The Legal 500

Zvi Agmon at newly formed Agmon & Co., Rosenberg, Hacohen & Co has extensive connections and is highly regarded. The firm has acted in some of Israel’s biggest mergers, particularly in the food, retail and telecoms sectors. Its lawyers appear before the heads of the Israel Antitrust Authority in hearings, merger clearances, motions for exemption from a designation as a cartel, and other proceedings.

Fischer Behar Chen Well Orion & Co has one of the largest competition practices in Israel, led by Reuven Behar, Tal Eyal-Boger and Talya Solomon. Local clients include Israel Discount Bank, Clal Insurance, Tnuva and Azrieli Group, while foreign clients include ABB, Intel, Monsanto and Johnson & Johnson. It recently advised Colmobil, Israel’s leading automobile importer, on diverse antitrust matters including proceedings vis-à-vis the Antritrust Authority and litigation.

Levy, Meidan & Co acts in criminal and civil aspects of antitrust law, and advises on the enforcement of law relating to monopolies, restraints of trade and M&A. Joseph Levy heads the team, which represents clients from a wide range of industries.

S. Horowitz & Co’s competition team is ‘devoted to its work and committed to its clients’, and ‘response times are excellent and they are always available 24/7’. The firm acted in cross-border mergers and acquisitions including the British Airways and Iberia Israeli merger clearance; and locally in clearing Readymix’s purchase of Lime and Stone Industries. Hagai Doron is recommended.

Tadmor & Co.’s competition group is led by David Tadmor, a former Antitrust Commissioner of Israel, together with Shai Bakal, former head of the mergers team in the Israeli Antitrust Authority (IAA). The firm represented Partner Communication in its merger with Smile 012, approved by the IAA without any conditions. It also represented FIBI in an appeal against the Antitrust Commissioner’s decision to declare that the bank was part of an illegal information exchange with other major Israeli banks.

Weinstock-Zecler & Co is noted for its ‘vast industry knowledge’ and ‘good response times’, and represents companies and top executives in cartel and criminal antitrust investigations, and allegations of bid rigging. It represents Pelephone Communication in all of its competition issues and also acts for Haifa Chemical, Alon Holdings Blue Square, Sasatech and Dalia Industries. The team recently acted for the Association of Contractors and Builders and its executives in a high-profile antitrust criminal indictment filed against it by the Israeli Antitrust Authority.

Epstein, Chomsky, Osnat & Co. advises leading corporations in the Israeli and international markets, both in the course of regular business operations and before the Antitrust Authority and other courts and tribunals. It acts for companies in M&A, joint-venture transactions, advises on restrictive trade practices, and conducts due diligence.

Erdinast, Ben Nathan & Co specialises in antitrust law, acting for numerous corporate clients before the Israeli Antitrust Commissioner and Antitrust Tribunal. The firm has particular expertise in the legal issues surrounding deregulation.

Herzog Fox & Neeman’s lawyers advise international and local corporations on all types of antitrust and competition issues. It advised the Israeli Tourist and Travel Agents Association in the IAA’s investigation into alleged restrictive arrangements with airlines, and has been acting for Israel Electric Corporation in the gas insulated switchgear cartel.

Head of the competition team at M. Firon & Co Advocates and Notaries, Niv Sever acted for 012 Telecom in obtaining permission for the ILS1.3bn merger between Partner Communications and 012 Telecom. The team also advised on the competition aspects of a joint venture between insurance companies in connection with the establishment of an insurance company in Brazil.

Meitar Liquornik Geva & Leshem Brandwein represented Veolia and Egged in a third-party challenge relating to the Jerusalem Light Rail project, and represented the CEO of the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers before the Israeli Antitrust Authority. Michal Halperin is recommended.

Shibolet & Co represents domestic and international clients in the hi-tech, telecoms, energy, food and beverages, and retail sectors. It recently advised Ceragon Networks on clearance for the $48.5m acquisition of Nera Networks from Altek ASA. Practice head Gil Rosenberg is ‘a knowledgeable and creative thinker’.

‘Highly professional and client-oriented’, Yigal Arnon & Co advises large clients on merger clearances and restrictive trade practices. Ronit Amir-Yaniv and David Osborne are recommended.

Name partner Eyal Roy Sage heads the practice at Amar Reiter Jeanne Sage Cohen & Co, which was formed by lawyers who left Ron Gazit, Rotenberg & Co. The team acts across all areas of competition law.

The ‘professional team’ at Amit, Pollak, Matalon & Co Advocates and Notary represented Wissotzky Tea (Israel) in negotiations with the Israeli Antitrust Authority, and recently succeeding in ending proceedings that had sought to proclaim Wissotzky a monopoly in the tea market.

Gornitzky & Co. represented some of Israel’s largest business groups before the Knesset Committee to Increase Competitiveness in the Economy. It advises on restrictive trade practice aspects of M&A transactions, monopoly classifications, and investigations by the Israel Antitrust Authority.

Naschitz, Brandes & Co.’s competition practice is led by Golan Kaneti, who joined the firm in October 2010 from the Israel Antitrust Authority. Kaneti recently acted for Mashbir – Club 365 in seeking clearance from the Israel Antitrust Authority for a joint venture with Pelephone.

Ron Gazit, Rotenberg & Co represented the Melisron Group in merger filings before the Israel Antitrust Authority regarding its purchase of British-Israel Investments. It also acted for Keshet and Channel 24, following their merger, in an Antitrust Tribunal appeal filed by IFPI Israel.

Shavit Bar-On Gal-On Tzin Yagur, Law Offices handles criminal, administrative and civil antitrust matters, including representation of corporations before the Antitrust Authority and the Antitrust Tribunal.

Name partner Doni Toledano heads the team at Zellermayer Pelossof Rosovsky Tsafrir Toledano & Co., which recently obtained clearance from the Commissioner of Restrictive Trade for the ILS200m sale of Merhav Ceramic and Building Materials Centre to Nior Holdings. The firm is noted for its ‘unprecedented response times’.