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November 28, 2021
For the First Time, Israel Competition Authority Enforces Prohibition on Excessive Pricing
For the first time, the Israel Competition Authority has opened enforcement proceedings against a monopolist for abuse of its dominant position by charging an unfairly high price. Subject to a hearing, the authority intends to impose a pecuniary sanction of ILS 8 million on MBI Pharma Ltd. and personal sanctions on two officers of the company (of about ILS 600,000 each). The company faces accusations of charging an excessive price for Leadiant, a life-saving drug for CTX patients (an incurable genetic disease), which is marketed by MBI Pharma in Israel.
November 25, 2021
Representing Mouro Capital in Investment in Vesttoo
We represented Mouro Capital in its USD 8 million equity investment in the Israeli tech insurance startup Vesttoo, as part of its role as the lead investor in the company's USD 16 million Series B round. Ariella Dreyfuss represented Mouro Capital in the deal.
November 22, 2021
Indictments Filed in Israel over Officers’ Responsibility for Ecological Disaster
About seven years ago, one of the worst ecological disasters in Israel’s history occurred. During work to divert an oil pipeline, one of the old pipelines belonging to the government company Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Co. Ltd. (EAPC) ruptured near the Evrona Nature Reserve. As a result, about five million liters of crude oil poured from the pipeline into the nature reserve located in the Arava Valley.
November 18, 2021
Representing NickNack in Sale to Papaya Global
Yuval Lazi, Itay Gura, and Inbar Katzir represented the Israeli startup NickNack in its sale to Papaya Global Ltd., a private Israeli company that provides payroll and human resource management computing services to multinational corporations. NickNack is developing a platform that fosters team engagement and togetherness for organizations working remotely.
November 18, 2021
Internal Enforcement: Series of Webinars for Public Companies
Our firm, in collaboration with the Public Companies Forum of the Association of Corporate Counsel in Israel, has launched a series of webinars on internal enforcement. Among the lectures in the series, to be delivered by Dr. Zvi Gabbay, is "Prohibition on the Use of Insider Information, What an Internal Enforcement Plan Is, and How It Is Implemented in Organizations."
November 17, 2021
Everything to Know about the Purchase Tax Hike on Israeli Real Estate Investors
Earlier this month, the Israeli Ministry of Finance approved the outline for a hike to the purchase tax imposed on real estate investors, once again, to tax brackets of 8% and 10%. The Ministry of Finance has since updated that the purchase tax hike will take effect on Sunday, November 28. The ministry’s goal with this move is to “dissuade” investors from purchasing investment apartments and lower the demands in the residential housing market.
November 15, 2021
Extradition and Prosecution of Israelis by Foreign Courts
In recent weeks, numerous news articles have reported on the arrests of Israeli citizens resulting from foreign investigations conducted abroad. In one instance, more than 20 employees of a Tel Aviv based company engaging in forex investment marketing were arrested following an FBI investigation.
November 15, 2021
Interview on Workers' Rights in SPAC Issuances
Gett announced last week a USD 1.1 billion merger with an SPAC. This prompted unrest among former Gett employees who feared a dilution of their shares. We were interviewed by TheMarker about workers' rights during issuances and SPAC processes.
November 11, 2021
Representing Inomize in Transaction with Facebook (Meta)
We served as legal counsel for Inomize, an Israeli developer and manufacturer of electronic components, in its acquisition by Facebook. The acquisition is by way of acquiring the know-how and experience of Inomize’s employees. Adv. Ariella Dreyfuss led the deal. Advs. Netta Bromberg and Jacki Silbermann advised on the employment matters.
November 10, 2021
Representing Sephira in Sale of Shares to DL Software Group
Barnea represented the French and Israeli group of companies Sephira, a leader in software solutions for healthcare professionals, in the sale of its holdings to the DL Software Group, which was recently acquired by the American PE fund TA Associates.
The transaction was led by Samuel Henry Samuel, and Avihay Asulin. Netta Bromberg provided representation in all labor law matters, and Harel Perlmutter and Nir Ziman advised on all tax issues.
