Hassans

Firm Details
Managing Partner: Javier Chincotta
Senior Partner: James Levy KC
Head of Fintech: Anthony Provasoli
Number of partners: 45
Number of other fee-earners: 45
International Offices: 1 - Spain
Languages: Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), English, French, Hebrew, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish

Firm Overview:
Hassans International Law Firm Limited is a full service law firm offering services in corporate and commercial,financial services,fintech,litigation,funds,gaming,property,private client,tax and shipping law. Hassans aims to deliver a service consistent with old world values of customer care whilst constantly evolving to embrace new world technology to meet the urgency that today’s world demands.

Together, Hassans and Gibraltar have comprehensive resources and a solid infrastructure to ensure that the firm's legal advice can be executed efficiently. The firm's expertise extends beyond Gibraltar and covers key jurisdictions around the world.

Hassans clients are diverse but their approach is consistent: to understand the firm's clients, provide superior advice and get results. Many of the firm's private clients are highly successful entrepreneurs, the firm help them grow and protect their assets.

As well as individuals, the firm act for companies, from local businesses to Fortune 100 multinationals that operate in a number of jurisdictions. The firm use innovative structures to save them time and money. The firm also advise financial institutions, including the major investment banks and insurance companies, enabling them to set up and run new entities and products.

The firm's status and expertise allows the firm to advise the Gibraltar Government on new laws; Hassans have been instrumental in helping to develop local tax legislation and in 2014, aided the delivery of a new Companies Act and Insolvency Act; an important step for Gibraltar’s businesses, marking us out as a mature and modern marketplace.

Hassans strive to help Gibraltar continue to develop as a sophisticated and well regulated financial centre. The firm welcome measures to prevent money laundering, including initiatives by the EU, Financial Action Task Force and OECD. To this end, Hassans work together with regulators, in particular the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission, to ensure that Gibraltar is a leading and respected offshore financial centre.

Hassans is associated withLine Group, an internationally known fiduciary services provider. It is one of Gibraltar´s leading players in the provision of trustee services, and the incorporation and management of Gibraltar companies and other corporate vehicles in Gibraltar as well as in over 25 other jurisdictions for a worldwide client base.

Hassans Fintech Practice
With over 80 years’ experience, clients receive expertise on all matters related to fintech, DLT or crypto business. The Fintech team works closely with the firm’s established Financial Services practitioners to unite conventional finance practices with the rapidly-developing technology industry. With regard to clients in the blockchain and crypto space, Hassans are able to provide regulatory advice and assistance in obtaining a DLT licence and have experience in conducting token offerings from Gibraltar (both ICOs and STOs). The firm is also well-placed to advise on matters relating to data protection compliance, boasting a team who have been specialising in this area since the early 2000s.

Hassans are also able to generally advise on:
■ Company formation and management;
■ Tax (relating to the corporate structure, beneficial owners and/or employees);
■ Property and employment matters;
■ Litigation/arbitration; and Private client.

The firm's personal relationships with clients go beyond the standard relationship that many clients have with large firms. Hassans stands firmly behind all its clients and assists them in whatever the situation and whatever the problem. Clients will attest to the fact that Hassans are always ready, able and willing to assist. The firm's philosophy is to seek solutions and work through problematic and often complex situations which its clients may face.

Gibraltar continues to be positioned as a leading reputable jurisdiction from which Fintech and other technological businesses may operate. The local industry and professional expertise in Fintech and technological advancements provides an exceptional resource for DLT businesses to utilise. In addition, the legal, fiscal and regulatory environment are embracing and conducive to encouraging further growth in the application of blockchain technology to ever more real-world use cases. Hassans remains poised to continue playing its part in the advancement of this globally transformative technology.

Gibraltar is acknowledged as a robust, credible and efficiently regulated financial centre and an internationally tax compliant jurisdiction, with a strong reputation for high standards and integrity. On the first of January 2018 the Gibraltar Fintech industry took a significant leap forward. The jurisdiction made headlines worldwide by becoming one of the first jurisdictions to enact specific Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) regulations.

Gibraltar’s DLT regulations, based on 9 core principles, marked a significant milestone for the jurisdiction and represent a turning point for the crypto industry as a whole. For observers with a keen interest in DLT, blockchain and crypto in general, it came as something of a shock, as the jurisdiction suddenly emerged as a major player – literally overnight. This milestone created the foundation for a robust regulatory framework for DLT and blockchain businesses to operate and flourish.

In March 2018, the government released its Token Regulation Policy Document with clear definitions on token types and their utility, and the myriad responsibilities of token issuance. The move was welcomed by investors, widely applauded by others within the crypto community and resulted in a surge of licence applications to the Gibraltar government. As with Gibraltar’s gaming industry, however, only the most trusted, top-tier applicants will be granted a coveted operating licence.