Media

Attached is a publication in Calcalist regarding an administrative appeal filed by Attorneys Amir Witkon, Yaron Silver and Shahar Sameah, on behalf of MATAV Surveying and Photogrammetry, regarding the Israeli Railway's decision not to exercise its option to extend its agreement with MATAV (pursuant to a tender wining), despite the fact that MATAV, without a doubt, provided the best services at the lowest price among all the other winners of the tender.

Attached is a publication in Globes regarding, the frequent closing of event halls due to irregular use. In the last decade, more and more people prefer to hold their events in gardens and open areas. Yet, dozens and maybe hundreds of event halls are operating illegally, since the legislator has not yet regulated their specific commercial activity on agricultural lands. In 2014, the Israeli Knesset ordered the Planning and Zoning Administration to regulate the matter. However at the meantime – event halls continue to close their business, the competition is being reduced and prices are being increased. Attorney Yuval Gal-on, who represents owners of event halls was interviewed for this article, and tried to shed light on this Planning and Construction problem from a legal perspective.

The Israeli government approved the appointment of Attorney Michal Halperin as the new Antitrust Commissioner. In light of Attorney Halperin's new position, The Marker published an article regarding the challenges that she would have to face as the new Commissioner. Attorney Tzachi Yagur was interviewed for this article and shared his perspective on the matter.

In April 2015, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that local municipalities must calculate local taxes according to a formula that has to be accurate up to two digits after the decimal point, instead of the former method which "rounded up" local tax bills. The decision stated that all local municipalities must charge their local taxes according to the new method as of January 1st, 2018. However, Local municipalities that hold accurate information regarding properties within their jurisdiction already started charging local taxes according to the new method since January 2016. Attached is an interview with Ravit Baram-Mazor in this matter which was published in Calcalist.

In the context of the petition, the Court discussed the question whether a public structure which was built on property designed for "use of the general public in the municipality" is designed solely for the benefit of the residents of a specific municipality (as claimed by the petitioners) or whether it can also be used by the general public (as claimed by the regional council which was represented by Attorneys Ron Tzin and Nitzan Zimran)? The court received the claims made by attorneys Tzin and Zimran and ruled that the interpretation presented by the petitioners shall be rejected since it does not adopt the language of the law and neither supports its purpose. The Israeli district court has accepted the regional council's position in this matter according to which: "the letter of the law is designed to define "public structures" and it shall not be interpreted as aiming to exclude certain groups from using them".

Attached is a publication in the real estate section of Globes regarding a property, designed to public purpose which has been purchased by entrepreneurs who infringed their undertaking to preserve the public purpose of the property, by selling housing units to individuals. The municipality of Kiryat-Ono, who was represented by Attorneys Yuval Gal-On and Nitzan Zimran, operated by means of contracts and common house regulation to ensure that the public purpose of the property – that is student dormitories – will be effectively maintained, as opposed to the intention of the entrepreneurs.

Attached is a publication in Yediyot Ahronot on a petition to the District Court in Jerusalem, filed yesterday by Attorneys Yuval Gal-On and Tomer Gur, which seeks to prevent the construction of thousands of square meters in an area next to the Western Wall. According to the petition, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation is planning to build a structure designed to be a museum and to host ceremonies, an action which Ori Barsheshet, a city architect and former external consultant to the Jerusalem municipality, asks to stop.

Attached is a publication in Globes regarding a survey which deals with general public's awareness of the daily work of the Antitrust Commissioner. Adv. Tzachi Yagur was interviewed about the interesting outcomes.

The Petah Tikva Magistrate Court rejected the claim of an attorney who tried to force a widow to pay him illusory fees he pretended to deserve according to an obscure fees agreement entered 25 years ago between him and the deceased husband of the widow. Attorneys Amir Witkon and Tali Graifer from our firm litigation department represented the widow in this fascinating procedure.

