Latham has a strong track record in transactional and advisory engagements in Israel. Lawyers in the firm’s Israel Practice provide international investors, private equity firms, corporates, and financial institutions a comprehensive understanding of the issues and opportunities associated with doing business in Israel, as well as advising Israeli companies on cross-border business ventures, financings, and capital raisings. Working closely with local firms, we help our clients navigate the dynamic economic and regulatory landscape in Israel.

Latham’s Israel Practice lawyers include Israeli nationals who speak fluent Hebrew, providing cultural familiarity and effective communication with clients and local counsel on the ground. Such familiarity has enabled the practice to advise on and structure market-leading inbound and outbound transactions, as well as to navigate key regulatory matters.

Latham’s strategic counsel extends to clients at various stages of the corporate life cycle — from incubators and accelerators to established, publicly traded corporations. The Israel Practice also serves investment banks, government entities, and venture capital firms that focus on the Israeli market. Latham lawyers bring experience, drive, and ideas to expertly advise on ground-breaking matters in one of the world’s most technologically advanced market economies.

Latham’s Israel Practice offering includes:

• Capital Markets
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Emerging Companies
• Regulatory
• Intellectual Property
• Banking and Finance
• Project Finance

 

• Capital Markets: Host to an active and expanding start-up business community, Israel’s technology and life sciences companies often turn to the global capital markets, particularly the US, to achieve their capital raising goals. By leveraging Latham’s market-leading global Capital Markets Practice, the firm advises Israeli issuers and managers on US and international listings, often capitalizing on synergies with our High Yield Practice to execute multiple debt and equity capital markets transactions for the same clients. Latham assists Israeli issuers in drafting and negotiating securities offering documents and in dealing with all aspects of regulatory compliance, including securities laws and regulations, global stock exchange rules and regulatory comment letters. In addition, Latham continues to advise on leading debt offerings by Israeli corporates, including high yield and convertible bond issuances. Notably, Latham advised on B Communications Ltd’s high yield offering, the first internationally marketed high yield bond from an Israeli issuer to be listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and awarded “High Yield Deal of the Year” at the IFLR Europe Awards 2015.

• Mergers & Acquisitions: Latham has extensive experience advising on negotiated acquisitions and dispositions, representing acquirers and sellers of public and private companies in Israel. Our lawyers act as an extension of client’s in-house counsel to advise on innovative approaches to issues such as compliance with local corporate and takeover law regimes, capital structures, tax structures, employment law, due diligence approach and financial disclosure requirements. The Israeli Practice leverages Latham’s global reach and local understanding of substantive legal matters and markets to structure Israeli inbound and outbound investment. Whether negotiating terms or clearing regulatory hurdles, Latham lawyers provide the legal counsel necessary to minimise transaction uncertainties. Notably, Latham recently represented: Allergan plc on the US$40.5 billion sale of its Global Generic Pharmaceuticals Business to Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.; Caesars Interactive Entertainment in the US$4.4 billion sale of Playtika, as Israeli gaming company; and Mellanox Technologies on its acquisition of EZchip Semiconductor, an Israel-based developer of fabless semiconductors.

• Emerging Companies and Venture Capital: Latham represents private and public companies in the technology, life sciences and cleantech industries, as well as the venture capital firms and investment banks that finance Israel’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The firm advises on cost-effective company formation, day-to-day guidance at all stages of growth, public company corporate governance and SEC compliance, intellectual property and regulatory advice. Latham’s Technology and Life Sciences Industry Groups, with strength in California, Boston, New York and London, make the firm uniquely positioned to counsel Israeli corporate clients and investment banks located in Israel by leveraging expertise garnered in the world’s most advanced start-up hubs. Most recently, Latham lawyers advised on venture financings for Whip Networks Inc. (Whipclip), an Israeli mobile technology company and a cloud-based project management software provider.

• Regulatory: Latham lawyers provide integrated and comprehensive legal services in every aspect of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory process, as well as in policy and legislative matters. Combining regulatory know-how with trial knowledge, Latham has a track-record advising Israeli life sciences companies on clinical trial strategy and compliance, FDA and Medicare policy, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and European data privacy protection, fraud and abuse compliance and reimbursement. Latham’s lawyers deliver multi-disciplinary guidance to help Israeli companies commercialise and export life sciences technologies, whilst ensuring regulatory compliance.

• Intellectual Property: Latham is uniquely placed to handle cases involving all types of IP claims, including in combination with related claims of antitrust, contract disputes, unfair business practices and other causes of action. The firm also counsels Israeli companies on US patent litigation implications related to M&A or Initial Public Offering (IPO) transactions. Latham’s IP lawyers provide practical, industry-savvy strategic guidance and counsel Israeli companies in Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) and patent litigation, trademarks, copyrights and licensing disputes, with a particular strength in advising life sciences companies. The firm helps businesses capitalise on their intellectual property investments by proactively auditing, analysing and conducting due diligence related to their assets.

• Banking and Finance: Latham provides strategic, focused and efficient advisory on significant financing transactions. The firm’s banking lawyers work in tandem with members of the firm’s Capital Markets, Insolvency, M&A Practices to develop innovative financing structures. Latham offers Israeli borrowers and international lenders particular strength in the context of leveraged finance, bank and bond financings, debt restructurings and workouts. Most recently, Latham lawyers advised Mellanox Technologies on a term loan facility in connection with its acquisition of EZchip Semiconductor.

• Project Finance: Latham has combined financial product expertise with industry specialism to best serve developers, investors and financiers. The firm is known for structuring and executing complex, multi-source project financings involving commercial bank loans, export credit agency-backed loans, multi-lateral agency loans and project bonds.