The Legal 500

Goldfarb Seligman & Co. recently acted for AOL in its $65m purchase of 5 Minutes, and for Advasense Technologies in a licensing and development agreement with Aptina Imaging Corporation. The team advised on Google’s first Israeli acquisition, buying several assets from Mentorwave Technologies. Ashok Chandrasekhar, head of the international M&A department, is recommended. The other department heads are Nechama Brin for corporate and securities matters and Rami Sofer for Israeli corporate and commercial work.

Senior corporate partners at Gornitzky & Co. ‘can add business advice to their legal framework’. The team represents some of Israel’s largest and most active companies and businessmen in a diverse range of transactions and ongoing corporate activities. The firm recently acted for Melisron, owned by Ofer Brothers, on the financing aspects of the ILS1.7bn purchase of 70% of British-Israel Investments. Daniel Paserman led negotiations for one of the families involved in the ILS800m sale of the control of Tnuva to an Apax Partners joint venture, involving multiple parties and complex regulatory aspects.

Gross, Kleinhendler, Hodak, Halevy, Greenberg & Co has a dedicated corporate governance team, which specialises in US SEC enforcement proceedings, white-collar securities defence, and internal investigations; it advises clients on the duties of officers and directors of public and privately owned companies, accounting and auditing issues, and disclosure responsibilities. It also advises clients in white-collar criminal prosecution relating to money laundering, tax fraud, and securities law violations (including in connection with SEC and PCAOB enforcement actions) and on international extradition laws and has acted for the SEC in Israel. The firm acted for York Global on its sale of a 76% interest in Psagot Investment to Apax Partners, and for ChemChina on its $1.44bn acquisition of a 60% interest in Makhteshim Agan. Other clients include Yahoo!, Scailex, Elbit Systems, and Syneron. David Hodack and Esther Koren are recommended.

Herzog Fox & Neeman has one of the largest cross-border and M&A practices in Israel, and ‘ample depth in all specialist areas’. Clients include big names such as Apax Partners, Israel Electric Corporation, HSBC Holdings, Microsoft, and General Electric. Ehud Sol and Ilanit Landesman Yogev recently advised Makhteshim Agan Industries in a $1.44bn reverse triangular merger transaction where it sold 60% of its shares to ChemChina. Alan Sacks and Hanan Haviv advised Tyco International on its purchase of Visonic.

Meitar Liquornik Geva & Leshem Brandwein ‘solves problems’ for clients, and delivers ‘professional, responsive service’. The firm advised Broadcom on its $340m acquisition of Provigent, and represented investors in Wintegra’s $300m acquisition by PMC-Sierra. Since Israeli banks began to take a more active role in financing local M&A, leveraged deals have also become an important component of the firm’s practice. Other clients include Amdocs, NICE Systems, Altice Fund and the Fishman Group.

Sharon Amir heads the nine-partner team at Naschitz, Brandes & Co., which represented Wintergra in its $300m acquisition by PMC-Sierra, one of the largest Israeli hi-tech acquisitions of 2010. It advised the stockholders of MediaMind on its $517m sale to DG Fast Channel, and Provigent on its $340m acquisition by Broadcom. It was also instructed to advise Intel on Israeli aspects of its $8bn acquisition of McAfee.

S. Horowitz & Co demonstrates ‘a very high level of professionalism, accuracy and deep analysis’, and the team is ‘strong from the partners to the junior lawyers’. Practice head Clifford Davis is ‘an outstanding lawyer’. The firm recently acted as local counsel on aspects of many cross-border M&A transactions, including advising Procter & Gamble and Teva Pharmaceuticals on a joint venture combining their non-US consumer health businesses, and advising Tognum on its purchase by Daimler and Rolls-Royce. Moreover, the group advised three hedge funds on the merger of Makhteshim Agan with ChemChina, and acted for Radiancy on its $250m reverse takeover of PhotoMedex.

