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January 8, 2023

2022: A Turbulent Year for the Cryptocurrency Sector

On the one hand, the cryptocurrency industry is still in the throes of the crisis caused by a series of bankruptcies and one of the biggest scandals in the world of finance. On the other hand, transparent and decentralized alternatives to the centralized financial sector demonstrate why they are so important, as well as their ability to function effectively even in times of crisis.

January 5, 2023

2022: Legislative and Judicial Trends - Israeli Labor Law

In terms of Israeli legislation in 2022, the new and amended legislative arrangements were designed to advance the integration of diverse groups in the workplace. One such example is the amendment to the Male and Female Workers (Equal Pay) Law enacted in June 2022, which prescribed, for the first time, that particular types of employers must report wage gaps in the organization.

January 4, 2023

Representing Phoenix and More Investment House in a Dispute with Megureit Israel

Our firm continues to represent the institutional investors Phoenix and More, shareholders of Megureit Israel Ltd., in relation to a dispute about Megureit’s unlawful conduct. According to Phoenix and More, the REIT fund approved, in violation of the law, the extension of the agreement with the management company REIT Index Management Ltd., in a way that constitutes harm to the company itself (and, consequently, also to its shareholders). Megureit also refrained from transferring documents requested by Phoenix and More in this regard and procrastinated in an attempt to avoid convening a meeting and an operative discussion of the issue that could lead to a solution benefitting the company and all of its shareholders. Last week, Advs. Zohar Lande and Adi Shoham sent a letter to Megureit clarifying that Phoenix and More intend to insist on their rights, including by filing a derivative suit against the company and other parties. They requested that this letter be considered a preliminary notice before filing a derivative suit.

January 3, 2023

2022: Developments in Financial Service Providers Regulations

This article summarizes the regulatory developments imposed on financial service providers, including of non-bank credit and financial asset services, and the key measures companies engaging in this sector should take in preparation for 2023.

January 2, 2023

Duties and Rights of Israelis Who Relocate – Amos E. Rosenzweig Interview with Walla!

In an interview with Walla! News, Amos E. Rosenzweig, a special counsel at our firm, explains that Israeli law possesses no positive definition of who is considered an Israeli resident, but rather who is not. In addition, Amos discusses the social welfare conditions and financial allowances of Israeli residents who live abroad or are considered returning residents.

January 1, 2023

2022: Antitrust and Competition in Israel – A Year in Review

2022 was characterized by many trends relating to competition law in Israel. Ramped up handling of monopolies, unfair pricing and restrictive trade practices, and enhanced collaboration between Israeli government ministries and the Competition Authority are just some of the trends we witnessed during 2022 in this field.

January 1, 2023

2022: Trends in Real Estate Law in Israel

The uptrend in Israel’s housing prices continued in 2022. It appears we are only now beginning to feel the outgoing government’s measures. In the regulatory arena, amendments to the Sale Law (Apartments) should begin affecting the balance of powers between buyers and sellers of new apartments.

December 29, 2022

New Precedent in Israel – Abuse of a Position of Influence and Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

In the case in question, there was no abuse of authority in the work relationship between the defendant and the complainant, since the complainant was not subordinate to the defendant. However, the defendant abused his position of influence over the complainant, obligating the employer to conduct investigation  in accordance with a different set of standards.

December 27, 2022

Suspected Embezzlement at Moshav Ahisamakh

Our office represents a senior official under investigation in connection with suspicions of embezzlement, estimated at approximately NIS 120 million that were allegedly wrongfully obtained from the agricultural association at Moshav Achisemech.

December 26, 2022

Is the Era of Unsolicited Telemarketing Coming to an End in Israel?

An amendment to the Israeli Consumer Protection Law, also known as the “Do Not Call Me Law,” is about to enter the enforcement phase on January 1, 2023. Inter alia, the law imposes liability on a business telemarketing its product or service, even if a third party is actually making the call.

December 25, 2022

Representative Sells and Shareholders Miss out on Big Profit – Micky Barnea Interview in Globes

The Ista deal, in which representatives on behalf of a broad public oversaw a sale of assets at a price that turned out to be attractive to buyers, has faced severe criticism. As an expert on corporations and the capital market, Micky Barnea was interviewed by Globes about the deal. Micky explained the role and responsibility of public representatives, who manage members’ funds, and clarified some ways to manage long-term investments.

December 21, 2022

Doing Business In Israel: Regulation of Carbon Pricing

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to decelerate climate change processes is an important goal of many countries. The two main mechanisms that countries use to reduce GHG emissions are carbon taxation and carbon emissions trading.

December 20, 2022

Competition and Antitrust: Gal Rozent and Ran Karmi Article in Calcalist

Money laundering allegations against bid competitors convicted of coordinating a tender (coupled with charges of competition law offenses and fraud) may lead to aggravated penalties compares to those imposed on “regular” antitrust offenders. The Competition Authority’s decision to freeze and confiscate assets by virtue of Israel’s Anti-Money Laundering Law will exert heavy pressure, both financial and mental, on those under investigation and indictment. Read Gal Rozent and Ran Karmi’s article on the issue in Calcalist.

December 20, 2022

Israel Securities Authority Seeks Permission to Expand Authority beyond Securities Offenses

The Israel Securities Authority is seeking to expand its power. If its draft bill is accepted, this will have far-reaching consequences, as the ISA will have the power to investigate offenses related to fraud, bribery, money laundering, and cryptocurrencies (which the ISA considers to be securities).

December 19, 2022

Can DeFi Use Exempt a Project from Compliance?

Activity in the form of financial decentralization (Decentralized Finance - DeFi) does not exempt from requirements in the field of prevention of money laundering prohibition or compliance with sanctions. It turns out that DeFi is subject to the same "laws of gravity" as projects in the traditional financial industry.

December 19, 2022

What New Sanctions Might Be Imposed on Israeli Companies Doing Business with China?

The tightrope Israel has been walking in the relationship between the United States and China was recently stretched even further, as the US continues to pursue policies aimed at making it difficult for its allies to cooperate with China. In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Prof. Amichai Cohen, our firm’s of counsel on international law, details the difficulties and limitations for Israeli companies doing business with China.

December 18, 2022

Exceptional Workplace Bullying Compensation Awarded to an Employee in Israel

The Israeli National Labor Court awarded ILS 300,000 to the employee after a regional labor court awarded the employee only ILS 60,000.

December 18, 2022

Representation in Class Action for Polluting Ashalim River

Following pollution to the Ashalim River and its surrounding areas in 2017, three plaintiffs filed a class action against Rotem Amfert, a subsidiary of ICL Group, for NIS 400 million. The plaintiffs demanded compensation for the ecological damage caused to the area.  

December 15, 2022

Regulation: Potential Pitfalls in Phoenix Group’s Purchase by Abu Dhabi’s ADQ Fund

We were interviewed by Calcalist to shed light on the proposed acquisition. We highlighted that there is no legal restriction in Israel on foreign ownership of an insurance company. However, in the past, the Capital Market, Insurance, and Savings Authority blocked a transaction in which a fund owned by the Chinese government sought to acquire control of Clal Insurance.

December 15, 2022

Intricacies of SAFEs (Simple Agreement for Future Equity)

Contrary to its title, as a Simple Agreement for Future Equity, a SAFE may not be as simple as it seems, and it has complexities.