On the Owner’s Side. From the First Concept, Through the Deal, to Exit.

As an international yacht lawyer and superyacht legal counsel, Prof. Dr. Christoph Ph. Schließmann advises owners, buyers, family offices and yacht businesses on complex cross-border yacht matters.

A superyacht is not an isolated acquisition. It forms part of the owner’s personal, financial and international overall structure.

Use, ownership, financing, tax, VAT, flag, registration, choice of shipyard, contractual architecture, charter, crew and subsequent operation are all interconnected. Decisions in one area regularly affect others.

That is why we do not advise on yacht projects only at individual points in time.

CPS Schließmann Wirtschaftsanwälte represents the owner from the very first strategic considerations, through selection, negotiation and the transaction itself, and onward into operation and eventual exit.

Ideally, we become involved before the yacht, shipyard and transaction structure have been finally determined. Together with the owner, the family office and the owner’s personal advisers, we develop the strategic, legal, tax and commercial architecture of the project.

We then implement that strategy consistently throughout the project: from selection and tendering to shipyard and contract negotiations, acquisition or new build, financing, delivery, registration and subsequent operation.

First the concept. Then the yacht.

Our approach does not begin with the question of which yacht should be purchased or built.

It begins with the owner’s objectives.

How will the yacht actually be used?

Will it be operated exclusively for private use, commercially, or under a combined model?

Which ownership structure best fits the owner’s assets, residence, family and business environment?

How should financing, VAT, flag, registration, charter, owner use, crew and eventual exit be aligned with that structure?

Which shipyard, contract and project organisation best serve those objectives?

The yacht does not determine the structure. The owner’s objectives determine the structure.

Only once these questions have been answered can a yacht project be structured on a sound legal, tax and commercial basis.

We Represent the Owner – Including in the Deal.

A yacht project involves many highly professional parties. Their interests, however, are not identical.

Shipyards and sellers want to sell. Brokers want to complete a transaction. Financiers and insurers pursue their own commercial interests. Managers, advisers and service providers each have their own responsibilities and objectives.

Our role is different: we represent exclusively the interests of the owner.

And that does not apply only to the strategic phase before the transaction.

We also represent the owner in the transaction itself: in tendering, due diligence, contract negotiations, purchase or build agreements, payment and security structures, warranties, delivery, registration and all related legal and tax matters.

We do not sell yachts, we do not place shipyards, and we do not receive transaction commissions.

This allows us to review proposed structures independently, identify risks openly, defend contractual positions consistently and develop alternatives – even where this may be inconvenient for other project participants.

Independent owner-side advice is not intended to prevent a deal. Its purpose is to ensure that the deal is right for the owner.

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.

From the Deal Through the Entire Yacht Lifecycle.

Our work does not end when the purchase or build agreement is signed.

We represent and support owners throughout the entire lifecycle of their yacht:

Concept → Purchase or Build → Structuring → Financing → Flag and Registration → Delivery → Operation → Crew → Charter → Management → Refit → Disputes → Sale and Exit.

Our role goes beyond isolated legal tasks.

On behalf of the owner, we coordinate and manage legal, tax and operational processes and bring in the specialist expertise required for the project.

Our work includes, in particular:

• international purchase and contract law
• corporate and ownership structures
• tax and VAT law
• financing and security structures
• flag and registration
• private and commercial use
• charter structures
• crew matters and international employment law
• owner-side yacht and charter management
• refit and technical project structures
• warranty and guarantee matters
• damage and casualties
• insurance disputes
• cross-border disputes and litigation
• sale, restructuring and exit

The result is not a collection of isolated solutions, but one coherent owner-side structure throughout the yacht project.

Managing the Whole – Not Repairing Individual Problems.

Many problems in major yacht projects do not arise because a single contract has been drafted poorly.

They arise because decisions concerning ownership, financing, tax, VAT, use, flag, charter, crew and operation were not coordinated early enough.

That is why we combine international business and contract law, corporate law, tax law and VAT with the commercial and operational realities of large yachts.

Our aim is to structure and manage the project in a way that prevents avoidable conflicts from arising in the first place.

And if problems do arise, we already understand the structure and can continue to represent the owner’s interests consistently.

Part of the Owner Team.

A complex yacht project requires its own independent team on the owner’s side.

CPS Schließmann Wirtschaftsanwälte therefore works closely with family offices, private client advisers, tax advisers, wealth managers, independent owner representatives, designers, naval architects, surveyors and technical specialists.

We do not seek to replace their roles.

Within the Owner Team, we provide independent legal and tax leadership and coordinate the interfaces where the yacht project meets the owner’s wider interests.

This is particularly important in the context of family offices: a yacht rarely stands on its own. It must fit into the owner’s existing asset, corporate, financing, succession and family structures.

When Interests Diverge.

CPS Schließmann Wirtschaftsanwälte represents owners not only in structuring, acquisition and operation.

We also represent them when projects become problematic.

For example in cases involving:

• construction defects and warranty claims
• delayed completion or delivery
• failed refit projects
• variations and cost overruns
• disputes arising from yacht purchase agreements
• damage and casualties
• disputes with insurers
• disputes with shipyards, sellers, brokers, managers or other project participants

That experience shapes our advice from the outset.

Those who know where yacht projects can fail later structure them differently from the beginning.

About Prof. Dr. Christoph Schließmann

International Yacht Lawyer | Superyacht Legal Counsel

Prof. Dr. Christoph Ph. Schließmann is a Bar Approved Specialist Lawyer in International Business Law and a Specialist Lawyer in Employment Law.

He combines many years of experience in international business and contract law with extensive experience in complex yacht projects.

He advises discerning yacht owners on strategic structuring, the acquisition and construction of large yachts, international ownership and operating models, tax and VAT matters, as well as disputes and litigation.

At the centre of his work is the independent protection of the owner’s interests – from the first concept through the transaction and ongoing operation to the eventual exit.

Arrange a Confidential Discussion

Are you planning to purchase or build a yacht, review an existing structure, or do you require assistance with operation, charter, refit or a dispute?

Contact us at an early stage.

An initial discussion allows us to understand the project, its objectives and the relevant legal, tax and operational interfaces.

CPS Schließmann Wirtschaftsanwälte
Taunustor 1 · TaunusTurm
D-60310 Frankfurt am Main

E-mail: mail@der-yacht-anwalt.de
Telephone: +49 (0) 69 / 663 779 0

www.der-yacht-anwalt.de

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Your trusted partner for all legal, tax and financial matters relating to large yachts

Prof. Dr. Christoph Ph. Schließmann

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