VASSALLO ASSOCIATES - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Director, Litigation Lawyer

Abigail qualified as an advocate in Malta in March 2011. She advises on all issues arising in relation to admiralty and shipping disputes, insurance, insolvency and contractual disputes with an international dimension. She advises shipowners and operators, P&I Clubs and insurers, on a wide range of issues relating to personal injury claims, MLC disputes including abandonment of seafarers, collision and pollution incidents, cargo disputes, judicial sales of vessels. Abigail has significant experience of litigation including Civil Court and Court of Appeal hearings, and has advised on numerous ship arrests and injunctions pursuant to Article 37 of the Merchant Shipping Act. In addition, she has experience of managing cross-border litigation, working closely with foreign counsel. Abigail started off her career as an advocate with particular focus on ship and yacht registration and sales and acquisitions of vessels as well as the formation and support of shipping organisations and companies, regularly assisting clients in corporate matters and M&A transactions. She assisted major financial institutions and owners in the financing of vessels and ancillary issues. Education 2015 - Master of Arts in Law with distinction conferred by the University of Malta

Job Titles:

• Master
• Master Mariner

Clive is a master mariner with an excellent reputation of providing consultancy services within the maritime industry. In his experience, Clive specializes in Ship Management internal, external and Tanker Management Self-Assessment (TMSA) Audits, together with a strong merit for introducing new processes, procedures and statutory manuals to product and gas tanker ship management offices. His experience within the tanker industry has also presented him with numerous opportunities of attending to bunker surveys. Having passed countless OCIMF SIRE Vetting inspections throughout his years of working within the tanker industry, Clive has also successfully provided internal vetting services to tanker ship management offices, by preparing both vessel and crew in obtaining exceptional results from vetting inspections carried out by highly regarded oil majors such as REPSOL, ENI, LUKOIL, BP and CEPSA. Apart from experience within the marine compliance sector, Clive is also an approved TEEKAY mooring master, specializing in gas tankers ship to ship (STS) operations, whilst forming part of the Professional Nautical Services Coop Ltd., providing expertise to oil and chemical tanker mooring masters during STS operations. All the above experiences have also led Clive to the Nautical Institute, where he is also called upon to lecture OOW students as visiting lecturer.

Job Titles:

• Managing Director
• Senior Consultant
• BSI ACP Consultant
• Education

Having served as managing director for a quality management system consultancy firm for over a decade, David has offered his expertise to various industries in the development, implementation and monitoring of quality management systems, which includes Computing firms, Governmental Institutions and aerospace organisations. David's background and qualifications in mechanical engineering, occupational health and safety, and business management provides our customers with the ability of establishing the necessary processes and safe systems of work, ensuring their competence in complying to the highest of industry standards is achieved in the shortest possible time frame. His "Management of Change" skills, has assisted companies in implementing major alterations in their business models both in terms of systems applications and process changes. Having been registered as a BSI ACP consultant, his assistance has covered a wide range of industries that includes manufacturing, construction, retail, security, marketing and public services. Up to the time of writing this profile, David has exhibited a 100% success rate in the implementation of standards certification into National and International Businesses, providing our clients with the optimal solutions in achieving the necessary qualification standards. Education MBA Masters in Business Administration

Job Titles:

• Master Mariner

A Master Mariner for the past twenty years, Gordon has extensive experience working in various sectors within the marine industry. After having spent his first eleven years working on board ships in all ranks, Gordon was subsequently employed in a ship management office, where he became well versed in various roles ranging from marine superintendent to fleet operations manager, the latter of which proved highly beneficial to the company after having graduated as a Master in Business Administration in 2008. Having undertaken specific training relating to incident investigation and risk assessments, Gordon is a member of a pool of experts who has on countless occasions attended to incident investigations on behalf of Marine Safety Investigation Units, Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Clubs, Hull and Machinery (H&M) and cargo insurers, where his experience working in the tanker industry has proved fundamental in delivering a high degree of expertise to our clients, whilst proposing recommendations for the prevention of incident recurrence to the industry as best practice guidance. Gordon has over the years conducted technical inspections and suitability survey reports for oil and gas tankers and DP platform support vessels assessing the suitability of ships for charterers and buyers. Apart from having the necessary experience in both ship management and incident investigations, Gordon has also provided professional advice and guidance to masters of vessels participating in ship to ship operations as STS Superintendent.

