The Legal 500

Tax boutique Alter Attorneys at Law provides tax consulting to Israeli and foreign clients, and specialises in representation before Israeli authorities and courts. The firm recently won approval for an Israeli tax withholdings exemption on the sale of an Israeli company by a US LLC in a multimillion-dollar acquisition. Anat Tenne is highly recommended. Yehuda Lieblein, who joined from the Fiscal Department in the Attorney’s Office in March 2011, specialises in trial and appellate work concerning tax disputes involving companies, individuals and the tax authorities.

Gornitzky & Co. acts for high-net-worth individuals and some of Israel’s largest businesses on a wide range of tax matters. It recently acted for a group of companies before the Sheshinski Committee in proceedings potentially worth billions of US dollars concerning the state’s oil and gas tax revenues. In the field of international taxation, the team recently acted for public companies and institutional investors associated with the £260m UK Hilton Hotels refinancing. Gil Grady is ‘incredibly knowledgeable, professional and above all very creative’.

Herzog Fox & Neeman’s managing partner Meir Linzen heads one of the largest tax departments in Israel, which fields five teams specialising in corporate taxation; high-net-worth individuals; employee equity benefits plans; private equity and investment fund formation; and indirect taxes and international trade, customs and purchase taxes. The firm recently acted as local counsel to DG Fastchannel on its $517m acquisition of MediaMind Technologies. Meir Linzen and Eldar Ben-Ruby are recommended. Fund formation expert Tal Dror Schwimmer was made up to partner, and Yuval Navot joined from the New York office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.

Tax boutique Shekel & Co. is highly regarded for its corporate tax practice and work in litigation and tax structuring. The firm handles domestic and international taxation, real estate taxation, indirect taxation, and commercial and criminal law matters. It advised Apax Partners on structuring and due diligence for its $900m acquisition of Psagot Investment House.

Eitan, Mehulal & Sadot and Co., Advocates, Patent Attorneys is recognised for its international and import taxation work, handling numerous dumping and import levy cases as well as the full range of taxation issues.

Fischer Behar Chen Well Orion & Co has recently been very involved in significant M&A, providing tax advice to foreign entities considering the acquisition of Israeli companies. Recent highlights include acting for Great Hill Partners on its 100% share buyout of Plimus, and for CIM Group on its proposed acquisition of Delek Real Estate. Anat Shavit heads the department. Gross, Kleinhendler, Hodak, Halevy, Greenberg & Co advises on tax aspects of corporate structuring and restructuring, international commercial transactions, project finance, technology transfers, securities, private placements and debt finance. It also advises individuals on tax planning, often in a multi-jurisdictional context.

Leor Nouman heads S. Horowitz & Co’s ‘excellent’ tax department, which recently advised Radiancy on tax aspects of its triangle merger with NASDAQ-listed Photomedex.

Shibolet & Co’s lawyers are ‘creative problem-solvers, dedicated to providing excellent service’. The team advises clients on international taxation and M&A-related tax structuring. Clients include AON, BNP Paribas, North Bridge Venture Partners, and Revlon.

Yigal Arnon & Co’s ‘prompt, practical and comprehensive’ practice provides a ‘high level of service’ in contentious and non-contentious tax matters for corporate and private clients. Harry Kirsh is ‘very professional’.

‘A true expert’, Doron Levy heads the tax practice at Amit, Pollak, Matalon & Co Advocates and Notary, which represents influential entities in Israel such as HaHistadrut HaChadasha (The New Organisation for Employees) and the Scorpio Group, in both judicial and commercial proceedings. The team is ‘very talented in offering solutions that exploit every added value’.

Boutique firm Prof. Bein & Co. Law Office specialises in the arbitration and mediation of tax disputes. It recently represented Israel Chemicals obtaining a tax exemption for interest paid for loans from foreign companies. As well as its work in the private sector, the firm has advised the municipalities of Haifa and Eilat on tax matters. Yitzhak Ben Asher is recommended. Head of the firm Dan Bein is another key figure in the tax team.

Tax boutique D Potchebutzky Law Offices is especially recommended for VAT work.

Gil Raveh heads the team at Erdinast, Ben Nathan & Co, which represents clients on tax planning and transactions.

Meir Mizrahi at Meir Mizrahi & Co is recommended for VAT, and real estate and land taxation.

Meitar Liquornik Geva & Leshem Brandwein’s practice head Shaul Grossman is ‘professional, straightforward and practical’. He recently advised on tax implications of an ILS1.3bn acquisition in the telecoms sector.

Rosenberg, Keren-Polak, Epelman, Advocates’ tax team supports the firm’s corporate and M&A practice and advises high-net-worth individuals from its offices in Israel and Switzerland. George Rosenberg heads the team.

S Friedman & Co, Advocates & Notaries represents corporates and individuals in a range of tax matters.

Name partner Ayal Shenhav at Shenhav & Co is ‘a good tax lawyer who knows what’s important for his client’. The firm is particularly well known for its work for hi-tech clients and in international tax matters.

Tulchinsky Stern Marciano Cohen Levitski & Co acts for clients on corporate and transactional tax matters, including tax structuring and litigation.

Zellermayer Pelossof Rosovsky Tsafrir Toledano & Co.’s tax department, led by Achu Frank, handles personal and corporate tax, trusts and estates, real estate tax, as well as international tax, including acquisitions and divestitures, mergers, spin-offs and other reorganisations and restructurings.

New and upcoming firm Ziv Sharon & Co. Law Firm is ‘clearly here to stay’. Service levels are ‘extremely high’, and its lawyers are ‘friendly, responsive, and client-oriented’. Ziv Sharon and Orit Koch are recommended.