Shekel & Co. > Tel Aviv, Israel > Firm Profile
Shekel & Co. Offices
3 AZRIELI CENTER
TRIANGULAR TOWER, 33RD FLOOR
TEL AVIV 67023
Israel
Shekel & Co. > The Legal 500 Rankings
Israel > Tax Tier 1
Shekel & Co., with its ‘exceptionally rare combination of character and professionalism‘, provides a comprehensive tax offering, assisting clients in sectors ranging from energy to investment funds with the taxation aspects of major transactions, as well as placing an emphasis on excellence in taxation litigation. The team is jointly led by the experienced Yaniv Shekel
, who specialises in the areas of corporate tax and commercial law, and Ofer Elboim, an expert in VAT and real estate tax who has experience litigating before the Supreme Court. Also key are the income tax focused Ayelet Hillel-Birenzwig, who previously worked at the Israeli Tax Authority, and international taxation specialist Binyamin Tovi. Dean Klaro, who has niche expertise in tax work for the LNG industry, is another name to note. Practice head(s):
Yaniv Shekel; Ofer Elboim
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Very attentive to client needs. Doing their utmost to fit the best solutions. Very professional.’
‘The team that I worked with at Shekel & Co. is incredibly smart and creative. More importantly, they have delivered a very good agreement for us with the tax auhtorities which optimised our tax situation.’
‘I worked mainly by Binyamin Tovi and Yaniv Shekel. They are extremely clever, creative and fast thinkers. They were able to grasp and digest all tax issues very quickly and were able to propose great solutions to tax challenges very fast.’
‘Availability. Out-of-the-box solutions. Professionality at a very high level.’
‘They have a great team, complementing each other, with Yaniv Shekel intervening when needed. They have a lot of experience.’
‘Yaniv Shekel has all-around experience, knows corporate law, and provides solutions for us. Very creative but can deliver his promises.’
‘An exceptionally rare combination of character and professionalism. Pleasant people who are the best at what they do.’
‘This firm has a lot of experience and know-how in various fields of taxation. The lawyers are very creative and able to provide useful advice, creating tailor made solutions for the problem which are adjusted to the client’s needs and risk.’
Key clients
Chevron
New Med
Bank Hapoalim
G-City
Colmobil Group
Alony Hetz
Reality Fund
Isracard
MAX
C.A.L.
Edeltech Group
Menora – Mitachim
Melisron
Ayalon Insurance
Amot Investments
Work highlights
- Advised Chevron, New-Med and Ratio on issues relating to the Leviathan gas field, including Leviathan expansion solutions.
- Represented Isracard, Max and CAL in VAT litigation regarding payments received from Visa, Mastercard and Amex and payments received from credit card holders relating to purchases in businesses outside Israel.
- Assisted the Ofer Group, as well as members of the Ofer Family, in the tax structuring and reporting of transactions relating to the control of Melisron and the separation of the family holdings.
Shekel & Co. > Firm Profile
The firm: Shekel & Co. was founded in 1992 by Dr Moshe Shekel, Adv., and soon became a leading firm in the various areas of taxation, serving a wide range of industries from mid-size businesses to the most prominent companies in the Israeli marketplace, as well as non-profit organizations, municipal authorities, governmental institutions, international companies and foreign individuals, operating or investing in Israel.
Shekel and Co. has extensive expertise in all taxation areas. The firm advises, offers assistance and professional opinions, and handles income tax matters, international taxation, real estate taxes, municipal taxes, VAT, customs and litigation related to taxation issues. The firm enjoys vast litigation experience in the district courts as well as in the Israel Supreme Court. It also deals in commercial law, litigation, real estate and corporations.
The firm has more than 3,000 clients in a wide range of areas. It represents government companies, large corporations (both public and private), universities, various municipalities, and foreign companies and individuals operating or investing in Israel.
