Prof. Dr. Christoph Ph. Schließmann & Team
Der-Yacht-Anwalt® is the specialist point of contact for complex yacht purchases, yacht construction, refits, flagging, ownership and tax structures, charter and the operation of large yachts.
Kontakt aufnehmenWe understand your yacht – from a legal, tax and financial perspective
and support discerning yacht owners, entrepreneurs, family offices, investors, shipyards and operators with complex yacht projects – offering a personalised, independent and internationally experienced service.
A large yacht is more than just an asset. It is an investment, a life project, a mobile business and an international legal matter all rolled into one.
That is precisely why the purchase, construction, refit, flag, registration, charter, crew and tax structure must all be considered together from the very outset.
You want to focus on your yacht. We take care of the legal, tax and financial structure: from contract review and compliance, through tax and ownership structure, to flag, registration, charter, crew and day-to-day operations.
Our services as The Yacht Attorney
- Yacht Purchase & Sale
- Review and drafting of purchase agreements, due diligence, escrow, warranties, payment processing, flag, registration and handover.
- Yacht Construction & Refit
- Support for new-build and refit projects: shipyard contract, scope of work, payment schedule, construction progress, amendments, defect management and final acceptance.
- Flag Selection & Registration
- Structuring of flag state, ownership model, registration, type of use and operational management.
- Tax Structuring & VAT
- Legally and fiscally sound models for private and commercial use, charter, EU-related matters and international yacht structures.
- Ongoing legal and fiscal support
- Legal & Fiscal Project Management during ongoing yacht operations – from contractual issues to coordination with advisers, managers and international partners.
- Crew employment law
- Advice on crew contracts, social security, employment law structures, liability and international regulations.
Services for property owners, entrepreneurs and family offices
Whether it’s buying a yacht, building a new one, refitting, choosing a flag, registration, tax structuring, a charter model or day-to-day operations: we don’t view yacht projects in isolation, but rather as an interplay of legal, tax, financial and international implementation considerations.
Yacht Assessment – an initial overview
This structured questionnaire will help you assess whether a yacht ownership and charter model is generally suited to your financial profile and objectives. The assessment covers your place of residence, investment parameters, business intentions and structural requirements.
This self-assessment is intended solely as an initial structural guide. Please do not enter any confidential documents, personal client data or sensitive details relating to specific cases. Any legal or tax assessment will be carried out exclusively within the framework of a separate engagement.
🌐 International presence at key yachting destinations
This allows legal, tax and operational matters to be coordinated across borders without losing sight of the bigger picture of the yacht project.
Yacht projects regularly involve multiple jurisdictions. That is why we work with trusted partner law firms, tax experts, specialists and industry professionals in key yachting locations – including Croatia, Malta, Italy, Spain, France, Cyprus and the USA.
About Prof. Dr Christoph Ph. Schließmann
Specialist solicitor in international commercial law and employment law. With a passion for yachts and in-depth legal expertise, he supports discerning clients – owners, shipbuilders, operators and investors – through every legal stage of their maritime projects.
>> Interview mit Christoph Schließmann in FEINE ADRESSEN November 2025
📰 Latest news on the SUPERYACHTFORUM
Stay up to date with the latest developments in yacht law, tax changes and industry-specific topics on our blog:
SUPERYACHTFORUM.EU
Please contact us
Benefit from a thorough, independent and confidential assessment of your case.
- ✉ E-Mail: mail@der-yacht-anwalt.de
- ☎ Telefon: +49 (0) 69 / 663 779 0
- 📍 Standort: Frankfurt am Main – europaweit tätig sowie USA
Everyone involved in designing, building, selling, registering, operating or managing a yacht is working towards a single goal: to ensure that the owner can enjoy their yacht as comfortably and hassle-free as possible. This is a challenging and far from straightforward objective, as yachts are, on the one hand, not standardised assembly-line products and, on the other, floating businesses operating in a dynamic and complex environment and across varying legal jurisdictions. Only when all processes work together in pursuit of this goal can the task be fulfilled.
Our role is to ensure that all legal and tax-related processes throughout a yacht’s lifecycle are as legally sound and hassle-free as possible. We offer bespoke solutions, not templates. Every owner’s investment must be developed and managed in accordance with their unique circumstances. We therefore offer only those holistically coordinated and internationally cross-jurisdictional services and full-service packages that allow both the owner and us to sleep soundly.
This is precisely where one must not compare ‘apples and oranges’. Hardly any mandate involving large yachts is without an international dimension or spans multiple jurisdictions. Here, conflicting legal cultures often collide, and solutions must be found at the interfaces. Expertise and, above all, experience in international (yacht) law are therefore indispensable for understanding and managing tasks that span multiple jurisdictions and the resulting complexity. Experience shows that no yacht dealer or agency possesses such expertise, even if some advertise that they can offer “smart” tax solutions, etc. Furthermore, they are not authorised to provide legal or tax advice and are not liable for doing so.
Over many years, we have established partner offices and joint ventures in Croatia, Malta, Italy, Spain, France, Cyprus and the USA, as well as a network of industry specialists such as experts and yacht managers, ensuring the best possible on-site support.
Your enquiry is in good hands!
A passion for yachts meets professional expertise:
I vouch for the quality of our service with my reputation and over three decades of experience in international business.
Prof. Dr Christoph Schließmann and team
Your trusted partner for all legal, tax and financial matters relating to large yachts
Prof. Dr. Christoph Ph. Schließmann
A special service will continue to be available in 2026 at the yachting hotspots around the Mediterranean
Persönliche Yacht-Sprechstunde mit Prof Dr. SchließmannAusgewählte Informationen
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