Yigal Arnon & Co’s corporate and M&A practice is ‘international, responsive and deep’, and ‘provides exceptional services’. Barry Levenfeld and David Schapiro head the group, which provides comprehensive corporate legal services to a wide range of clients and also handles Israeli aspects of global acquisitions. Schapiro represented TowerJazz in the $140m acquisition of the assets of Micron Technologies, a Japan-based semiconductor wafer fabrication facility, Levenfeld advised Align Technology on its $190m acquisition of digital scanning solutions provider Cadent. The firm also acted for HOT Communications Systems Ltd on its ILS1.3bn acquisition of Mirs Communications from Altice.

Caspi & Co supplies high-end services to a predominantly Israeli client roster including Alma Lasers and Bank Mizrahi-Tefahot, but also international names such as AT&T and Sara Lee. Ram Caspi is recommended.

Erdinast, Ben Nathan & Co handles complex M&A transactions – whether public or private, friendly or hostile – as well as joint ventures, spin-offs, proxy contests, tender offers, and public to private transactions. It represented the pension funds formerly held by Histadruth (the major Israeli labour union) in its asset sales, including the sale of the newly established Mivtachim, Makefet and Meitavit pension funds, provident funds, and real estate company Amot Investments.

Fischer Behar Chen Well Orion & Co represents major privately held and public companies in Israel, and also advises boards of directors on corporate governance and ongoing commercial activities. The firm also provides corporate and capital markets support to clients, particularly those in the hi-tech and biotechnology sectors. It recently acted for US-based Great Hill Partners private equity fund on the $115m acquisition of Plimus, its first investment in Israel, via a reverse triangular merger transaction. The firm also acted for Kibbutz Hatzerim in a $850m transaction in which Permira purchased control of Netafim. Other clients include the Israeli government, Eurocom, Bezeq, and Ness Technologies.

Zvi Firon, who has ‘great business capability’, and Jacob Enoch co-head the corporate and M&A practice at M. Firon & Co Advocates and Notaries. The firm is one of the leading representatives of Israeli investors in Eastern Europe – including among others Ashtrom Group, Shikun & Binui, Africa Israel Group, Eli Papushdo, and Neocity Group – and operates a partnership office in Romania as well as smaller branches with local partners in Bulgaria, Serbia and Ukraine. The firm recently acted for Direct Insurance Finance Investments in the $250m formation of a Brazilian insurance subsidiary, the first direct insurance foreign initiative in Brazil.

Shibolet & Co’s full-service corporate and M&A group advises everything from listed companies, public utilities and institutional investors to venture capital funds, start-ups and private individuals. The scope of recent work includes advising acquirers and target companies on asset transactions through to full-blown takeovers, as well as corporate restructurings and commercial operational advice.

Yehuda Raveh & Co. provides full-scale support on corporate and commercial matters pertaining to projects. It also has a notable M&A practice, and is involved in the $500m purchase of control of Azorim.

Tomer Maharshak heads the department at Yuval Levy & Co, and is ‘an outstanding professional who combines legal expertise and business vision’. He recently led advice to the CIT Group on Israeli law issues pertaining to its global $15bn exchange offer, and advised Bank of America Merrill Lynch on Israeli law issues relating to GMAC’s exchange offer.

Name partner Michael Zellermayer heads the corporate and M&A team at Zellermayer Pelossof Rosovsky Tsafrir Toledano & Co., which recently represented the S1 Corporation in a $700m stock-for-stock merger transaction with Fundtech, which is listed on TASE and NASDAQ. The firm recently worked on certain acquisitions for Permira and on Apax Partners’ ILS2.08bn acquisition of 76% of Psagot from York Capital. Dori Toledano and Lior Oren are recommended for providing ‘sound and commercial advice’. In 2011, the firm established a strategic alliance with the Shanghai branch of Bonnard Lawson, developing its capability to act as a conduit for investment into China.

