At Headway Advisory, we provide specialised advisory services to yacht owners, operators, investors, family offices, and industry professionals. With yachting at the core of our practice, we support both private and commercial projects through every stage of ownership and operation, combining strategic insight with practical execution.
Operating from Malta, a leading international yachting hub, we are uniquely positioned to advise on cross-border structures, EU regulatory frameworks, and the commercial realities of the yachting industry.
Yachting projects require careful planning, informed decision-making, and a clear understanding of regulatory and commercial risks. Our approach is advisory-first: we take the time to understand our clients’ objectives and design solutions that are both compliant and commercially sound.
We work collaboratively with owners, captains, brokers, shipyards, and other professional advisers, acting as a central point of coordination. By combining technical expertise with hands-on industry experience, we help clients navigate complexity, anticipate challenges, and make confident decisions at every stage of the yacht’s lifecycle.
We provide strategic and legal advisory support throughout yacht sale and purchase transactions, from early planning through to completion. Our involvement includes advising on transaction structures, reviewing and negotiating agreements, managing regulatory considerations, and coordinating with brokers, surveyors, and financiers.
Whether acquiring a new or pre-owned vessel or restructuring ownership, we ensure that transactions are approached with clarity, risk awareness, and a strong commercial focus. Our role is to protect our clients’ interests while facilitating efficient and successful outcomes.
We advise on yacht registration under the Malta flag and other recognised jurisdictions, guiding clients through the full registration process and ongoing compliance obligations. This includes advising on private versus commercial registration, statutory certification, and interaction with flag-state authorities.
Beyond initial registration, we support clients with ongoing regulatory requirements, ensuring vessels remain compliant throughout their operational life. Our proactive approach helps prevent issues before they arise, allowing owners and operators to focus on enjoying and running their yachts with confidence.
VAT and tax considerations are often among the most complex aspects of yacht ownership. We provide tailored VAT and fiscal advice, assisting clients in structuring acquisitions, operations, and disposals in a tax-efficient and compliant manner.
Our services include advising on intra-Community acquisitions, importation strategies, place of use considerations, and long-term VAT planning. We work closely with clients and their advisers to ensure that fiscal strategies are robust and aligned with evolving EU and international regulations.
Effective yacht ownership often requires carefully designed corporate structures. As an advisory firm authorised by the Malta Financial Services Authority to act as a Corporate Service Provider, we are able to both advise on and implement ownership and operational structures.
We assist with company formation, governance, substance requirements, and ongoing corporate administration, ensuring structures remain fit for purpose over time. This integrated capability allows us to deliver seamless solutions that bridge strategic advice and practical administration.
Crew and operational arrangements are central to the safe, compliant, and efficient operation of any yacht. We advise on crew engagement structures, contractual arrangements, and operational documentation, supporting owners and operators in aligning their practices with applicable regulatory requirements and recognised industry standards.
We also provide in-house crew payroll services supported by dedicated software, enabling accurate salary processing, reporting, and record-keeping in line with employment and regulatory requirements. This technology-driven approach ensures efficiency, transparency, and consistency across payroll and financial administration.
In addition, we assist with crew certification and endorsement processes with relevant flag administrations, managing applications, renewals, and ongoing compliance to ensure crew remain properly certified and authorised to serve onboard.
Our advice is practical and commercially grounded, designed to support smooth day-to-day operations while mitigating legal, financial, and administrative risk.
Robust financial oversight is a key component of effective yacht ownership and operation. At Headway Advisory, we provide integrated financial management support tailored specifically to the needs of yacht-owning and operating structures.
We assist clients with banking and payment solutions, including account set-up, transaction flows, and ongoing relationship management with financial institutions. Our advice is shaped by an understanding of the practical realities of yacht operations, ensuring that payment structures support both private use and commercial activity in a compliant and efficient manner.
We manage bookkeeping, financial reporting, and statutory obligations for yacht-related entities, coordinating financial data with regulatory, VAT, and corporate requirements to ensure consistency and accuracy.
By combining financial administration with our wider advisory services, we offer clients a streamlined and transparent approach to managing costs, cash flows, and compliance. This integrated model provides clarity and control, supporting informed decision-making and the long-term success of each project.
Andrew is a Lead Advisor at Headway Advisory Limited, where he leads the firm’s yachting practice, having been closely involved in its establishment and continued growth. Andrew, a lawyer by profession, holds a Master’s degree from the International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) and practices primarily in maritime law, with a strong focus on the yachting sector.
Andrew advises yacht owners, operators, managers, brokers, and other yachting industry professionals on a day‑to‑day basis. His practice covers the full spectrum of yachting transactions, including yacht sales and acquisitions, new‑build projects, and major refit and shipyard projects, together with the associated regulatory, fiscal, and structuring considerations. He regularly supports clients throughout the lifecycle of a yacht, from initial project conception and construction, through acquisition and refit phases, to ongoing operation. He is known for his client‑centred and pragmatic approach, taking the time to understand his clients’ objectives and delivering practical, tailored advice that aligns commercial goals with applicable regulatory requirements.
Andrew is also a director of Headway Advisory Limited. Separately, he is an elected member of the Executive Committee of the Malta Maritime Law Association (MMLA), where he actively participates in the association’s yachting subcommittee.
Kaylee is a legal officer at Headway Advisory Limited, with a primary focus on maritime law and the yachting sector. She advises yacht owners, operators, shipyards, and brokers on a broad range of yachting‑related matters, including yacht transactions such as sales and purchases, yacht registration, crewing arrangements, and day‑to‑day operational and regulatory matters. Kaylee is also involved in the setting-up of effective yachting structures and supports clients in efficiently structuring transactions to meet commercial and operational objectives. Combining sector knowledge and a practicality, she provides clear and tailored legal support to both individual and corporate clients. Kaylee is a member of the Malta Maritime Law Association (MMLA) and also forms part of its subcommittees.
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