November 9, 2021
Much More than 66% – Must-Know Changes in the Urban Renewal Field
After years of expectations, the government has approved the legislative amendments needed to promote “Urban Renewal” projects in Israel. While everyone is talking about the amendment lowering the threshold of consent for apartment owners to 66%, a lot more has also changed. All of the amendments, both major and minor, are important.
November 3, 2021
Do You Own a Database? You’re Also Responsible for Actions Performed by Third Parties
The Black Shadow hacking group’s attack on Cyberserve, reported a few days ago, has resulted (at this point in time) in the leaking of a database with more than 800,000 records pertaining to various individuals and the exposure of additional databases. This attack raises important questions about the relations between database owners and the third parties with whom they engage to receive various services relating to business activities that incidentally involve their data.
October 31, 2021
Websites Roll Out November Deals – Tips for Safer Shopping Online
November brings with it a variety of online shopping deals and promotions. Before making a purchase, it is important to know which products are tax-exempt, which sites to buy from, and what warning lights should not be ignored. Adv. Karin Kashi, coordinator of our firm’s privacy practice, addresses the issue in an interview with Ynet.
October 28, 2021
How Can China’s New Privacy Protection Law Affect Your Business?
On November 1, 2021, the new Chinese Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) will come into effect. This law is modeled after the well-known European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Like the GDPR, the PIPL will apply not only to Chinese organizations, but also to any organization processing the personal information of people located in China.
Therefore, any organization that collects data from China must comply with this new law or risk suffering the consequences.
October 27, 2021
Representation in Defamation Lawsuit against Channel 13 and Guy Lerer
We are representing the singer Eyal Golan in a NIS 1 million defamation lawsuit against Channel 13 and journalist Guy Lerer, the host of TV program Hazinor, following an investigative article that dealt with the marketing of agricultural land by a company owned by Golan. Adv. Dror Arad-Ayalon and Adv. Shir Rozenzweig are providing representation in the matter. They argued in the statement of claim that Golan's company is not connected to the allegations presented in the article and that Golan and his company are not involved in the marketing process whatsoever.
October 26, 2021
Easing of Conditions for NGOs and PBCs to Engage with Israeli State Institutions
Up until today, pursuant to an Israeli government resolution dating back to 2001, NPOs (such as Amutot and public-benefit companies) that did not possess a certificate of proper management could not engage with government entities.
A certificate of proper management is a certificate issued to Amutot and PBCs by the Registrar of Amutot and Endowments after receiving an organization’s annual report (in conformity with the statutory requirements and the registrar’s instructions). It is valid for one year (or for two years, for Amutot and PBCs that fulfill particular criteria).
October 25, 2021
Bar-Ilan University Law and Environment Club: Ethical Consumerism and Sustainable Fashion
As part of the inaugural event of Bar-Ilan University’s Law and Environment Club, firm partner Sagi Gross will deliver opening remarks on the importance of law and the environment. His speech will touch on developments and changes in recent years.
October 24, 2021
2021 Snapshot: The Impact of Covid-19 on the Israeli Economy
The advent of COVID-19 has brought a challenge to the stability of the economy of every country in the world. Fortunately, and unlike the situation in many countries, Israel’s economy grew by 15.4% on an annualized basis in the second quarter of 2021, and by 5.3% in entire first half of the year. The second quarter, of course, brought the bulk of the growth, exceeding that of Belgium, Canada, and the US among others.
October 20, 2021
Double the Trouble: What Happens When a Class Action Lawsuit tries to "Piggyback" off Another?
Many class action proceedings end in settlement. The settlement agreement is designed, inter alia, to facilitate an efficient and fair resolution to the proceeding, in a manner that also provides certainty to the parties. Essentially, it "takes on the risk" for all parties involved—the class action plaintiffs and their legal representation, the class, and the defendants. Settlement certification by the court constitutes res judicata, and ensures the preclusion of repeated claims regarding the subject of the settlement.
October 17, 2021
Interview with Micky Barnea: Kibbutz Industry Closes Two Years of Successful Exits
In the last six months, the kibbutz industry has signed ten significant deals for hundreds of millions of dollars. How and when did the kibbutz industry become so attractive? What happened in the last decade that caused this explosion in the kibbutz industry and is this a temporary phenomenon? A Globes article on the subject features interviews with several experts in the field, including Micky Barnea.