Amit, Pollak, Matalon & Co Advocates and Notary is ‘an outstanding firm combining high-quality legal advice with a profound understanding of the business’. The firm was recently appointed by the Israel District Court to act in the liquidation of Migdal Hazohar building company, one of the largest Israeli real estate firms, and represented Wissotzky Tea (Israel) in the ILS25m acquisition of Lachmi Bakery. Other clients include KCPS Investment Fund, Delek Real Estate, and Waxsman Govrin. Practice head Eldad Koresh is ‘a true enabler of deals, savvy and smart’, and is recommended along with Doron Levy and Shlomo Landress.

Barnea & Co represented Ivory Computers during its ILS15.5m buyout by Premium Holdings, and represented Zaki Rakib in the ILS140m sale of a controlling stake in Ma’ariv Holdings, owner of one of Israel’s leading daily newspapers, to Discount Investments. The firm also advises several large technology companies and investors from the US and Europe.

ES Shimron, I Molho, Persky & Co’s practice focuses on telecoms, hi-tech and venture capital work, and represents foreign and domestic, state-owned and private entities including GlaxoSmithKline and Netvision.

Epstein Rosenblum Maoz (ERM) is ‘professional, fast, thorough, with a keen understanding of M&A files’, and ‘cost-conscious’ on behalf of its clients. It advised Delek Real Estate on a group reorganisation and a series of buyback transactions by its AIM-listed subsidiary DGRE; and Taya Media Group on the acquisition of significant stakes in AIM-listed DCD Media and Avesco. The firm also acted for BP France on the €175m sale of its French marketing operations and convenience stores to Delek.

GSCB Glusman Shem-Tov Chowers Broid recently advised Streicher Anlagenbau on the Israel Natural Gas Lines tender to negotiate and draft a joint venture agreement for a suitable Israeli entity. The firm also represented Dan Pal on the sale of its holdings in Dan Tech Plast, and handled various purchases of medical centres in Israel and Europe for Euromedic Investment BV. Ideal Solar Group is a notable new client. Meny Broid is recommended; he handles Israeli deals, and also heads the Latin American desk.

Kantor, Elhanani, Tal & Co handles M&A and other transactions for national and international clients, and also advises on amendments to corporate regulations: it represented the Association of Banks in Israel before the the Knesset Finance Committee and Ministry of Justice regarding amendments to the Companies Law on corporate governance. M&A highlights included acting on the ILS775m purchase by Bank Leumi and other private investors of Mivtach Shamir’s holdings in Tnuva; and acting for Leumi Partners on the ILS110m acquisition of 11.5% of Avgol Industries from Israel Petrochemical Enterprises and other sellers.

Pearl Cohen Zedek Latzer represents start-ups and mid-market companies through to Fortune 500 companies, and is adept at cross-border transactions and structurings.

Ron Gazit, Rotenberg & Co represents companies in domestic and outbound work. Managing partner Benjamin Rothenberg represented the Central Bottling Company, the Coca-Cola bottler in Israel, in negotiating the sale of its stake in the plastic and packages producer Amraz. It also advised Milco Industries, a subsidiary of the Central Bottling Company, concerning a high-value project to establish a new dairy factory near the southern city of Netivot in the Negev. Jonathan Grushka was made up to partner.

Tadmor & Co.’s corporate and M&A team is led by Yoel Neeman, who recently advised Google on its purchase of Modu’s patent portfolio within the context of receivership proceedings. The firm also represented Group Lev Ophir in a ILS50m joint venture with Brimag Digital Age. New clients include Corning Corp, Mobile Access and Deutsche Bank.

Tulchinsky Stern Marciano Cohen Levitski & Co represents some of Israel’s flagship companies including Teva Pharmaceuticals, Orbotech and JVP. It recently advised Orbotech on subsidiary Orbotech Medical Solutions’ $9m sale of assets to General Electric. It also represented Minicom Digital Signage, a portfolio company of JVP and Aviv Ventures, in a merger with EnQii, concurrently with an investment in the merged company by JVP, Aviv, Wellington Partners, and Amadeus Capital. Other clients include Rosetta Genomics, Dor Chemicals, and Wizcom Technologies.