Job Titles:

• Co - Founder of Dynamic Surveys
• Co - Head of DP, Principal Surveyor

A master mariner for over 30 years, Hugh has extensive experience in working with offshore vessels, both on board as Captain, and also as a marine surveyor. Hugh is a co-founder of Dynamic Surveys, which became the DP division within Vassallo Associates. Hugh is an IMCA approved DP practitioner and writes FMEAs, vessel-specific DP operation manuals and DP trials programmes. He conducts DP trials on a variety of vessels. He is a HAZMAT expert, approved by DNV, and carries out IHM surveys. He is also an IMCA approved AVI eCMID inspector and has conducted inspection on many types of offshore vessels. Over the years Hugh has been heavily involved in marine consultancy, conducting technical inspections, suitability surveys and CMID audits. Qualifications STCW 95 Master's Certificate (Unlimited)

Job Titles:

• Auditor / Lead Auditor, Lloyd 's Register

Job Titles:

• Consultant

Joe is the longest-serving employee at Vassallo Associates, having joined back in 1987, where he has consistently proved himself as a leading claims manager primarily involved in matters concerning damage to third parties, crew and stevedore medical complications, pre-shipment inspections, cross stuffing and tallying surveys, liability claims handling, adjustment and settlement of cargo claims, and other general disputes. His attendance and surveying expertise is paramount in safeguarding the clients' interests, which includes the Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Insurance clubs on behalf of vessels calling into Maltese Ports and Territorial Waters. On a day to day basis, Joe's agility to adapt to challenges presented by new matters and technologies makes him the ideal candidate to provide tailored solutions to clients by offering his expert advice with claims and other potential incidents which might involve asset damage and business interruptions. Prior to joining Vassallo Associates, Joe was also employed within a local insurance agency, providing expertise within the claims department, for over five years. This puts Joe at the forefront of insurance claims management with experience of over thirty-eight years.

Job Titles:

• Claims Manager

Joe's excellent communication skill set, together with a respectable decision-making aptitude, provides clients with the ultimate tailor-made support for claims ranging from potential incidents involving asset damage to business interruptions, potentially leading to third party claims. Throughout his career, Joe was involved in quality auditing and surveying. During his tenure as a surveyor, he was responsible for damage surveys, pre-shipment inspections, cross stuffing surveys, tallying surveys, refrigerated and frozen cargo surveys, liability claims handling, adjustment and settlement of cargo claims and recovery action. His unparalleled customer relationship abilities and substantial experience in claims management provides cargo clients with the best possible support and solutions thereby ensuring an optimal level of service. Whilst working in quality administration, Joe also gained extensive experience in ensuring adherence to cargo procedures, customer satisfaction monitoring and internal audits, making him the perfect candidate to ensure that a company's objectives and goals are achieved. Apart from the decades of experience, he holds certificates for Quality Auditing (ISO), Health and Safety, Marine Insurance, First Aid, Management & Competence and Cargo Surveying.

Job Titles:

• Consultant Master Mariner

Joe started his career at sea in 1983 and served in all ranks onboard various types of world-wide trading ships for over eighteen years, the last five as master. Following his years at sea, Joe worked within ship management serving as marine superintendent, fleet manager and director for a fleet of ships including tankers, offshore supply vessels and high-speed ro-ro passenger crafts. During his time working ashore within a ship management office, Joe was involved in new buildings, dry-dockings and conversion of ships. This experience is essential when attending as an expert on behalf of Protection and Indemnity (P&I) and Hull and Machinery (H&M) Clubs, enabling him to provide accurate analysis of an incident and any relevant costings to our principals. Having obtained his Master of Laws Degree combined with his technical expertise, he has comprehensive, first-hand experience and knowledge of the complex interplay between the various interests involved in the maritime sector, enabling him to provide an efficient, cost optimised and exceptional standard of service based on sound principles of confidentiality, discretion and professionalism. He is an appointed marine expert and investigating officer by the Law Courts and the Marine Safety Investigation Unit of Malta, respectively and a member of the Malta Maritime Law Association, sitting on the Merchant Shipping, Salvage and MLC 2006 sub committees.

Job Titles:

• Managing Director, Litigation Lawyer

John acts as the firm's managing director, having been involved with the company since 2002. He deals with all aspects of shipping litigation, including both P&I and FD&D issues, marine insurance and coverage disputes and other shipping-related commercial disputes. John advises on ship arrests, forced sale of vessels, demurrage claims, charter party disputes, stevedore damage and other incidents caused by third-parties, personal injury, crew illness and death, as well as carriage of goods disputes and cargo claims. John is a qualified advocate in Malta.

Job Titles:

• Principal Consultant

After graduating with a Mechanical Engineering degree at Loughborough University, Mike built up a career in Quality Management at the world's leading manufacturer of pneumatic and motion control technology, with a global reputation for innovation. He started out as a Quality Engineer at the business which was focused on helping customers countrywide to solve their factory automation challenges, offering solutions from a range of 12,000 standard items (with some 700,000 variations) and bespoke products for specialised requirements. As a Quality Engineer, Mike focussed on metrology, product nonconformance investigations, supplier management, and internal auditing. Subsequently, Mike took on the role of Quality Manager overseeing Quality Assurance, Quality Inspection, Environmental and Health & Safety teams, and was responsible for reporting on QHSE performance, leading process improvement projects, customer complaints and investigations (root cause analysis, CAPA, 8D), APQP & PPAP, fulfilling compliance obligations, continuous improvement and supplier audits. He was responsible for implementing, maintaining and integrating certified management systems ISO9001:2015, ISO14001:2015, and ISO45001:2018, while simultaneously completing an MSc in Strategic Quality Management at the University of Portsmouth, graduating with distinction.

