Yachting
Santini & Partners has extensive experience in the provision of legal services to the superyacht industry. The firm acts primarily on behalf of UHNW superyacht owners, but also advises top Italian shipyards, brokers, designers and other professionals involved in the construction, ownership, financing and operation of superyachts. Federico Santini, who leads the yacht team, has been involved in some of the most important new constructions in Italy over the last 15 years and his artiles on yachting law are regularly published on the Italian yacht magazine "Barche".
Santini & Partners has the capacity to provide a tailor made assistance to those yacht owners who wish to purchase a new or a second hand yacht and ensures a top class legal assistance in all phases of the construction and acquisition process, as well as in relation to all tax and corporate issues relating to the use and management of a luxury yacht. Always in tune with the yacht industry and with any change in law and regulation in Italy and abroad.
Santini & Partners is able to respond immediately to casualties and crisis management situations worldwide, with assistance from an international network of specialist maritime lawyers, marine surveyors, and loss adjusters.
Federico Santini is a member of the Italian Maritime Association.
Key areas of expertise:
- New build construction
- Refit contracts
- Sale and purchase contracts
- Construction and acquisition financing, re-financing
- Italian, EU and offshore ownership structuring and yacht registration
- Insurance: collision, salvage, marina liabilities, recoveries, policy disputes and drafting
- Commercial agreements (terms of business for designers and managers etc)
- Regulatory matters (Classification, Maritime Labour Convention, Passenger Yacht Code...)
- Manning, employment issues and crew contracts
- Agency and distribution agreements
- Charter and commercial disputes
Our expertise includes:
- Assisting Lebanese owner in relation to a refit contract of a 64 mt. sailing motor yacht actually under refit at a French shipyard, 2015-2016
- Assisting Italian owner in relation to a 21 million euros re-finance contract of a 55 mt. motor yacht, 2015-2016;
- Assisting UK owner in relation to an arbitration proceedings against Italian shipyard in relation to the construction of a 54 mt luxury yacht, 2012-2016;
- Assisting Monaco based yacht broker in relation to a lawsuit for payment of 8 million euros commission against Dutch shipyard pending before the Courts of Amsterdam, 2014-2016;
- Assisting Mexican owner in relation to a shipbuilding contract for a 63 mt aluminium fast motor yacht under construction in Italy, 2014-2015;
- Assisting Italian owner in relation to a shipbuilding contract for a 55 mt steel and aluminium yacht built by Italian shipyard, 2012-2015;
- Assisting Italian owner in the purchase of a second-hand 55 mt. sailing yacht built by New-Zeland shipyard from Maltese owner, 2013;
- Assisting a start-up shipyard in Ancona building VTR motor yachts from 26 up to 39 mt., 2012 - 2014;
- Assisting English owner in the negotiation and execution of a contract for the construction and sale of a 30 mt. fast sailing yacht with an Italian shipyard, 2012-2013;
- Assisting Italian owner in the negotiation and execution of contract for the construction and sale of a 54 mt. motor yacht to be built by an Italian shipyard, 2012-2014;
- Assisting Italian owner in the sale of a second-hand 60 mt. motor yacht to a Spanish entity, 2012;
- Assisting Russian owner in relation to a contract for the construction and sale of a 49 mt. motor yacht built by an Italian shipyard, 2012-2014;
- Assisting Lebanese owner in relation to the execution of a shipbuilding contract for the construction and sale of an 80 mt. motor yacht, 2011-2012;
- Advising Russian investors on the prospective acquisition of a renowned Italian shipyard located in Pisa from the bankruptcy procedure, 2011;
- Assisting 50 mt. yacht's owners in relation to a 1 million euro insurance claim following collision with another yacht, 2011;
- Advising Russian company on a € 200 million mortgage loan with Italian pool of banks for the acquisition of a 134 m. yacht, 2007