Weinstock-Zecler & Co’s corporate and M&A practice, under the leadership of Gidon Weinstock, is vigorously developing its international business practice in China and Poland. Recent highlights include representing a subsidiary of the Strauss Group in establishing an equity joint venture with Haier for the distribution of water purification machines in China, and acting for Gadot Biochemical Industries in buying equity shares in a joint venture company from a Chinese partner. The team also advised Viola Private Equity on a $17m investment as part of Matomy Media Group’s combined private placement and share purchase transaction.

Weksler, Bregman & Co., Advocates has a wide range of clients and particular expertise in corporate real estate work. It recently represented a subsidiary of Africa Israel Industries on its ILS141m purchase of a major steel business from Yaacoby Steel Group, and advised CONTROP Precision Technologies on its ILS300m sale to Aeronautics.

Yaacov Salomon, Lipschutz & Co’s corporate team mainly represents manufacturers, including Lageen and its Turboplast subsidiary.

Agmon & Co., Rosenberg, Hacohen & Co provides corporate and commercial support to its energy and pharmaceutical clients including Delek Energy.

BFP & Co represents multinationals in Israel such as Tata Consulting Services, Lenovo, PMC-Sierra, and SITA in various large-scale commercial transactions and strategic partnerships, as well as on the establishment of businesses.

Ben-Dror, Stretiner, Baruch, Gavish Law Office was recently formed by a merger between Y. Ben-Dror & Co and Stretiner, Baruch & Co. The firm acts for foreign and domestic companies, notably in the biotech, pharmaceuticals, IT, hi-tech, and investment sectors.

Cohen Legal Partners specialises in representing UK institutional and non-institutional investors into Israel, and visa versa. Clients include CSS Europe and Charles St. Securities. Name partner David Cohen is dual qualified in the UK and Israel.

Efrati Galili & Co’s David Efrati and Alon Galili represent clients in the IT, insurance, manufacturing and real estate sectors.

Eyal Khayat, Zolty, Neiger & Co. – Law Offices advises numerous hi-tech and biotech corporations on corporate governance, commercial transactions, rights offerings, licensing, joint ventures and OEM agreements. Name partner Amir Zolty is recommended.

Heskia-Hacmun Law Firm represents German and other international manufacturers and investors in commercial agreements and M&A in Israel.

J. Zaltzman, Gilat, Knoller, Graus, Salomon & Co. Law Offices & Notary represents manufacturers and kibbutzim in their corporate and commercial needs.

Lamay Sider Rahat Tsiddon Fink, Advocates handles corporate work for telecoms and media companies including HOT, Orange and Vonage, and also has a sizeable practice representing kibbutzim.

Yoram Raved and Nir Oren co-head the practice at Raved, Magriso, Benkel & Co, for which core sectors are defence, technology and hi-tech. The firm acts for several TASE-listed companies.

Rosenberg, Keren-Polak, Epelman, Advocates recently represented JBM Carmel in its merger and consolidation with JBM Sherman Carmel. Oded Oz ‘understands client demands and is always thorough in his responses’.

S Friedman & Co, Advocates & Notaries advises on M&A and day-to-day corporate needs.

The ‘efficient and thorough’ Caroline Walsh at SaftWalsh Law Offices represents small and medium-sized businesses.

Shenhav & Co recently served as Israeli counsel to Unisfair during its acquisition by InterCall, advising on corporate and taxation implications. The firm also represented the selling stockholders in the $140m acquisition of Storwize.

Shenhav, Konforti, Shavit & Co. is ‘a boutique that gives personalised service’. It has maintained its prominent practice in the northern district, and recently represented Shamir Optical Industry in the $130m sale of a 50% stake to Essilor International. Amos Konforti is recommended.

Steinmetz Haring Gurman & Co. advises on transactions and corporate structuring. Manny Gurman is recommended.

Tal Ron, Drihem & Co. Law Firm’s lawyers are ‘highly knowledgeable in the technology field’ and name partner Tal Itzhak Ron in particular has ‘deep knowledge of hi-tech industries’. Clients include Web3Dots, Homeless and Linkshake.