Latest Updates

The Treatment of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Batteries Law came into effect recently. Asaf Shalev,head of Environmental Law at Barnea Co explains the Law and its ramifications for suppliers, distributors and marketers.

The Real Estate department, headed by Ariel Nadler, represented Israel Natural Gas Lines in the petition filed against it by Kibbutz Regavim. The judge rejected the petition stating that she did not see a reason to interfere in the government’s decision. In her view, once the safety concerns had been cleared, the kibbutz should have withdrawn the petition, which it did not do, The kibbutz will have to bear petition costs of NIS 4,000,000. 

As an expert in the technology field, Micky Barnea was invited to lead the high-tech panel at the Israel’s 2nd Foreign Law Firms Conference. The panel: Start-Up Nation Vs. Exit Nation will deal with the effect of startup nation on the Israeli legal scene, the current trends in high-tech exit transactions, IPO's and the interface between Israeli and foreign law firms in high-tech legal work.

Ezra Katzen was a featured speaker at a meeting of the Association of Corporate Counsel – Israel (ACCI) in November.  The topic of his address was “The General Counsel, The Most Important Link in the Options Chain.”  Drawing on his many years of experience as an in-house counsel, Ezra spoke about the legal and practical challenges in administering an Employee Stock Options Plan from the perspective of the in-house lawyer. The meeting was jointly sponsored by Barnea and ESOP-Excellence, and was attended by general counsels and senior in-house attorneys from approximately 40 Israeli companies.

Our Head on Internet Department was nominated as a leading practitioner in the field of entertainment in Israel by the 2014 edition of Whos' Who Legal, one of the leading global legal guides.

The Tel Aviv and Central District of the Israel Bar Association, is delighted to invite you to a unique conference held for the second time in Israel, discussing the entry and activity of foreign law firms in Israel. Michael Barnea, head of technology department at Barnea, will lead the Hi-Tech panel.

Zohar Lande's criticism of the Anti-Trust authority for its conduct in the Israeli Food market- published in Calcalist

Global Invacom Group has completed yesterday its acquisition of Israel-based OnePath Networks. OnePath - which trades as Foxcom - is one of the pioneers in radio frequency over fibre technology. It provides products and services to major satellite operators, teleports and broadcasters in over 35 countries.

Barnea and The MIT Enterprise Forum of Israel is delighted to invite you to a unique seminar: Time to Start-Up! Follow the Challenging Road. The event will take place on 19th November 2014, 16:30 - 20:15 at the Tel Aviv University.

In a meeting held by the Knesset Finance Committee on the high cost of living, Antitrust Commissioner Prof. David Gilo called on consumers to organize boycotts to pressure retailers and manufacturers to reduce their prices. He said: “An occasional boycott is not enough. Consumers need to undertake a personal boycott every day, to vote with their feet and compare competing prices.” Zohar Lande senior partner at Barnea Co, disagrees. Zohar was interviewed by Maariv newspaper where he was quoted for saying "it is both unfair and unwise to ask the consumers to fix the high cost of living".

Tax treaties are intended to promote international trade by eliminating double taxation.  Although the Israeli Tax Authority and the Israeli Ministry of Finance have been reluctant to acknowledge a potential new double taxation treaty with Switzerland, the Swiss Finance Ministry has been more vocal. Swiss officials have confirmed that in recent weeks negotiations were indeed held with the Israeli tax authorities in connection with such proposed treaty between the countries. 

The increased use of technology in the workplace has created new concerns for both employers and employees in the area of privacy. Do Employers have the right to monitor their employees? Read more.

World Tax, the International guide to the world's leading tax firms, recognized Barnea as a recommended tax firm in Israel.

The international IFLR 1000 ranking guide recognized the expertise of Barnea in Mergers and Acquisitions and Project Finance. In addition, Simon Jaffa is recognized as a 'leader in his field'.  The directory noted that “Barnea has always delivered excellent work. They have a profound understanding of our company's needs and expectations, and do it in an efficient, expedient, cost-effective manner. Their knowledge of the local market is a plus, and they are always a pleasure to work with.”

This has not gone unnoticed by foreign multinational companies. A study by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics shows that 63% of all investments in RD centers in Israel come from international technology companies operating in Israel. More than 67% of all employees in RD centers in Israel are employed by foreign companies who have established research centers, such as Facebook, Google, Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Intel, HP and more. Such companies employ no less than 34.3 thousand employees in RD, with an annual increase of 2%. The presence of these corporate giants in Israel is growing, as many more companies understand the benefits and success they could have by placing their RD centers in the hotbed of innovation and invention. These outstanding figures are irritating to some, as the growth in the RD centers gives the foreign companies firstbid at breakthrough technologies. Science, Technology, and Space Minister Yaakov Peri went as far as saying that “Israel’s economy relies heavily on funding from other countriesfor research and development…this is a fragile situation…in which the main beneficiaries of Israeli creativity are the multinational companies.” But there’s another way to look at it. These centers are effectively nurturing the best and the brightest, training them and serving as incubators for budding entrepreneurs. Many of these employees leave the multinational companies ready to start their own start-ups, armed with the considerable skillset, knowledge, and experience acquired at these RD centers. Furthermore, having foreign RD centers and multinationals in Israel has proven to be a source for creating jobs, spawning new business and contributing to economic output.

The initiative to apply 0% VAT for first-time homebuyers will be a temporary ordinance for seven years. The leading newspaper Globes described the legal effects of this and interviewed senior lawyer, Liat Keisary Yahalomi.

In recent years many kibbutz enterprises have grown from small manufacturers to international corporations. Echad Ha'am  magazine, by Globes, held a roundtable with six experts to discuss the latest changes and developments in the kibbutz sector. (attached, p.21)