The Legal 500

Recently merged Agmon & Co., Rosenberg, Hacohen & Co represents the Tamar consortium – comprising Noble Energy, Isramco, Delek Drilling, Avner Oil Exploration and Dor-Alon Oil Exploration – in its $10bn negotiations with Israel Electric Company. It also advised the Yam Tethys consortium on all stages of exploration, discovery and production, including gas sales agreements valued at over $3bn.

Gornitzky & Co. acted for OPC Rotem and Dalkia Israel, IC Power Israel, Dead Sea Works, and Oil Refineries in a transaction for the $5bn sale and purchase of natural gas from Egyptian supplier EMG – this represented the largest ever natural gas purchase in the Israeli private sector. The firm also recently acted on transport infrastructure BOTs, desalinisation projects, and the national training centre for police, among others.

Herzog Fox & Neeman’s project finance department is led by Adam Eytan and Mark Phillips. It is involved in several energy and natural resources projects, including solar energy projects, wind farms, gas transmission and independent power plants, as well as desalinisation plants. Most recently the department advised the lender consortium on the Dorad Energy power plant financing, Israel’s largest IPP. Other clients include Deutsche Bank, ATP Oil & Gas, and Israel Electric Company.

Levy, Meidan & Co recently acted for the Israeli government on the Highway 431 PFI. It also advised the government on the Hadera and Soreq desalinisation plants, and lender Bank Leumi on the 370MW power plant at Mishor Rotem. Noa Meidan heads the team.

S. Horowitz & Co represents Paz, Israel Electric Corporation, Sonol, and Supergaz on all of their major energy projects in Israel. It acted recently for the state of Israel on the northern extension of the Cross-Israel Highway and on the mezzanine debt offerings made by the road concessionaire. The firm is also acting for Israel Electric Company on securitising the gas purchase payments relating to the Yam Thetys gas fields.

Tadmor & Co. focuses on water treatment and energy facilities. Clients include Israel Discount Bank and Bank Hapoalim, particularly with respect to financing photovoltaic power plants, and the team is also advising lenders on hydroelectric projects, and Dalia Power Energies on an IPP. Practice head Jonathan Finklestone demonstrates ‘industry knowledge and has excellent connections’, and is very highly regarded.

Yehuda Raveh & Co. is advising lenders Bank Leumi and Migdal Insurance Group on the $150m Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem Fast Lane Project, and is acting for an international entity participating in the PFI tender for a prison in Be’er Sheva. The firm is also representing a consortium led by General Electric and Africa Israel Group in connection with a $250m desalinisation water project in Hadera.

Fischer Behar Chen Well Orion & Co has special expertise in photovoltaic energy, having been involved in the industry since its inception. It recently advised Abengoa Solar on a BOT tender for the construction of two ILS1bn power plants.

Tamar Firon-Smorodinsky heads the department at M. Firon & Co Advocates and Notaries, and has ‘vast knowledge in PFI/BOT projects and financing’. The firm recently acted for Shikun & Binui and Electra on the financing of a ILS135m PFI project for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of Tel Aviv court house complex.

Meitar Liquornik Geva & Leshem Brandwein’s energy and infrastructure practice works in conjunction with the firm’s technology, corporate, taxation and environmental groups. Renelle Joffe, who leads the department, recently handled gas purchase, transmission, and power purchase agreements for Dalia Energy in connection with a $1bn project.

Yigal Arnon & Co’s David Schapiro and Doron Tamir head the projects and energy group, which has notable experience in energy, transport, desalination and wastewater projects. It recently advised Barclays and HSBC on a $430m bridge financing for members of the consortium for exploitation of the Tamar gas fields, and is acting for the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of National Infrastructure regarding three new BOT tenders for solar thermal and photovoltaic power plants at Ashalim. The practice also represents the Ministry of Transportation's tender committees in all public transport privatisation tenders including, for example, Haifa's Metronit rapid transit system.

Aaronsohn Sher Aboulafia Amoday & Co Law Offices has a strong profile representing government entities in major projects such as the Jerusalem Light Rail project.

Barnea & Co is acting for the Israel Natural Gas Lines Co and advising on the Jerusalem Light Rail BOT. It also advises participants on tenders and bids for desalinisation and water treatment plants. Simon Jaffa is recommended.

Epstein Rosenblum Maoz (ERM) acts as legal counsel to the Association of Renewable Energy Companies in Israel and also advises on renewable energy projects outside Israel.

Erdinast, Ben Nathan & Co represents Bright Source Energy Group on solar-thermal power projects in Israel and the US, including a solar power plant in California. Uri Noy heads the group.

Goldfarb Seligman & Co. represents private sector clients in the electricity and gas industries, including Ashdod Energy and Dorad Energy.

Shibolet & Co’s ‘service is excellent: it delivers on time and is worth every penny’. The group has represented major players in the infrastructure field with respect to desalinisation and water purification plants, power plants, sewage, highways, schools and prisons projects in Israel and beyond. Revital Ben-Artzi is recommended.

Weinstock-Zecler & Co’s projects team mainly works in the transport and energy sectors. It advised Israeli government ministries on the Cross-Israel Highway, and is representing Israel National Roads Company in various tender procedures for the Emeq Rail Line and Acco-Carmiel Rail Line. In the energy sector, the firm is representing domestic and international joint venture partners on licensing and permits for a gas-fired power plant. Ayelet Simon-Vekslar is recommended.

Moshe Matalon heads the department at Amit, Pollak, Matalon & Co Advocates and Notary, which has been involved in significant solar-thermal and photovoltaic energy power projects as well as water and energy infrastructure work, and specialises in structuring and implementing energy projects.

Jacob Liraz heads Balter, Guth, Aloni & Co’s energy practice. The firm acts in transactions and litigation, particularly in the natural gas sector.

David Efrati heads the infrastructure and project finance team at Efrati Galili & Co.

Shenhav, Konforti, Shavit & Co. has significantly increased its involvement in projects, particularly in the northern district of Israel. The firm represents cooperative settlements, companies and authorities in renewable energy projects.