Insights & News

Micky Barnea will deliver a lecture to entrepreneurs tonight at TRI/O (Tech Entrepreneurship Hub) at Kfar Quasim, on investment agreements. TRI/O is a collaboration of three entities:  Tsofen, an Arab-Jewish organization promoting the integration of Israel’s Arab citizens into the hi-tech industry, MIT Enterprise Forum and MEPI - Middle East Partnership Initiative , a USA fund that offers assistance, training, and support to groups and individuals striving to create positive change in Israeli society.

Yuval Lazi will lecture (May 16, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM) at the Google Campus Startup School for entrepreneurs on 10 Annoying Legal Mistakes of Early Stage Start Ups as well as the advantages of Founders' Agreements.

Google Campus is part of a global network including Campus Tel Aviv and Campus London.

How options are being used as a tool to address start-ups’ challenges in recruiting, incentivizing, and retaining quality employees.

We recently published an article on the IDC Legal Clinic for Start-ups website, reviewing the basic concepts of stock options, the process of adopting a stock option plan, and the various routes available for companies to implement it.

Barnea represented Azrieli Group in its acquisition of the eCommerce platform and activities of Buy 2 Networks Inc., a public company traded on the TASE. The acquired platform and activities  provide an eCommerce platform for consumers to purchase a wide range of products.

The acquisition price is NIS 70 million. Azrieli was represented by Micky Barnea.

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.

The high-tech sector is concerned about the impending passing of legislation which would effectively further restrict the salaries payable to executives in the financial sector. The concern is that this legislation could be extended to apply all types of listed companies , including Israeli high-tech companies listed on venture capital markets abroad. Micky Barnea, as an experienced lawyer in the high-tech field, was interviewed by TheMarker

Barnea represented East and West Stores Ltd, a leading importer of foods into Israel from the Far East,  in a dispute concerning the use of the trade name "East and West" and its trademarks.

Following an appeal to the Supreme Court filed by our litigation department,  the ruling made against the Company by the District Court ,which prohibited the Company from using the trade name "East and West" in some markets, was reversed (our firm was not involved in the District Court action).

The Supreme Court  also reversed the contempt of court ruling issued against the Company.

East and West Stores Ltd. was represented by Adv. Zohar Lande and Adv. Itai Wigoda. Adv. Ilan Blumenfeld assisted on the commercial aspects.

In an article on the best decorated offices, The Marker Real Estate magazine chose Barnea as having one of the most beautiful law firm offices.

Adv. Yuval Lazi will participate tomorrow as a judge at the final event of the Startau elite entrepreneurship program "demo day".

This program is a unique acceleration program intended for young entrepreneurs, whose involvement in the program commences at concept stage. The program gives these young entrepreneurs the tools and knowledge to advance the concept to the point where it is ready for investment within three months.

Among the judges will be Samsung Venture Invesment, Krypton Venture Capital and Deutsce Telekom.

The Israeli newspaper TheMarker interviewed our head of internet department, to discuss the new guidelines issued by the Israeli Tax Authority, according to which shall begin collecting  VAT and income taxes from foreign companies which conduct substantial business over the internet in Israel, such as Facebook and Google.

The Legal Business magazine has dedicated its April edition to Israel, with a focus on current topics and trends in the country. Simon Jaffa was interviewed regarding Israel's high- tech industry.

Yesterday, the signing ceremony of the Share Purchase Agreement for the sale of Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories Ltd. to Fosun (China), for approximately NIS 290 million, was held in Jerusalem. Micky Barnea, Ariella Dreyfuss and Itay Gura from our firm represented Kibbutz Mitzpe Shalem, one of the selling shareholders.

A conversation with Ariel Nadler regarding purchasing groups and the pros and cons thereof.

As an expert in advising entrepreneurs, Yuval Lazi will be a mentor in an evening event involving 40 participants in the student entrepreneurship program at the University of Tel Aviv. The event will be held on Tuesday 05/04/16 at 6pm at Tel Aviv University

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.

Barnea represented Continuity Software in a transaction for the sale of the company to Kedma Capital for an amount of NIS 160 million. Continuity Software is the leading provider of service availability risk management solutions.

Representing Continuity Software- Adv. Micky Barnea and Adv. Ariella Dreyfuss.
Adv. Yuval Lazi represented Kedma Capital.

In recent months the ISA has  stopped the activity of many algo-trading companies, because their businesses constitute investment portfolio management without a license required by law. In an opinion article in Bizportal,  Adv. Moran Bickel argues that the ISA should create a specific regulatory system in order to assess algo- trading companies.

In a letter circulated yesterday to companies engaged in the binary options industry, ISA informed these companies that it has decided to completely halt binary option trading in Israel. 

In an opinion article in Calcalist Magazine by Adv.  Zohar Lande, Partner and Head of the Litigation Department in our office, he  discussed the latest changes in the process of hiring interns at law firms. According to Zohar, despite shortcoming in these changes, regulatory intervention is necessary.

Adv. Gal Oren was interviewed by the prominent Israeli business newspaper, Globes, for an article regarding  the financial opportunities to be found in countries suffering economic crises.