Benjamini & Co. > Tel Aviv, Israel > Firm Profile

Benjamini & Co.
28 Haarba'a St
North Tower
Tel Aviv 6473925
Israel

Israel > Tax Tier 2

Benjamini & Co. of Tel Aviv is a go-to choice for major multinational companies requiring tax advice relating to corporate transactions in Israel. Described as a ‘practical and trustworthy‘ practice, the team is recommended by clients for its commitment to building ‘a trusted adviser relationship‘. The team is led jointly by real estate tax and VAT specialist Sagiv Ron, the customs and excise focused Michal Richulsky and Yair Benjamini, who has particular expertise in Israeli-US nexus transactions. Chartered accountant and former Tax Authority trusts inspector Doron Elmekiesse; tax incentives specialist Shahar Strauss; and Nofar Zigdon, a veteran in taxation work focusing on the high-tech industry, are also key practitioners. Elizabeth Krishmarov left the firm in May 2023.

Practice head(s):

Yair Benjamini; Sagiv Ron; Michal Richulsky

Testimonials

‘Practical and trustworthy. They demonstrate that they are able to bring added value in their services and also create a trusted adviser relationship.’

‘Yair Benjamini is the best tax adviser I’ve worked with in Israel and even globally. Yair is very practical and he acts as a trusted adviser. He is able to come up with practical solutions and is very responsive.’

‘Very professional, available and creative.’

Key clients

Mandiant Inc.

Johnson & Johnson

Fortinet

Kardan Real Estate Enterprise and Development Ltd.

Alphabet Inc.

Kfir Geva

Starry Group

Rotem Shani Construction Company

Work highlights

  • Advising on a ruling from the ITA with respect to the effect of the $5.4bn acquisition of Mandiant by Google, especially pertaining to the tax treatment of the employee awards.
  • Advising on many Israeli tax-related matters with respect to Johnson & Johnson’s proposed spin-off of its consumer health division.
  • Advised Fortinet, as Israeli tax counsel, with respect to the contemplated reorganisation of its Israeli activities and the sale of an Israeli company within the group.

Benjamini & Co. is a leading boutique law firm with a proven reputation in the tax practice, providing a full, thorough, and professional package of solutions for all tax issues including tax litigation, tax planning, taxation of equity-based compensation, and routine advice on income tax, VAT and real estate tax law. Among the firm costumers are startup companies, Israeli blue-chip companies, individuals, and leading multinational corporations. The firm was founded in 2015 by Adv. Yair Benjamini. who has approximately 20 years of experience in the field of Israeli taxation and is one of Israel’s best-known tax lawyers with extensive know-how, skill, and rich experience in his practice. Each of the other partners in the firm, Adv. (CPA) Doron Elmekiesse, Adv. Sagiv Ron and Adv. (CPA) Shahar Strauss, is also each a leader in his respective tax field.

Benjamini & Co is well-known in its field, chosen as the local professional partner by leading law and accounting firms worldwide. The firm routinely presents its expertise on the tax issues on the agenda at conferences and in the media.

Yair Benjamini, founding partner: Yair serves as legal advisor to some of the largest accounting firms in Israel, providing advice with respect to the tax issues encountered by their clients, including drafting legal opinions, and providing legal support during tax assessment proceedings and representation in court. Yair deals with voluntary disclosure of foreign accounts and non-disclosed trusts, represents clients in audit proceedings and advises families on the changes in trust law and compliance with reporting requirements in Israel with respect to foreign and local trusts. Yair has accumulated a wealth of legal experience, especially in the field of equity-based employee compensation schemes and he regularly advises multinational corporations concerning remuneration strategy for workers in Israel.

Sagiv Ron, partner and head of real estate taxation: Sagiv has extensive experience and expertise in various areas of taxation and focuses on all tax aspects of real estate transactions. Sagiv provides tax advice to clients with respect to real estate transactions – planning the tax structure, writing opinions, preparing self-assessments, representing clients in assessment proceedings with real estate tax authorities and in appeal committees. Sagiv advises on urban renewal, purchase groups, residential apartments, real estate associations and development projects, provides continuous guidance to real estate contractor companies, developers, private individuals and real estate associations and specializes in advising developers in urban renewal projects.

Doron Elmekiesse, partner: Doron is a lawyer and Israeli accountant who specializes in Israeli taxation, international taxation and the taxation of domestic and international trusts. Doron worked for seven years at the Israel Tax Authority as a senior inspector and corporations and trusts coordinator. In his role at the Israel Tax Authority Doron accumulated extensive experience in tax audits of individuals, shareholders, companies and trusts, with an emphasis on numerous large-scope international tax issues. Doron was a member in various Tax Authority committees on legislative changes in the realm of the taxation of trusts and headed tax assessments for large and complex trusts.

Shahar Strauss, partner: Shahar has extensive experience in the management of complex income tax cases, from all their aspects, specializes in Israeli corporate taxation including tax benefits under the Encouragement of Capital Investments Law, holding company regimes, complex withholding tax issues, and the interface between income tax and land appreciation tax. Prior to joining Benjamini & Co as a partner, Shahar practiced as a senior associate at the Ziv Sharon and Co law firm and worked as a senior tax manager at KPMG. Prior to that, Shahar worked at the Israeli Tax Authorities as a tax officer at the Capital Market Department of the Professional Division.

Department Name Email Telephone
Partner Yair Benjamini Yair@yb.tax
Partner Doron Elmekiesse Doron@yb.tax
Partner Sagiv Ron Sagiv@yb.tax
Partner Shahar Strauss Shahar@yb.tax
Associate Shiran Ida Shiran@yb.tax
Associate Elizabeth Krishmarov Elizabeth@yb.tax
Associate Tal Teri Tal@yb.tax
Associate Nofar Zigdon Nofar@yb.tax
Of Counsel Ariel Schaffer Ariel@yb.tax
Photo Name Position Profile
Yeir  Benjamini photo Adv Yeir Benjamini Funding Partner    
Yair Benjamini photo Yair Benjamini Founding Partner
Elizabeth Krishmarov photo Elizabeth Krishmarov Associate
Sagiv Ron photo Sagiv Ron Partner
Number of lawyers : 9
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