Managing Director
Dr. Omar Zerafa
Dr. Zerafa has obtained the degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Malta, following which he has also graduated from the University of Leicester with a Masters in European Union Law specialising in Commercial Law.
Prior to establishing Zerafa Advocates, Dr. Zerafa has worked as an associate with one of the leading financial services law firms in Malta where he was also admitted to partnership, responsible for the structuring and licensing of collective investment schemes, investment vehicles, investment services licence holders including asset management companies and financial institutions. Specialist areas of practice include UCITS, non-UCITS retail funds, AIFs, professional investor funds, corporate finance, investment products, listing of collective investment schemes, online forex trading companies, competition law and cross-border mergers. He was instrumental in redomiciling a number of funds into Malta and has successfully licensed several funds, fund managers and a Forex trading platform. He has also handled the application process of one of the first Binary Options trading platforms in Malta and has served as a Director, Compliance Officer and MLRO on a local Investment Management company.
Dr. Zerafa has a Foundation Certificate in Trust Law and Management awarded by the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners and is a member of the Chamber of Advocates, the International Bar Association, the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners and the Financial Services Lawyers Association (UK).
Director and MLRO
Dr. Emerson Bonello
Dr. Emerson Bonello obtained a Bachelor of Law (Honours) degree before obtaining a Master in Advocacy degree in 2017 from the University of Malta. He has also obtained a Foundation Certificate in Trust Law and Management awarded by the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners, has successfully completed the “Introduction to the Virtual Financial Assets Act” course organised by Institute of Financial Services Practitioners by achieving a pass on the 29th September 2018, and is also a member of the Chamber of Advocates.
Dr. Bonello is currently an Associate within Zerafa Advocates and dedicates a considerable amount of his time researching and providing legal opinions in the field of cryptocurrenices, virtual financial assets, blockchain, and distributed ledger technologies.
He also advises collective investment schemes and investment services licence holders and has been involved in the submission of application for a licence to several collective investment schemes.
Dr. Bonello is also a Director, MLRO and Designated Person to perform the activities of a VFA Agent for Zerafa.io Ltd, an associated company of Zerafa Advocates, which provides the services of a VFA Agent in terms of article 14 of the VFA Act.
Dr. Bonello is also approved by the MFSA to act as Compliance Officer for trustees and company service providers, and is a Compliance Officer for several licensed Company Service Providers in Malta.
Director
Dr. Clint Bennetti
Dr. Clint Bennetti is a lawyer by profession who holds a Master of Arts in Financial Services. He started his career as an associate with a law firm that specialises in financial services and investment services law. During his tenure within the firm he was admitted to partnership. He later joined TMF Group as Director where he was responsible for the day-to-day management and operations of TMF Group’s entities in Malta. At TMF Group, he was Director Client Services of a Company Services Provider, coordinating and managing its business on a day-to-day basis and from a strategic perspective, and Managing Director and member of the trustee committee of a Retirement Scheme Administrator.
Dr. Bennetti has held a number of executive and non-executive directorships as well as company secretary positions in a number of companies in a number of diverse industries. During his career, he was approved by the MFSA to act as a director and money laundering reporting officer for an Alternative Investment Fund Management company for which he coordinated the successful application for a Category 2 Investment Services License. He is currently director, company secretary, MLRO and Compliance Officer of a number of entities that are licensed by the MFSA, including a number of collective investment schemes.
Dr. Bennetti holds a number of professional qualifications including a certificate in Trusts Law and Management and a certificate issued with respect to the Virtual Financial Assets Act by the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners. During his career Dr. Bennetti has attended numerous other courses on topics such as risk management, securities law, compliance, company law, investment services and collective investment schemes. Dr. Bennetti is a member of the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners and the Malta Institute of Management and is registered and an Authorised Registered Mandatory with the Inland Revenue Department of Malta.