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March 2, 2017
Antitrust Authority Continues its Trend of Stricter Punishment
The Israel Antitrust Authority (‘’IAA’’) has announced its intention to impose a financial sanction in the sum of NIS 25,640,000 on Bitan Wines, due to its violation of the terms of the merger between Bitan Wines and the Mega supermarket chain.
March 2, 2017
Judicial Oversight of Board Decisions - Beyond the Business Judgement Rule?
Adv. Zohar Lande and Adv. Gilli Cohen Arazi from the Litigation Department at Barnea in an article for Chambers and Partners on recent trends in Israeli case law, which may indicate a change in the Israeli courts' attitude to judicial intervention in the business judgment of the Board of a corporation.
March 2, 2017
Dr. Zvi Gabbay in an Interview for Globes following the Exposure of Cases of Bribery by Israeli Businessmen
Dr. Zvi Gabbay, Partner and Head of the Capital Markets Department at Barnea, was interviewed by Globes, following the exposure of cases of bribery by Israeli businessmen. Zvi commented that the Israeli prohibition against bribing a foreign public servant is new. However, the law was enacted in the US in 1977 and the US has caused other countries to align with it.
February 27, 2017
Class action against Directors
The Tel Aviv District Court approved an action as a class action filed by the minority shareholders of Delek Energy Systems Ltd. against its controlling shareholder and officers of the company.
February 26, 2017
How Blockchain will Revolutionize a Paper World
In many ways, electronic communications dominate the world as we know it. We talk through email, text, and social media, to the point that the written letter is almost an anachronism. Still, some areas still thrive on paper. Real estate, for example, depends on paper deeds and documentation to confirm authenticity. Similarly, many corporations depend on paper records to demonstrate regulatory compliance. But blockchain is helping to change all of that. The technology that made Bitcoin work is expanding, in Israel and beyond, to help secure online processes and chains of custody in ways that can help shift paper-dominated fields into the 21st century.
February 26, 2017
E-Commerce – Law and Legal Authority
Our Head of the Internet Department at Barnea, in an article (in Hebrew) for The Marker, discussing the question of how e-commerce activities may be subject to different legal systems, which can contain rules that do not match and even contradict, especially in matters of licensing and regulation.
February 23, 2017
Adv. Itay Gura to lecture at the Startau Entrepreneurship Course
Adv. Itay Gura will lecture today on the topic of founders agreements at 'Ignition' - the Entrepreneurship Course of Startau, Tel Aviv University Entrepreneurship Center.
February 21, 2017
Innovation Cocktail Event Hosted Together with the Israel-South Africa Chamber of Commerce
Barnea, together with the Israel-South Africa Chamber of Commerce, is hosting today a cocktail event to promote networking between South African businessmen living in Israel and Israeli businessmen.
February 21, 2017
Does the US Visa Boom Herald New Opportunities for Law Firms?
Adv. Marie Tsion, Head of the Employment Department at Barnea was interviewed by The Lawyer regarding the effect of the E-2 visa programme on the legal market. Marie commented that the E-2 investor visas will allow US companies, entrepreneurs and employees to start business activities in Israel more easily. This visa is likely to increase the number of US companies establishing activities in Israel.
February 16, 2017
Japan-Israel Relations: Advancing Technology
For many years now, Israels emergence and growth on the worlds economic stage has captured the attention of national and private investors all over the globe. It is only in recent years, though, that this has come to include Japan. In the past few years, more and more Japanese corporations have opened RD and sales centers in Israel, while business delegations are continually streaming into Israel. One of those companies which recently entered Israel is Fujitsu, the largest IT company in Japan and the fifth largest in the world.
February 15, 2017
Delegation of Israeli ambassadors in Latin America
Barnea is today hosting a delegation of Israeli ambassadors who are stationed in Latin America, together with the Latin America division of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Israel-Latin America Chamber of Commerce and StarTau, the Entrepreneurship Center of Tel Aviv University.
February 14, 2017
Draft Guide to Cyber Threat Information Sharing
The Antitrust Authority published for public comments a new guidelines draft on the subject of information-sharing between competitors for the purpose of contending with cyber threats.
February 12, 2017
Foreign Companies are Immune to Private Antitrust Enforcement in Israel
Despite the growing sensitivity to violations of the competition laws and the uptrend in the imposition of stricter penalties by the authorities in respect thereof, business managers and consumers who have fallen victims to competition-law offenses in Israel hesitant in instituting civil proceedings against offenders.
February 12, 2017
Barnea & Co. will accompany Accelerator Frankfurt Spring Program
The Accelerator connects Startups with Financial Institutions. Barnea Co is the firm which will provide legal services in Israel to the startups attending the Program in Frankfurt. On 12th February we will be holding an introductory event at which the Accelerator will describe the nature and aims of the Program and Micky Barnea will discuss the challenges for startups heading abroad. The event will be take place at Barclay's Techstars Accelerator.
February 12, 2017
Shufersal Sets its Sights on Drug Store Chain New-Pharm
Adv. Ilan Blumenfeld, Partner in the Antitrust department at Barnea was interviewed by The Marker following Shufersal, Israel's largest supermarket chain’s announcement that it is in the early stages of examining the possibility of acquiring local drugstore chain, New-Pharm Drugstores. Ilan commented that in the event that Shufersal acquires New Pharm, the Antitrust Authority will have to approve the deal by examining the market power of the merged entity.
February 8, 2017
Head of Deutsche Bank Israel Detained on Suspicion of VAT Offenses
Adv. Harel Perlmutter, Head of the Tax department at Barnea, was interviewed by Tax Analysts following the arrest of the chief executive of Deutsche Bank's operation in Israel on suspicion of violating VAT law. The Israel Tax Authority claims that the customers, in respect of whom Deutsche Bank reported its transactions as being zero rated, allegedly because they were conducted on behalf of “foreign residents”, were actually Israeli residents. Harel commented that it is often difficult to determine whether someone is a foreign tax resident.
February 7, 2017
The CEO of Kitov Pharmaceuticals was Investigated by the Israeli Security Authority on Suspicion of Fraud and False Reporting
Adv. Zohar Lande and Moran Bickel from the Litigation Department at Barnea represented the CEO of Kitov Pharmaceuticals at a hearing in the Tel Aviv Magistrates Court relating to his release from detention, subject to certain restrictive conditions.
February 6, 2017
Taxation Factors for Operations Over the Internet
The explosion of e-commerce in the last 15 years has made it easier than ever to manage the logistics of doing business in multiple countries. The global reach it creates, though, has spawned a litany of tax questions. You need to determine which jurisdictions have the authority to tax you and your business activity and what taxes apply. Your physical location and your end-customer locations can impact what you pay to whom, but other factors might also apply. Managing this process is critical to your continued e-commerce operations.
February 5, 2017
Considering Bitcoin an Asset Could Set Back Usage in Israel
Adv. Harel Perlmutter, Head of the Tax Department at Barnea, was interviewed by Bitcoin.com regarding the Israeli Tax Authority’s (ITA) draft on digital currencies. Harel commented that the draft circular is a declaration of intent from the ITA and at this stage no draft legislation has been published.
February 5, 2017
Doing Business in Israel – Practical Law
Doing Business in Israel? A QA guide to doing business in Israel written by Barnea was published in the Practical Law website. The guide gives an overview of the legal system, foreign investment, regulation, and other issues pertaining to Israel.