Latest Updates

September 18, 2017

Spain Fines Facebook for Collection of Information without Consent

The Spanish Data Protection Authority slapped Facebook with a USD 1.4 million fine over three instances in which Facebook collected information on ideology, sex, religious beliefs, personal tastes, and browser history without properly notifying users what such information was being obtained for.

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September 14, 2017

What Constitutes Personal Information According to EU Law? The Examination Script Example

In a case recently brought before the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the Advocate General provided an opinion according to which a candidate's examination script, as well as the comments made on the script by the examiner, is personal data the candidate is entitled to receive.

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September 12, 2017

Dr. Zvi Gabbay speaking at the EY Anti-Fraud Forum

Dr. Zvi Gabbay, Head of Barnea's Capital Markets Department, will participate today in the EY Anti-Fraud Forum. Zvi will discuss how workers can take an active role in self-regulation and compliance.

September 12, 2017

India: Right to Privacy Declared to Be Protected under the Constitution

The Supreme Court of India recently ruled that the right to privacy is an integral part of the right to life and personal liberty enshrined in the Indian constitution, and as such is entitled to the same legal protection.

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September 4, 2017

Government Approves National Policy for Safe Identification

Israel's government recently set forth a decision approving the key points of a national “safe identification” policy. The purpose of this policy is to define how a person’s identity is to be verified when receiving government services in a digital mode, in order to improve the services being provided to residents, and to simplify the access to these services.

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August 30, 2017

Consumer Protection Law Prescribes a General Arrangement for Canceling Transactions

An amendment to the Consumer Protection Law was enacted recently, regulating the ways by which consumers can cancel transactions and imposing obligations on businesses to disclose to consumers how they can cancel transactions.

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August 29, 2017

Dr. Zvi Gabbay Discusses Regulation of Digital Coins in New Op-ed

Dr. Zvi Gabbay, Head of the Capital Markets Department, had an op-ed published in The Marker on the regulation of digital currencies. He asserts there will be no choice but to build a unique regulatory model that matches the characteristics of these new financial instruments.

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August 29, 2017

Fair Lending Law Finally Approved

The Knesset recently approved Amendment No. 5 to the Regulation of Nonbank Loans Law, which is now called the Fair Lending Law. This comes after years of deliberations and in the long wake of recommendations submitted in 2013 to increase competition in the banking system.

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August 21, 2017

Transfers of Data Base in M&A Transactions

The Israeli Law, Information and Technology Authority (ILITA) recently published a new draft directive regarding the handling of customers’ personal information (which is organized as a registered database or as a database under compulsory registration) when it is held by an acquiree company and is being transferred to the acquirer company within the scope of a merger or acquisition transaction.

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August 16, 2017

Dr. Zvi Gabbay talks SEC allegations against Mobileye founders with TheMarker

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently filed a lawsuit in a US court against an Israeli citizen and an American citizen for the use of inside information to acquire shares and options at Mobileye. The lawsuit alleges, among other things, that Mobileye's founders supplied information about the huge deal being forged between it and Intel. Dr. Zvi Gabbay, head of the Capital Markets Department at our firm was interviewed by TheMarker on the subject. He explained the differences between the enforcement process in Israel and the US and the relationship between civil enforcement by the SEC and criminal enforcement by federal prosecution.

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August 9, 2017

The Application of Foreign Privacy Laws on Israeli Activities – Really?

One of the key privacy protection issues in Israel is whether and to what extent the activities of an Israeli company may be subject to foreign privacy protection laws. This question has become of critical importance since the enactment of the General Data Protection Regulations in the European Union.

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August 8, 2017

Monetary Authority of Singapore to Begin Regulating the Issuance of Virtual Currencies

Adv. Daniel Israeli was interviewed by TheMarker after the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced it would begin regulating the issuance of virtual currencies (ICO). Daniel noted that Singapore has developed into a destination of sorts for ICOs, and thus the MAS' decision will certainly change the rules of the game.

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August 7, 2017

Supreme Court Precedent – Companies Have the Right to Independent Standing during a Derivative Suit

A significant precedent was handed down recently by the Israeli Supreme Court, whereby a company’s separate and independent standing must be recognized, even after a motion for a derivative suit has been approved.

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August 1, 2017

Plans for New Data Protection Laws in Uk Recently Confirmed

Recently, the UK government pledged to introduce a new Data Protection Bill. The proposed bill will uphold the UK's commitment to applying the privacy principles enshrined in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) despite the Brexit process.

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July 31, 2017

New Lending Platform Regulations

Recently, the Knesset approved an amendment to the Supervision of Financial Services Law, which regulates the activities of online lending platforms that broker between people and businesses under a peer-to-peer (P2P) model.

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July 30, 2017

Knesset Approves Elimination of Fees Imposed on Databases

In early July 2017, the Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee approved the elimination of the compulsory registration fees and periodic fees paid by database owners.

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July 19, 2017

Adoption of Business Judgment Rule - A new article by Dr. Zvi Gabbay

Adv. Zvi Gabbay's article deals with the ruling handed down by the Israeli Supreme Court at the end of December 2016, in the Bezeq case, in which the Supreme Court adopted the protection granted to decisions of the board of directors by applying the business judgment rule. The article seeks to examine whether this ruling achieved one of its main objectives—legal certainty.

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July 3, 2017

New ILITA Guidelines Prescribes Criteria for Obtaining Consent to Provide Direct-Mail Services

Recently, ILITA (the Israel Law, Information and Technology Authority) published new guidelines addressing the interpretation and implementation of provisions of the Protection of Privacy Law relating to direct mail and direct-mail services.

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June 26, 2017

Internet Companies: Beware of Mandatory Israeli Court Jurisdiction

Recently, the Israeli Attorney General, in a legal opinion filed with the Israeli Supreme Court as part of an appeal filed by Facebook, opined that foreign companies (specifically those that do business via the internet) may not escape Israeli court jurisdiction even if the terms and conditions posted on their website state otherwise.

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June 25, 2017

Board of Directors 2017 - Challenges and Risks

Barnea, in cooperation with the Israel Director Union, is hosting a seminar on the challenges and risks in the functions of a Board of Directors. Micky Barnea, our Managing Partner, will discuss the risks in the functions of the board of directors. Dr. Zvi Gabbay, Partner and Head of the Capital Markets Department, will deal with corporate governance and enforcement programs.

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