K. Sokolov Archive

The Legal Architects: Hassans and the Inner Circle

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Editorial Team

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June 25, 2026

No major project moves in Gibraltar without the machinery of Hassans International Law Firm, the territory’s dominant legal player. Three names are particularly relevant.

According to former Gibraltar lawyer Robert Vasquez, three key figures from Hassans are visible in the official photographs surrounding the Pelagos Data Centre announcement: Fabian Picardo (Chief Minister and former Hassans partner), Tony Provasoli (Hassans consultant), and James Levy CBE KC (Hassans senior partner).

The Pelagos Data Centres launch event, 4 September 2025. Pictured (from left to right): Tony Provasoli, Joe Bossano, Fabian Picardo, Konstantin Sokolov, Christian Ryan, James Levy. (Source: HM Government of Gibraltar)

Fabian Picardo, the Chief Minister who announced the Pelagos project, is not a politician who occasionally consults lawyers. He is a lawyer. Before entering politics, Picardo was a partner at Hassans for a decade. He remains a barrister. But his role in the Pelagos project must be read against the backdrop of the McGrail Inquiry (December 2025). The McGrail Inquiry sharply criticised Picardo’s conduct, describing aspects of his intervention as “grossly improper” and “sinister” when he summoned the police commissioner to his office in a “frenzy of rage” — specifically to protect James Levy from a search warrant. The judge concluded that Picardo was acting not for Gibraltar’s reputation, but “to protect Mr Levy, his lifelong friend and mentor.”

Tony Provasoli, a consultant at Hassans, has been the legal adviser to the Gibraltar Government on privatisations and telecoms. He has also acted for Gibtelecom. The man who wrote the rules on telecoms and state assets is now positioned to advise a data centre that needs both. Unlike Picardo and Levy, Provasoli does not appear in the McGrail scandal. But his role is quietly more important: he knows exactly how Gibraltar’s regulatory framework operates because he helped shape parts of it.

Then there is James Levy CBE KC, the firm’s senior partner. Levy is not a lawyer. He is the lawyer. He advised the government on developing Gibraltar as a finance centre, on anti-money laundering legislation, and on banking and insurance laws. He is described in legal directories as “a once-in-a-generation lawyer” and “the quintessential solution provider”. In plain English, if a project requires a legal framework to be expanded, amended, or interpreted in novel ways, Levy is the man. But his name also appears in the McGrail Inquiry. The police obtained a search warrant for Hassans offices in connection with an alleged conspiracy to misappropriate a national security contract. Levy was a beneficiary of the company (36 North Limited) that bid for that contract — while Picardo, as Chief Minister, was in a position to influence the outcome. Levy was formally eliminated from the suspect list in October 2020. But the stain remains.

The Pelagos Data Centres is not just an engineering challenge. It is a legal and political construction. Picardo provides the political cover. Provasoli manages the regulatory plumbing. Levy solves the intractable problems. The renders come from UPP. The enabling architecture comes from Hassans.

For US/Armenia/Russia businessman Konstantin Sokolov, this is the dream team. Picardo can open doors that remain closed to most applicants.  Provasoli knows every regulatory shortcut. Levy has a reputation for finding solutions to problems others consider impossible.

What Hassans Will Likely Solve for Pelagos

A project of this size cannot happen in Gibraltar without legal engineering. Here is what Fabian Picardo, Tony Provasoli, and James Levy bring to the table.

1. Land where there is no land

The renders show buildings on marine columns. Legally, this is not “land” in the traditional sense. Territorial waters are Crown land, not private property. The government can grant a marine lease or a concession over the seabed without a public tender. No demolition costs. No compensation to existing tenants. No land acquisition budget. Hassans knows exactly which clauses in the 2009 Development Plan are silent about “construction over water” — and how to make use of that silence.

2. Tax incentives without parliamentary debate

Gibraltar already offers attractive corporate tax rates (12.5% standard). But for a £1.8 billion investment, Pelagos will expect more — definitely much less. Hassans can structure the project as a “qualifying company” under Gibraltar’s tax laws, potentially reducing the effective rate. They have done this before for gaming companies and financial institutions.

