The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, S. Horowitz & Co is a first tier firm,

S. Horowitz & Co, one of the largest banking and finance practices in Israel, recently acted for Bank Leumi and its US subsidiary on two multi-currency revolving facilities totalling $250m for Gazit-Globe Limited and Gazit First Generation LLC. It also acted for a banking consortium led by Bank Hapoalim on its $230m financing of the merger of Ness Inc Group – part acquisition and part working capital financing – in a deal involving a reverse triangular merger by an SPV ultimately owned by Citibank. Other clients include HSBC and First International Bank of Israel.

Within Capital markets, S. Horowitz & Co is a third tier firm,

Hugh Kowarsky heads up the capital markets practice at S. Horowitz & Co, which benefits from close relationships with heavy-hitting London firms including Linklaters LLP and Simmons & Simmons LLP. Having been appointed to Barclays Capital’s panel of Israeli advisers, it advised the client on derivatives and hedging matters.

Within Competition, S. Horowitz & Co is a first tier firm,

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.

Within Corporate and M&A, S. Horowitz & Co is a first tier firm,

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.

Within Dispute resolution, S. Horowitz & Co is a first tier firm,

S. Horowitz & Co’s talented team is the pre-eminent practice in the field, and also the largest. It is is ‘proactive and always alert’, ‘gets to the point quickly and thereby saves time and money’. Clients are particularly impressed by its ability to grasp all aspects of a case, not only the legal, but also business, technical, and economic aspects so that the firm ‘manages to find solutions which will be good commercially as well as legally’. The firm is representing Israel Electric Corporation in several multimillion-dollar claims, including a $1bn class action filed against the company for over-charging, and a matter concerning the influence on contractual agreements of the global rise in steel prices. It represents industry leaders as claimants and respondents and has argued many of the high-profile, precedent-setting commercial cases of the past year. Its practice includes patent litigation – it handles all of Teva’s work – and trade mark litigation, passing off, and product liability. In securities and capital markets litigation, it recently acted for Xpert Financial in a $500m class action; in professional negligence, it successfully defended KPMG against a negligence claim; in property litigation, it handled various claims against Paz; and in competition litigation, it recently represented British Airways and Bank Leumi. Construction and general commercial disputes are also part of the workload. Alex Hertman and Joshua Horesh are recommended. The firm also conducts arbitrations and Hertman successfully represented the Hilton Group in arbitration with Alfred Akirov, notable for its unprecedented costs award.

Within Hi-tech, start-ups and venture capital, S. Horowitz & Co is a second tier firm,

S. Horowitz & Co recently received its first instructions from Teva to act for it on investments in biotech start-ups. It is advising General Motors on its Israeli research and development centre, and continues to act for Yeda Research. Moti Malca is recommended for his ‘professionalism and quick responses’, and Anthony Bloch for being ‘a real dealmaker’.

Within Insurance, S. Horowitz & Co is a second tier firm,

S. Horowitz & Co was recently instructed by Maccabi Health Services and successfully represented Phoenix in an appeal against the results of a tender by the Israeli Railways Company.

Within Intellectual property, S. Horowitz & Co is a first tier firm,

S. Horowitz & Co provides premium service with ‘a high level of attentiveness to customers’ needs and a thoughtful proficiency in all IP matters’. It recently advised the Pharmaceutical Division of the Manufacturers’ Association of Israel on the IP and other aspects of negotiations between the Israeli government and the heads of the United States Trade Representative. It continues to advise Teva Pharmaceuticals, the world’s largest manufacturer of generic medicines, in numerous patent litigation cases as well as in cases concerning trade secrets, copyright and designs. On the non-contentious side, it advises clients such as Yeda and Ramot. Tal Band, Dovev Apel and Noam Blei are recommended.

Within Projects and energy, S. Horowitz & Co is a first tier firm,

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.

Within Real estate, S. Horowitz & Co is a second tier firm,

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.

Within Shipping and transport, S. Horowitz & Co is a first tier firm,

S. Horowitz & Co recently acted for British Airways in a claim filed by the Israeli travel agents’ association and more than 110 travel agents regarding the termination of their appointment as BA’s IATA agents, and changes to those agents’ commission. It also advised Sabre Israel on a joint venture between EL AL and Sabre regarding marketing, sales and distribution of tickets for EL AL flights. Other clients include Air France, KLM, Alitalia, Swissair, Delta Airlines, Flying Cargo, and Continental Airlines.

Within Tax, S. Horowitz & Co is a second tier firm,

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.

Within Telecoms and media, S. Horowitz & Co is a first tier firm,

S. Horowitz & Co is the exclusive provider to the terrestrial commercial TV broadcaster Reshet-Noga, and acts for Israel’s largest media group, Yedioth Aharonot, as well as a number of radio stations. The firm was instructed on the standstill and refinancing of Israel’s second largest newspaper, Ma’ariv, in connection with its sale to the IDB Group. It also acts for Cellcom and Partner Communications, two of Israel’s three largest mobile phone operators, and for cable broadcasters HOT and YES.