Managing Director
François qualified as an Avocat (French lawyer) in 2016 and created the French Desk at Mifsud & Mifsud Advocates. He is now registered at the Bars of Paris and Malta.
He is also presently a Marine Consultant, a Maritime Arbitrator at the ‘Chambre Arbitrale Maritime de Paris’, and a member of the Malta Maritime Law Association.
He started his marine career in 1986 and is a Master Mariner and a Chief Engineer. He was a Master of crane barges, drill-ships and semi-submersibles, on anchors and DP systems. He was then a Le Havre port Maritime Pilot from 2000 to 2013, during which time he participated in and was a speaker on legal aspects at the European Maritime Pilots Association and International Maritime Pilots Association events.
After starting to read law in 2003, he obtained a PhD in Law from Sorbonne University in 2012 and is the author of articles, in English and French, for law journals and maritime publications. Locally, he was elected Judge for the Commercial Court of Le Havre where he served for several years.
For many years, François has been an active member and is a Fellow of The Nautical Institute. He is the Vice-chairman of The Nautical Institute Technical Committee and has been a delegate at the IMO since 2009.
Publications
- Sept. 2015:
Technical Editor and Co-author of the book “Improving Ship Operational Design”, 2nd Ed., The Nautical Institute.
- May 2015:
Co-author of the book “The Nautical Institute on Command, 3rd Ed., The Nautical Institute.
- Spring 2015:
“Le “squat””, in Gazette de la Chambre, n°37, pp.4-5 of the CAMP.
- Nov. 2014:
« Le pilotage portuaire en France », in Questions Internationales, La documentation Française, n°70, pp.53-55.
- Aug. 2014:
Co-author of “Fasc. 1181 Pilotage”, in JCl Transport, LexisNexis.
- Spring 2014:
“Immunity and Exemptions”, Section 1.4 in Chapter I Legal and Statutory, in IMPA on Pilotage, Witherby Seamanship International.
- Winter 2012/2013:
Article on the first ship in the world specially designed and built to accommodate Nickel ore that can liquefy: « Le “Jules Garnier II” », in Gazette de la Chambre, n°30, p.8 of the Paris Maritime Arbitral Chamber (CAMP).
- 2011/2012:
« La liquéfaction des chargements de nickel », in Gazette de la Chambre, n°26, pp.2-3 and n°27, p.4 of the CAMP.
- Spring 2011:
« Le concept « e-navigation » », in Gazette de la Chambre, n°25, p.3 of the CAMP.
- May 2011:
« L’acquittement d’un pilote du Saint-Laurent », in French Maritime Law Journal, Le Droit Maritime Français (DMF) n°725 of the, pp.460-467.
- Jan. & Feb. 2011:
« La responsabilité disciplinaire et pénale du pilote maritime », in DMF n°721, pp.3-12 and n°722, pp.103-114.
- Jun. 2010:
“Criminalisation – Pilots in the hot seat”, in Seaways, June 2010, p.21.
- Mar. 2010:
« OMI LEG 96 », in DMF n°712, pp.235-237.
- 5th Jun. 2009:
« La criminalisation du pilote », in Merchant Navy Journal, Journal de la Marine Marchande n°4672 of the, pp. 18-19.
- Jul. – Aug. 2008:
« La responsabilité civile du pilote », in DMF n°694, pp. 595-609.
Professional Memberships
- Barreau de Paris
- World Link for Law
- Malta Maritime Law Association
- Chambre Arbitrale Maritime de Paris
- The Nautical Institute
- Association Française de Droit Maritime (AFDM)
Areas of Specialisations
- Maritime and Shipping
- Aviation and Transportation
- Commercial and Corporate
- Employment Law in Malta
(+356) 27237172
fmgl@mmps.com.mt
Languages: French, English and Spanish
