Search by Practice
May 2, 2016
ISA Staff Position: Trading Fraud – Has the Ship Sailed?
Our recently published article critiques the Israel Securities Authority's staff position outlining conduct that may be deemed trading fraud. It includes a brief comparative review showing that the staff position is problematic and does not provide clear guidance to market participants. The article further notes that similar position papers issued in other jurisdictions tend to set out general guiding principles rather than a detailed and specific list of acts said to constitute fraudulent trading.
April 26, 2016
Initiative to Limit Executive Salaries Could Drive Away Israeli High-Tech Companies
The high-tech sector is concerned about proposed legislation that would further restrict executive pay in the financial sector. Industry concerns center on the possibility that these restrictions could be extended to all listed companies, including Israeli high-tech companies listed on venture capital markets abroad. Adv. Micky Barnea, an experienced high-tech lawyer, was interviewed by TheMarker on the issue.
April 25, 2016
Barnea Represents East and West Stores Ltd
Barnea represented East and West Stores Ltd., a leading importer of food products from the Far East into Israel, in a dispute over the use of the “East and West” trade name and its trademarks. Following an appeal filed by our Litigation Department, the Supreme Court overturned the District Court’s ruling prohibiting the company from using the trade name in certain markets. Our firm was not involved in the District Court proceedings. The Supreme Court also overturned the contempt of court ruling against the company. East and West Stores Ltd. was represented by Adv. Zohar Lande and Adv. Itay Wigoda, with Adv. Ilan Blumenfeld assisting on the commercial aspects of the dispute.
April 21, 2016
TheMarker: Barnea One of Israel's Best Decorated Offices
In an article showcasing outstanding office design, TheMarker Real Estate magazine named Barnea’s offices among the most beautiful law firm offices in Israel.
April 20, 2016
5 Steps to Increase Sales for Commerce Sites
E-Commerce sites of both B2C and B2B oriented businesses still remain a positive growth vector across many industries and concerns. This will continue as more and more locations are provided with access to the Internet and as the bandwidth available correspondingly increases. However, the rising traffic is only one small factor in increasing overall e-commerce sales.
April 17, 2016
Adv. Yuval Lazi Serves as Judge at starTAU Demo Day
Adv. Yuval Lazi will serve as a judge tomorrow at Demo Day, the final event of starTAU’s elite entrepreneurship program. This three-month accelerator helps young entrepreneurs develop an initial concept into an investment-ready venture, providing them with the tools and knowledge needed to advance their ideas. The judging panel will also include representatives from Samsung Venture Investment, Krypton Venture Capital and Deutsche Telekom.
April 12, 2016
New Guidelines Issued by Israel Tax Authority
TheMarker interviewed the head of our Internet Department about new guidelines issued by the Israel Tax Authority on collecting VAT and income tax from foreign companies, such as Facebook and Google, that conduct substantial business online in Israel.
April 12, 2016
Legal Business: Israel 2016
Legal Business dedicated its April issue to Israel, exploring current topics and trends in the country. Adv. Simon Jaffa was interviewed about Israel’s high-tech industry.
April 12, 2016
Taxation of E-commerce: Israeli Tax Authority Issues New Circular
A few weeks ago, the ITA published a new circular which provides guidelines for the taxation of foreign corporate entities operating in Israel via the internet
April 11, 2016
China's Fosun to Buy Dead Sea Cosmetics
The signing ceremony for the share purchase agreement to sell Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories Ltd. to China’s Fosun for approximately ILS 290 million took place yesterday in Jerusalem. Adv. Micky Barnea, Adv. Ariella Dreyfuss, and Adv. Itay Gura of our firm represented Kibbutz Mitzpe Shalem, one of the selling shareholders.
April 10, 2016
Angel Investor – Important Factors to Ensure Your Money Is Best Invested
Israel is brimming with high tech ideas and you want to be part of the action, one way to do so is by providing a start-up with early seed money.
But you need to protect your investment.
April 6, 2016
A Watershed Moment for Purchasing Groups – Interview with Adv. Ariel Nadler
A conversation with Adv. Ariel Nadler on the pros and cons of purchasing groups.
April 5, 2016
Must-Have Legal Checklist for Startups
Building a startup company takes vision and great ideas. But before you can get up and running, it also requires legal understanding and planning. Startups need to go through steps to protect the owners and the organization. Before you start doing business, make sure you have worked through these preliminary steps.
April 3, 2016
Adv. Yuval Lazi Participates in Student Entrepreneurship Program
Adv. Yuval Lazi, who specializes in advising entrepreneurs, will serve as a mentor at an evening event for 40 participants in Tel Aviv University’s student entrepreneurship program. The event will take place at the university on Tuesday, April 5, 2016, at 6:00 PM.
April 1, 2016
Enforcement Agreement – Is a Confession Required?
An article examines the willingness of the Israel Securities Authority (ISA) to enter into an enforcement agreement without requiring the violator to confess to the offense or assume responsibility for it. It further argues that the criteria applicable to administrative enforcement do not necessarily overlap with those governing criminal enforcement, and that no correlation between the two should be assumed. In addition, the article compares the enforcement agreement policies of the ISA and the United States. It concludes that enforcement agreements without an admission of liability are not inherently illegitimate, and that intervention in the ISA's discretion would be justified only where the enforcement agreement is fundamentally flawed.
March 27, 2016
From a Start-Up Nation to a Cyber Security Nation: The Evolution of Israel as a Security Leader
Most people who think about leading global players in online security concerns think big: the United States, China, and Russia. Quietly, though, Israel has emerged as a world leader in this area. Known as “Start-up Nation” since the release of Dan Senor and Saul Singer’s 2009 book of the same title, Israel has created a culture of technological development and growth. It promotes learning and understanding in technology, both culturally and through its recruitment of top minds in service to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), resulting in a country continually pushing the technological curve forward.
March 27, 2016
Barnea Represents Continuity Software
Barnea represented Continuity Software, a leading provider of service availability risk management solutions, in its sale to Kedma Capital for ILS 160 million. Adv. Micky Barnea and Adv. Ariella Dreyfuss represented Continuity Software, while Adv. Yuval Lazi represented Kedma Capital.
March 22, 2016
Algorithmic Trading – Adv. Moran Bickel Op-Ed
In recent months, the Israel Securities Authority (ISA) has halted the operations of numerous algorithmic trading companies on the grounds that their activities constitute investment portfolio management without the legally required license. In an op-ed published in Bizportal, Adv. Moran Bickel argues that the ISA should establish a dedicated regulatory framework for assessing algorithmic trading companies.
March 22, 2016
Israel Securities Authority Bans Binary Options
In a letter circulated yesterday, the Israel Securities Authority informed binary options companies of its decision to ban binary options trading in Israel.