The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Gornitzky & Co. is a second tier firm,

‘Highly responsive and involved in all aspects of the deal’, Gornitzky & Co. recently acted for Isramco Negev as the borrower in a $3bn financing deal to exploit a major offshore gas field. On the lender side, the firm represented Bank Hapoalim in the ILS2bn cross-border security transaction and refinancing of the Memorand and Leviev Group. Moriel Matalon, Zvi Ephrat and chairman Pinhas Rubin are key figures. Ari Fried, Timor Belan, and Idan Baki were promoted to the partnership.

Within Capital markets, Gornitzky & Co. is a second tier firm,

Gornitzky & Co. was recently instructed by Shikun & Binui of the Arison group in a series of bond offerings worth over ILS1.5bn, and acted for SodaStream International in its $425m IPO and secondary offering on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. Zvi Gabbay, former head of enforcement at the Israel Securities Authority, was made up to partner.

Within Competition, Gornitzky & Co. is a third tier firm,

Gornitzky & Co. represented some of Israel’s largest business groups before the Knesset Committee to Increase Competitiveness in the Economy. It advises on restrictive trade practice aspects of M&A transactions, monopoly classifications, and investigations by the Israel Antitrust Authority.

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

Senior corporate partners at Gornitzky & Co. ‘can add business advice to their legal framework’. The team represents some of Israel’s largest and most active companies and businessmen in a diverse range of transactions and ongoing corporate activities. The firm recently acted for Melisron, owned by Ofer Brothers, on the financing aspects of the ILS1.7bn purchase of 70% of British-Israel Investments. Daniel Paserman led negotiations for one of the families involved in the ILS800m sale of the control of Tnuva to an Apax Partners joint venture, involving multiple parties and complex regulatory aspects.

Within Dispute resolution, Gornitzky & Co. is a second tier firm,

Gornitzky & Co. acts in disputes concerning general commercial issues, employment law pertaining to senior managers, insurance class actions and derivative suits, restrictive trade practices, banking, and consumer actions. It has also developed a white-collar crime practice. The firm recently acted for a group of companies in proceedings regarding the recommendations of the Sheshinski Committee. The firm ‘provides creative solutions to complex problems’.

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

Gornitzky & Co.’s lawyers display ‘professionalism, and broad and thorough knowledge of the material’. Its hi-tech clients include Israel Corporation, IC Green Energy, and Solel Solar Systems. In the biotech sector, the firm represents Rosetta Genomics, Evogene and Isracolor. New clients include NeoGames and dual-listed Retalix.

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

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.

Within Real estate, Gornitzky & Co. is a first tier firm,

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.

Within Tax, Gornitzky & Co. is a first tier firm,

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’.

Within Telecoms and media, Gornitzky & Co. is a third tier firm,

Gornitzky & Co. represents some of Israel’s largest media corporations including Bezeq, Partner Communications, and DBS Satellite Services. It recently advised Bezeq on a ILS3bn dividend shareholder distribution by way of capital reduction.