Gibraltar did not become home to Bet365, 888, William Hill and dozens of other gaming operators by accident. The legal framework was deliberately built to attract them. Readers may also recall that Konstantin Sokolov is not entirely unfamiliar with the gaming industry. In 2025, the SPAC on whose board he served completed the acquisition of Gamehaus, a publisher of casino-style slot and bingo games previously examined by this archive.

The enabling legislation already exists. It just needs to be applied — quietly, through administrative guidance rather than a public vote.

3. Quiet insertion into the Development Plan

The new Gibraltar Development Plan was promised for 2025 but has not appeared. Perfect timing. When it finally emerges, the North Mole Industrial Park zone may have been reclassified to permit “high-tech infrastructure” or “strategic energy facilities” — language that conveniently covers a 250MW data centre. Potentially limiting the scope of public consultation required if it is framed as a “technical correction”. Levy has advised the government on planning law for decades. He knows which paragraphs to rewrite and who to ask.

4. Aviation height exemption

The 25-metre limit exists. But Waterport Terrace (9 storeys) already exceeds it. The 48-metre residential tower was approved after an aeronautical study. Hassans will help Pelagos commission its own study, hire the right consultants, and present the findings to the Development & Planning Commission. The precedent is set. The legal path is cleared. Provasoli has sat on government boards. He understands the decision-making process better than most.

5. Fast-tracked permitting without public scrutiny

The Government Development Projects website contains no information about Pelagos. That is not an oversight. Hassans can advise Pelagos to submit applications under commercial confidentiality provisions, bypassing the normal public register. The first time residents learn about the project may be when construction barges arrive. By then, it will be too late to object.

6. Energy supply without competition

Pelagos needs power. The North Mole Power Station is state-owned. Hassans can structure a private wire arrangement or a long-term PPA that never goes to tender. “Off-grid” in the press release means “connected directly to the state power plant without going through the retail market”. Provasoli has advised the government on privatisations. He knows how to write contracts that comply with procurement rules while achieving the desired outcome.

7. Zero or minimal import duties on equipment

A 250MW data centre requires thousands of tonnes of equipment: generators, cooling systems, servers, batteries, transformers, liquid cooling infrastructure, electrical switchgear. Gibraltar is not a manufacturing centre. Almost everything will be imported. Standard customs duties would add millions to the project cost.

Hassans can structure the project under Gibraltar’s “qualifying company” regime or negotiate a bespoke duty suspension agreement with the government. The legal basis already exists: Gibraltar’s Customs and Excise Act allows for duty relief on goods imported for approved industrial or strategic projects. The Chief Minister’s office can designate Pelagos as such a project — quietly, without legislation. No parliamentary vote required. Just an administrative decision. Provasoli has advised the government on exactly these mechanisms.

8. Streamlined work permits for foreign technicians

Building and operating a 250MW data centre requires specialists Gibraltar does not have: electrical engineers with HVDC experience, cooling system designers, AI infrastructure architects. Hassans can negotiate a fast-track work permit system for Pelagos personnel. Potentially simplified recruitment and immigration procedures for specialist personnel.  Just a letter from the government confirming “strategic importance”. Levy has advised on immigration rules for financial services. The same template applies.

9. Exemption from energy efficiency regulations (irony intended)

The project promises a PUE of 1.2, which is excellent. But if it fails to meet that target, Hassans can ensure there are no penalties. Gibraltar’s building regulations include energy performance standards. But “strategic infrastructure” can be exempted. The same legal mechanism used for the North Mole Power Station itself can be applied to Pelagos. Regulate the competition, exempt the favoured project.

10. Confidentiality orders on all planning documents

No information about Pelagos exists on the Government Development Projects website. That is not an accident. Hassans can secure a non-publication order for all planning applications, citing “commercial sensitivity” or “national security” (data centres are critical infrastructure). The public never sees the environmental impact assessment. Never reads the aeronautical study. Never learns about the seabed lease terms. Transparency laws exist. Exemptions also exist. Levy knows exactly which box to tick.

11. Limitation of liability

When — not if — something fails, Pelagos does not want to face full lawsuits. Hassans can negotiate a statutory cap on liability or a government-backed indemnity, limiting payouts to a token amount. Levy has extensive experience drafting complex government and commercial agreements. The government will not let a lawsuit kill a £1.8 billion project.

In our next article, we will take a closer look at the man who runs Gibraltar operations for Konstantin Sokolov — a figure whose public résumé is thin, but whose local connections run deep.

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