Attached is a publication concerning the long struggle of Mordechai and Ilan Sapir, the owners of the event hall called "Kidmat Eden" which was closed on November 2014 by the Planning and Construction Committees which have been opposed to the establishment of event halls on agricultural lands. Attorney Yuval Gal-On, who represents the Sapir family and the event hall, was interviewed for this article.

Attached is a publication in Yediyot Hanegev about the referral addressed to the Water Authority by Attorney Eliran Strichman of our firm on behalf of the Ramat Hanegev Regional Council requesting the Water Authority to freeze the price increase of fresh water for agriculture by 0.18 cent per cubic meter…"following the price increase that will significantly economically harm the farmers of Ramat Hanegev and following the extreme unreasonableness of the resolution".

Attached is a publication in Calcalist regarding a petition to the High Court of Justice filed last week by a group of entrepreneurs who are seeking to establish a Chamber of Commerce for Israel and Angola despite the difficulties and complexity imposed by the Israel–Africa Chamber of Commerce. Attorneys Amir Witkon, Lital Barsheshet and Tali Graifer from our firm are representing the petitioners.

Attached is a publication on the referral filed by a group of farmers, through Attorneys Eliran Strichman and Natalie Ben David Joseph from our firm, to the Israel Minister of Agriculture, thereby requesting to stop the importation of tomatoes from Jordan. The farmers argued that the imported tomatoes are infected by a virus and are not edible, and are likely to endanger the tomato growth industry in Israel. The farmers requested to stop importing tomatoes; otherwise would they open legal proceedings against the state.

Attached is an article by Attorney Ron Tzin as published in the real estate supplement of The Marker last Friday. Since Israel is undoubtedly exposed to earthquakes, Attorney Tzin calls for a new dialog on "Tama 38", the program intended to strengthen structures in Israel against earthquakes. Attorney Tzin believes however that "Tama 38" is losing its essence as turning to be urban restoration. As such the program is harming both the strengthening of the structures and the urban restoration.

Given the lack of performance of the Israeli national soccer team, in particular and the entire industry – time has come to change the priorities in the distribution of the state resources in promoting sports. In this context, Attorney Silver recommends to allocate additional resources to the motor industry holding an enormous economic potential.

Attached is an article written by Attorneys Ofer Bar-On and Tali Graifer from our firm which analyzes the ruling of the Supreme Court that reversed the ruling of the District Court, with respect to the obligations of banks towards the "Economic Suicider". The article was published in the "Banking" magazine on behalf of the Association of Banks which is distributed among thousands of readers from financial institutions, capital market entities, law firms and others.

Attached is a publication in the "The Marker" regarding the negligence of the Israel Ministry of Interior that abstained itself from responding to 70 requests submitted by local authorities to reduce, increase or change the property tax classification. Attorney Ofer Bar-On, Senior Partner at our firm, expressed his unequivocal opinion on the matter.

Our firm was rated as one of the leading law firms in the fields of Planning and Zoning, Administrative Law, Local Authorities, Project Financing, and Energy and Infrastructure, in the 2015 Globes Dun's 100 ranking.

Attorney Ron Tzin has conducted during the last months a study in the field of zoning and planning, whereby he sought to examine the chances for an administrative petition to be approved by the Israeli District Courts. The study examined 473 administrative petitions which were filed in this matter between the years 2011-2014. The study examined, inter alia, the most "friendly" judges and District Courts to such petitions. Attached is a link to the study.

Ofer Bar-On, Managing Partner of our firm, in panel of the leading law firms of the Globes DUN'S 100.

Attached is a link to the article published in the newspaper "Haaretz" on a claim filed by the Kibbutz Maagan Michael and Gan Shmuel, through Attorney Eliran Strichman from our firm, against the Israeli Nature and Parks Authority.

Attached is a publication in Globes regarding the decision ruled by the Tel Aviv District Court to issue a temporary restraining order that would prevent the Tel Aviv Zoning and Planning District Committee from carrying out its plan to build 335 housing units in high buildings in the neighborhood Shatil located in Ramat Hasharon. Attorneys Ron Tzin, Tomer Gur and Nitzan Zimran are representing the residents who oppose the plan. The article was also published in The Marker and Ynet.

