Company secretarial support

The need for effective corporate governance practices and procedures increasingly features in clients’ agendas – and that of supervisory authorities. GSL’s corporate services and governance team helps clients identify and comply with their ongoing corporate responsibilities by developing a corporate governance model that not only reflects their specific corporate profile, but also meets local legal requirements and international best practice.

Many companies incorporated in Malta, including listed and regulated entities (principally credit and financial institutions, custodian and payment services providers, insurance companies, investment managers and collective investment schemes), have already had the opportunity to utilise this type of support service.

GSL regularly holds focused awareness and training sessions for board members, aimed at enhancing their knowledge of corporate governance principles. GSL also provides corporate clients with performance appraisals of board members upon request.

As a registered company service provider, GSL may be engaged as company secretary of record. As part of this service, GSL provides infrastructural support for the holding of board meetings in Malta, helping to: plan for and organise meetings, even at short notice; locate suitable venues; prepare and collate documents and board packs; draft meeting minutes; and attend to related organisational tasks.

GSL’s role as company secretary further involves:

• ensuring that all statutory returns and other filings are registered or submitted punctually, with the Malta Business Registry and/or the Listing Authority;
• keeping the meeting minute books, the register of members and of debentures and any other registers or records updated and available for inspection;
• assisting pre and post board meetings by:
  • preparing notices of meetings and agendas for board and committee meetings;
  • collating board papers, providing data and information needed for informed decisions and circulating them among board members;
  • attending board and committee meetings for minute taking;
  • drafting minutes with an efficient turnaround; and
  • communicating board decisions to the relevant persons and monitoring follow-up action as directed by the board.
• assisting pre and post shareholders’ meeting, by issuing notices of AGM, EGM or class member meetings, circulating the agenda and proxy forms, collating the signed proxy forms, attending the meeting, drafting the minutes and handling any other associated tasks; and
• providing ongoing support and guidance to board members on their statutory fiduciary and corporate governance duties, acting as an interface between new board members and existing ones, assisting with induction and integration and holding focused awareness and training sessions on subjects topical and relevant to them.

Registered office

Every Maltese company must have a registered office address which cannot be a P.O. box address but a physical location where documents may be delivered by hand. GSL offers the service of a registered office to its clients. Clients’ post is dealt with in a timely fashion, offering the possibility of a post forwarding service to an address of choice.