Taxation – main field of specialization
General: Shekel & Co. has extensive experience and expertise in issues related to all tax fields. The tax department of the firm offers services related to a wide range of taxation laws, including income tax, corporate taxation, capital gains taxes, international taxation, VAT, municipal taxes, real estate taxes and more. This department provides personalized advice for entrepreneurs, and unique solutions in matters related to real estate taxes, mergers and acquisitions, capital market taxation and international taxation.
Shekel & Co. is considered a “boutique” firm, in the taxation area, and its clientele in this area includes the largest Israeli holding companies, public companies traded in Israel and in overseas markets, privately held corporations, high net worth individuals, government authorities, non-profit organizations and municipal authorities, as well as international companies and foreign individuals, operating and/or investing in Israel. As a result of its vast client base, and due to the specialization of the firm in the institutional and business sectors, the firm enjoys the direct and personal contact with the Israeli tax authorities.
Services: The firm not only provides detailed, comprehensive written opinions regarding the Israeli tax laws and proposed activity schemes, but also attains various rulings from the Israeli tax authorities, allowing the commencement of activity in Israel and the optimization of such activity’s tax structure. In this manner the firm has managed to save its foreign clients millions of Euros, following the approval of income tax withholdings exemptions and reductions or VAT payments returns, all made in a strictly confidential manner, without the publication and menace involved in the court proceedings. Furthermore, the firm has tailored specific solutions to employees in multinational companies allowing the tax efficient issue of share options, and other benefit plans.
Shekel & Co. is well acquainted with the taxation of non-profit organizations in Israel, and as the fiscal counsellor of some of the biggest organizations and institutions in Israel, has achieved significant reductions of the taxes levied upon such organizations.
The firm also represents its clients, both domestic and international, in all sorts of tax litigation, including pre-litigation procedures within the tax authorities’ internal departments. The firm litigation experience and Supreme Court precedents in the last decade are unparalleled. The known professionalism of the firm in the litigation procedures on the one side, and its close connections with the state counsels and high ranking ITA officials, on the other side, assist in resolving the case in peaceful terms even after litigation is initiated.
Publications: The firm publishes regularly in various taxation related publications and journals, and in specializing internet sites, including the firm’s web site: www.shekel-tax.co.il. The firm was also a contributor to the chapter on Israeli tax laws in the CCH, International Tax Planning Manual, published by Horwath International, and the writher of the Israel VAT chapter in Bloomberg BNA (www.bna.com).
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and corporate taxation, Tax litigation, International taxation, Tax rulings | Yaniv Shekel | ||
| Income and corporate taxation, Real estate taxation, Value-added-tax, Tax litigation | Ofer Elboim | ||
| Tax rulings, Trusts and estates, Voluntary disclosure | Ayelet Hillel-Birenzwig | ||
| International taxation, Taxation of hi-tech companies and employees, Trusts and estates, Tax incentives | Binyamin Tovi | ||
| Income and corporate taxation, Oil and Gas taxation, Tax litigation | Dean Klaro | ||
| Value-added-tax, Import/export taxation | Moti Eilon | ||
| Commercial, Not-for-profit organisations, Corporate, Real estate and construction | Yaniv Hershcovitz |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Adv Ofer Elboim | Senior Partner | View Profile |
|
Adv Ayelet Hillel-Birenzwig | Senior Partner | View Profile |
|
Adv Dean Klaro | Senior Partner | View Profile |
|
Adv Yaniv Shekel | Senior Partner | View Profile |
|
Adv Binyamin Tovi | Senior Partner | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of Partners : 9 Number of lawyers : 15Languages
English Hebrew Russian TurkishMemberships
International Fiscal Association (IFA)Diversity
Shekel & Co. is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and supplying our team with the optimal work environment for success. As a leading firm, specializing in all fields of taxation and supplying a variety of services, we strongly believe in diversity as a key contributor to a wealth of ideas and innovation. Our talented and diverse work-team dominates areas of expertise that complement each other, making the whole larger than its parts, and enabling us to preserve one of our main competitive advantages.
- Tax