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Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit has submitted his opinion regarding the mediation agreement signed by the actors' organization Shaham and a number of performing artists with Eshkolot.

An article published in TheMarker describes the management changes being undertaken by Eshkolot as a result of the legal proceedings against it.

Adv. Eyal Nachshon, who represents Shaham and the artists, noted in the article that Shaham and a number of artists have been leading this legal proceedings for some time, demanding both significant changes to Eshkolot's management and increased transparency. One of the most substantial achievements in the process so far, thanks to the mediation arrangement, is that for the first time members from the younger generation of performing artists in Israel are being included in Eshkolot's management.

Israeli companies that view the US as a relevant market for selling products, receiving investments, or a future sale or merger transaction should be aware of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

What are class actions and what is their purpose? In what circumstances may a class action be filed? What are the important points to consider when filing a class action? Eyal Nachshon, a partner in our firm’s Litigation Department, answers all these questions and more on a new Calcalist podcast.

We represented Datum BioTech Ltd and its non-wholly owned subsidiary, Datum Dental Ltd, an Israeli company that develops medical devices for the mouth and jaw, in its sale to American company Dentsply Sirona. Advs. Micky Barnea and Ariella Dreyfuss advised the client throughout the deal.

The severe economic damage caused by the coronavirus crisis has intensified the need for philanthropic ventures. The Maariv newspaper dedicated a section to highlight our firm’s pro bono activities. Adv. Sagi Gross, who leads our activity in the area of social welfare, discussed the firm’s work with the “Supportive Family” foundation.

Ariella Dreyfuss lectured today to a group of Israeli medtech startups participating in the Hadassah Accelerator (powered by IBM Alpha Zone). The lecture was on the secrets behind fundraising. 

Until recently, companies have focused their privacy policies on customers and suppliers, but have not placed enough emphasis on the privacy of their employees. We are now seeing a trend reversal, as employees are beginning to understand that an organization cannot do what it wants with their information and that there are legal limitations to collecting information about them. Organizations must now be more careful with employees’ privacy and this is how to do it. 

Adv. Anat Even-Chen participated in Globes' "Material for Thought" conference on the cyber industry. Anat was featured on a panel about the effects of a cyber crisis on an organization, where she discussed how companies should prepare for upcoming challenges in 2021 in this field.

Yuval Lazi lectured this morning on founders' and investors' agreements as part of the "From Project to Startup" course at Tel Aviv University’s Faculty of Engineering. During the course, students establish and develop a technology startup, with mentors and leading industry professionals guiding them throughout the project. Yuval serves as one of the mentors in the course.

As an expert in the infrastructure field, Shai Avnieli was interviewed for Calcalist’s podcast to provide his highlights for the year 2020. He analyzed how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the industry and where the infrastructure industry is headed.

In recent years, leading artists in Israel have alleged a lack of transparency in how Eshkolot, a company that oversees artists' royalties, is managing their money. Several of these artists are stakeholders of the company, and some previously held various positions in the company. 

Adv. Eyal Nachson was interviewed for an article by TheMarker on the subject. Eyal was quoted as follows: "On the recommendation of the court, Shaham – The Israel Actors' Association conducted a comprehensive and in-depth mediation procedure with Eshkolot. At the end of the mediation, the parties reached an agreement including achievements that will strengthen the control and supervision of the royalty amounts."

As part of a comprehensive guide prepared by Humphreys Law Ltd on leaver and vesting provisions, Ariella Dreyfuss contributed her perspective on the Israeli market.

Harel Perlmutter, the head of our Tax Department, has published an op-ed in Globes on the importance of recognizing childcare expenses for tax purposes, particularly now during the coronavirus period.

Last October, the Knesset proposed a draft of the Agriculture Law. Yevul Si, a leading agriculture magazine, published an op-ed by our firm's Hagit Ben Moshe, an expert in the field. She provided commentary on the law, and on the importance of properly compensating the agriculture industry.

Adv. Hagit Ben Moshe, who leads the kibbutz and agricultural sector at our firm, was interviewed by TheMarker. Hagit emphasized in the interview that purchasing land, unlike buying an apartment, is primarily at the theory level. "In most cases, companies in this field sell you an option to rights in the land, dependent on several conditions, such as changing the land's designation and completing the planning. Unless the plan is already approved, no one can guarantee you with any certainty on when or if the conditions will be met and your dreams will come true. We've encountered several cases where people buy agricultural land based on promises from the authorities, and then the authorities back down from the plans, or even expropriate the land for themselves. If the authorities cannot provide certainty, then certainly the people in sales offices can’t either."

Our firm organized a webinar for legal advisers and compliance officers, in partnership with ACC. As part of the webinar, firm partner Dr. Zvi Gabbay lectured on the connection between ethics and obedience. Are they in competition or do they complement one another? 

Our office will host on December 3, 2020, from 10:30-11:30 am, a webinar entitled "Proper Management in a Changing Labor Market." Topics include innovations in hearing procedures for terminating employees in light of COVID-19 and the impact of digital life on organizations and the nature of work.

Jio, India's largest telecommunications company, recently completed a major investment round, raising money from leading multinational corporations like Google and Facebook. Israeli insurance company Menora Mivtachim also invested about USD 30 million as part of the round. Firm partner Roy Engel accompanied Menora Mivtachim in the investment.

Dr. Zvi Gabbay lectured today on the distribution and marketing of hedge funds as part of a virtual conference held in collaboration with the Israel Hedge Funds Association and the international law firm Katten Muchin Rosenman.

After a year of negotiations, Jerusalem Light Rail concessionaire Shapir Engineering and its Spanish partner CAF announced the closure of a financial agreement for the construction and operation of a network of light rail lines in Jerusalem. The project's initial financing, amounting to nearly NIS 4 billion, will be led by Bank Hapoalim, with the participation of First International Bank of Israel, investment house Altshuler Shaham, and insurance company Migdal. Our firm's Simon Jaffa and Samuel Henry Samuel represented CAF in the transaction. This is CAF's first project in Israel.