Job Titles:

• Marine Engineer and Naval Architect
• Mechanical Engineer and a Naval Architect

Having graduated as a mechanical engineer and a naval architect, together with over seven years of experience working in the marine industry, Paul endeavours in providing expertise to third parties by using a skill base and aptitudes within both the engineering and maritime sectors. His experience in the maritime industry kickstarted as a Flag and Port State Control inspector within the Maltese Maritime Flag Administration - Transport Malta, the largest merchant shipping Flag Register in Europe and the sixth largest in the World, inspecting cargo ships, tankers, ro-ro ferries and passenger ships for compliance with International Regulations. Paul moved on to a shore position within a chemical tanker ship management office, where his primary responsibility for the following four years, was introducing processes and procedures within the Company's Safety Management System to comply with the OCIMF Vetting Inspection Questionnaire (VIQ) guidelines, and the Tanker Management Self-Assessment (TMSA), as marine superintendent. He was also responsible in ensuring that company vessels are in line with the said requirements by undertaking constant internal vetting inspections on board company vessels and attending for external oil major inspections in the likes of REPSOL, LUKOIL and BP. Paul has also provided marine consultancy services throughout the marine industry, including overseeing loadout operations as lashing consultant and attending on behalf of Protection and Indemnity (P&I) and Hull and Machinery (H&M) Clubs specialising in machinery malfunctions and damages to hull and other load line requirements. Paul is also an appointed Government Surveyor acting on behalf of Transport Malta. In this capacity, he inspects yachts for compliance to the Maltese Flag requirements as set out in the Commercial Yacht Code. Education 2020 NEBOSH - International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety 2017 IRCA QMS Auditor / Lead Auditor, Lloyd's Register 2015 ISM Lead Auditor, Lloyd's Register 2013 Master of Science (M.Sc.) - Naval Architecture, University of Southampton 2012 Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering (B.Eng. (Hons.)), University of Malta

Job Titles:

• Architect
• Mechanical Engineer
• Marine Engineer & Marine Warranty Surveyor

Stephen is a mechanical engineer and naval architect and is a member of the Society of Offshore Marine Warranty Surveyors (SOMWS). He has extensive expertise in undertaking condition surveys across a variety of vessels, including pre-bidding, pre-purchase and pre-entry surveys as well as suitability surveys, internal audits and pre-vetting inspections. Throughout the years Stephen has been involved in a variety of marine operations and projects around the world. Stephen is also in possession of a Seaman's booklet. Stephen commenced his career as a Naval Architect at a consultancy firm in UK. Being engaged on international O&G projects, at an early stage, Stephen has developed quickly his knowledge and experience in the offshore industry. Stephen even worked as a technical and lead engineer in several offshore projects and was responsible to review and approve technical documents related to load-outs, transportations together with installation marine operations. Stephen has assisted in managing projects under different roles over the years (from Package Manager to Project Manager). He was responsible for managing a complex USD 3m package, in Republic of Congo, involving the suitability of 24 vessels and security of an entire oil field subsea assets from fabrication yard to offshore installation. As a Marine Warranty Surveyor, Stephen has been heavily involved in approving the engineering documents, managing the suitability of a fleet of vessels and approving, on behalf of the underwriters, their respective marine operations in Norway, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Libya, Qatar and Russia. The projects involved him in the shore pull operations, flexible/rigid pipelay installation across the Bosphorus, Black Sea, Baltic Sea and North Sea; the hook-up installation of FPU in the Mediterranean; and the land transportation of the mass-produced (>1000mT) topsides and their respective sea transportation from South Korea to Finland and then finally to Kazakhstan. Among other heavy lift projects, Stephen was also involved in the installation operation of a 3000mT Topside and its respective jacket. Education B. Eng. Hons. (Mech), University of Malta M.Sc. in Marine Engineering Sciences and Naval Architecture, University of Southampton

Job Titles:

• Co - Founder of Dynamic Surveys
• Co - Head of DP, Principal Surveyor
• Radio Officer

Ursula has been employed in the marine industry all her working life, the last fourteen years as a marine surveyor. Ursula is a co-founder of Dynamic Surveys which started in 2010. This became the DP division within Vassallo Associates in 2021. Ursula originally trained as a radio officer and has positions both ashore and at sea. Her experience ranges from vessel ownership and management, where she was responsible for ISM, ISPS, Class and Flag requirements, together with the general efficient and cost-effective running of the company vessels, refit projects, suitability surveys and other technical management services. Ursula is a DP surveyor with extensive experience in writing FMEAs, DP Operations manuals, carrying out annual FMEA proving and reverfication trials.