Attached is the article written by Attorney Ron Tzin that was published in the real estate supplement of The Marker. Attorney Tzin criticized, inter alia, the decision to transfer the administration of the Planning and Zoning Authority of the Ministry of Interior to the Ministry of Finance, claiming that by centralizing all the powers in the hands of Minister of Finance the housing crisis in Israel would be solved.

Our firm was rated as one of the leading law firms in the fields of Planning and Zoning, Commercial Litigation and Antitrust Law, as mentioned in the attached article from the Mamon magazine.

The housing cabinet, headed by Israel Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon, approved the transfer of the Planning and Zoning Authority to the Ministry of Finance. According to various opinions in the fields of real estate and of planning and zoning, the decision is a mistake since it would unfortunately lead to the predilection of the "quantity" over "quality". Attached is Attorney Ron Tzin opinion regarding the decision.

Senior partner, Attorney Tzahi Yagur, in an article published in the Journal The Seventh Eye and The Marker, regarding the Journal Israel Today and the applicability of the antitrust laws.

Attached is a link to the article in the Globes magazine, whereby Attorneys Tzahi Yagur and Sharon Shlomo review the two recent memorandums to the law that have been recently issued by the Antitrust Commissioner for public comments.

Attached is an article in Mamon magazine regarding the dismissal of a request to approve a class action filed against the company "Tzuf Dvash" represented by our firm.

Attached is an article written by Attorneys Tzachi Yagur and Sharon Shlomo published in The Marker. The article deals with the generalization of virtual markets when assessing markets and potential harm in the competition.

An administrative petition filed by residents of West Ramat Hasharon, against the Tel Aviv District Zoning and Planning Committee.

The prosperity of Tirat Hacarmel is stressing out the Municipality of Haifa.

Brome Industries, represented by our firm, sued the Head of the Workers' Committee for 1.5 million NIS.

Attached is the article published in Globes Duns 100 regarding the end of the "freezing laws" in property tax, written by Attorneys Ofer Bar-On and Lital Barsheshet from our firm.

Attached is a publication in "Globes" from yesterday regarding the claim filed by Attorney Yuval Gal-On on behalf of the Israeli Playback Theatre Association against PayPal Israel.

Business owners in Yarkonim Center requested from the municipality of Petach Tikva to promote the city planning for commercial use.

In April, 2016, the Israel Securities Authority (the "ISA") approved a draft legislation, not yet in force, which will exempt "Small Corporations", as defined in Section 5c to the Securities Regulations (Periodic and Immediate Reports), 1970, from the requirement to submit quarterly reports for the first and third quarters.

The Israeli Committee for Compensation and Royalties, established under the Israeli Patents Law – 1967 (the “Committee”), rendered a groundbreaking ruling on May 4, 2014 that puts an end to a period of legal uncertainty existing from the breakthrough case of Actelis Networks vs. Yishai Ilani [February 3, 2010] related to the right of employees to benefit from compensation for service inventions...

Section 52 of the Israeli Securities Law- 1968 (the "Securities Law") prohibits forbidden use of inside information, as defined below, of companies whose securities are offered to the public, or traded on a stock exchange and are held by the public ("Insider Trading"). Underlying this prohibition is the principle of fairness and the desire to prevent parties with access to a Company or its information, from abusing their position in order to gain benefits, at the expense of the investors who do not have such access.

The world we live in is a world of brands. Almost every single company that seeks to penetrate the market or introduce to the market a new product undergoes a process of business "branding". During this process, the brand or the logo of the company is built so as to help consumers to identify the products or the services with the company that provides them.

A new legislative revision of the Israeli Companies Law which entered into force on February 6 2015, deals among other things with the procedure at the meetings of the Audit Committee of a Public Company. On August 6, 2014 Amendment No. 25 to the Companies Law 5759- 1999 (the "Amendment" and the "Law", respectively) was published in the Official Gazette.