and operate. In summary, Malta remains an attractive, credible and well-positioned option for international businesses and UK investors in particular.