The Legal 500

Fischer Behar Chen Well Orion & Co has been very active in the development of large-scale office projects in which purchase groups played a leading role. Managing partner Amir Chen heads the department, with close assistance from Michal Faktor. The practice fields specific teams on income-producing property, development transactions, office purchase groups, and luxury apartment purchase groups. Faktor recently represented Sorat and Novolog in a ILS93m sale-and-leaseback transaction for income-producing property.

Levy Amitai and Avi Arad head Goldfarb Seligman & Co.’s real estate practice. The firm recently advised on the Gindi Group’s ILS1.5bn purchase of the Wholesale Market precinct in Tel Aviv, and assisted with related apartment sales; and represented the Economic Company for Jerusalem in the ILS150m purchase of several office buildings.

Gornitzky & Co. represents real estate groups and hotel chains in zoning procedures, development and construction, as well as in litigation. The firm recently represented Rothner Properties in the purchase of over 500 dunams of land, and is seeking approval for a new city plan to allow for the construction of up to 3,000 residential units. It is also acting for Fattal Hotels and its German subsidiary Patus on the construction of the Leonardo Royal Hotel in Munich, including a share purchase agreement for the €65m acquisition of the hotel and the German holding company.

Yaakov Brandt leads the team at Herzog Fox & Neeman, which continues to advise leading domestic and international clients on significant real estate projects in Israel and abroad. The department specialises in financing, transactional legal support, planning and regulatory issues. It is advising Reality Investment Fund on a number of transactions including the ILS19.5m purchase of a tower in south Tel Aviv, the ILS45m purchase of real estate from Bezeq, and the ILS56m purchase of property from the state of Israel.

Yehuda Raveh & Co. represents the companies responsible for several of the largest real estate and construction projects in the country including mixed-use sites in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Be’er Sheba, and northern Israel. It recently acted on a planned $1.6m Jordanian-Israeli hotel and entertainment project; the City Hall Project in Jerusalem; and a 4,000-unit residential project near Afula.

Yigal Arnon & Co has a ‘terrific’ real estate department, whose ‘attorneys are knowledgeable, responsive and very helpful. They also provide excellent counsel for out-of-country, non-Israeli clients’. Hagit Bavly and Hagai Shmueli are particularly recommended. Bavly recently acted for UK ONE BV and Aktive Investment Anstalt in the ILS1.7bn sale of shares in British-Israel Investments to Melisron and Ofer Investment. The firm also advises on major construction and development projects, and has a niche practice representing religious groups, universities, and retail malls.

Berkman Wechsler Bloom & Co acted for a consortium of buyers on the ILS500m purchase of a site and was retained for the subsequent development, which will include two residential towers, one commercial tower, and 65,000sq m of commercial units. Ari Wechsler leads the team, which represents leading construction companies and investors in all types of real estate transactions and project management. Dikla Betzalel and Shmuel Fleger were both elevated to the partnership.

Senior partners Itzhak Narkiss and Tamar Firon-Smorodinsky lead M. Firon & Co Advocates and Notaries’ real estate practice, which recently acted for a real estate company on a ILS30m land purchase from a private landowner. Planning expert Dana Biran was made up to partner.

S. Horowitz & Co has a well-developed real estate and town planning practice, characterised by its ‘very high level of professionalism’. The firm recently acted for Shapir Civil Engineering on the construction of a new wing for the Israeli Parliament, and advised Paz on the construction of a new oil refinery in the Port of Ashdod. Avigael Kastiel is recommended.

Weksler, Bregman & Co., Advocates handles transactions and projects in the residential and commercial sectors, as well as hotels and industrial property matters, both in Israel and internationally. Avi Ben-Yaacov has recently handled lease transactions worth tens of millions of dollars for subsidiaries of Negev Ceramics and Africa Israel Industries.

One of Israel’s largest specialist real estate firms, Charcon, Ben Ami, Rozenboum, Asher & Co. Law Offices, is a one-stop shop able to handle matters ranging from development and construction through to complex eviction orders and expropriation of land proceedings. The firm is acting for Israel National Roads Company on a plan for the betterment of lands it owns in Tel Aviv, on which hundreds of homes are to be built, as well as on the acquisition of its new company headquarters. Practice head Ilan Charcon is advising Bnei Brak municipality on its urban building plan for a new ILS1bn commercial centre.

Hamburger Evron & Co. Law Offices & Notaries advises banks on financing transactions and represents property developers including Gazit-Globe, Kardan Real Estate, and Shikun & Binui.

Meitar Liquornik Geva & Leshem Brandwein recently represented a major real estate investment company on acquisition and rent transactions concerning offices in Nethanya, two commercial centres in Rosh Ha’ayin, and an office building in Jerusalem, for an aggregate value of $100m.

Naschitz, Brandes & Co. recently represented buyers in a ILS40m acquisition of agricultural land and represented contractors in a ILS60m sale of 77 condominiums in the city of Petach-Tikva. The firm’s real estate department specialises in complex acquisition group transactions.

David Magriso heads Raved, Magriso, Benkel & Co’s real estate practice handles transactions in Israel and overseas, advising on everything from project planning, contractual relationships, tax planning and fundraising, through to development and construction, and sales and leasing.

Ariel Yunger leads the real estate and construction department at Ron Gazit, Rotenberg & Co, which specialises in zoning and construction law, representing entrepreneurs in preparing city plans and appearing before local and district planning committees and before the National Planning and Building Council.

Yaron Grofman leads Tadmor & Co.’s real estate practice, representing a diverse group of foreign and domestic real estate companies, developers, landowners and investors in all aspects of development, financing and construction.

Yaacov Salomon, Lipschutz & Co splits its real estate practice into domestic and international groups, representing Israeli interests in Central and Eastern Europe, North America and South East Asia. Clients include Shikun & Binui and Sybil Group.

Amit, Pollak, Matalon & Co Advocates and Notary acted for Adi’s Marina and Tidhar Investments regarding a $160m luxury condominium project in Herzliya.

BFP & Co’s practice head Keren Betzer represented the owners of 100,000sq m of land in Kfar Saba in a sale and combination transaction with Meir Real Estate Investments to build 600 residential units.

GSCB Glusman Shem-Tov Chowers Broid recently acted for Plasan Sasa Ltd regarding construction of a new industrial plant, as well as a large-scale commercial project in Ra’anana, and a major residential project in Jaffa.

Maya Ashkenazi heads Weinstock-Zecler & Co’s real estate practice, which represents private sector clients in zoning, planning, civil infrastructure and licensing matters.

Guy Tsafrir heads Zellermayer Pelossof Rosovsky Tsafrir Toledano & Co.’s real estate practice, which specialises in zoning and planning issues, as well as the environmental regulatory aspects of real estate.