Israel has had another hectic year featuring both domestic and international deals, as well as an active enforcer.

Elite

Mattan Meridor heads the competition practice at AGMON & CO ROSENBERG HACOHEN & CO, working with partners Zvi Agmon and the recently promoted Uri Porat. They are supported by nine associates.

The team has acted for key client Bank Hapoalim on a range of matters, including the initial public offering of its subsidiary Isracard, Israel’s largest credit card company. It is also carrying out a review of the bank’s competition compliance. The firm acted for Cellcom and Israel Infrastructure Fund in the joint acquisition of fibre optic infrastructure provider Israel Broadband Company. Internationally, the firm advised Elbit Systems in its acquisition of the night vision business of Harris Corporation and Eagle Technology.

The team is acting for a large technology company in two class actions related to the alleged Cathode Ray Tubes and Optical Disk Drives cartels. It represented supermarket chain Shufersal in successfully reversing fines issued in relation to territorial exclusivity agreements. The firm has also been advising a large pharmaceutical and medical device company in a gun jumping case.

The large competition practice at FISCHER BEHAR CHEN WELL ORION & CO is made up of five partners and 11 associates. Led by Tal Eyal-Boger, the practice covers the full spectrum of competition matters.

The firm has a range of class actions on its docket. It is defending Volvo and Renault in a class action related to the trucks cartel; Whirlpool in a claim regarding the coordination of prices and quantities of compressors; and the Royal Bank of Scotland in a follow-on claim related to the Libor cartel. The team is representing Bezeq in an appeal against the competition authority’s decision that the telecoms company abused its dominance when it set its pricing policy for internet and telephone infrastructure services.

In merger control, the firm is acting for Google in its acquisition of Elastifile, a developer and provider of cloud-based file storage software and services. It represented science and technology conglomerate Danaher in its acquisition of Biopharma, which develops tools for researching and developing biopharmaceutical drugs. It also acted for General Electric subsidiary Baker Hughes in the establishment of a joint venture with GE to supply, service and develop aero-derivative gas turbine engines.

David Tadmor and Shai Bakal head the competition practice at TADMOR & CO YUVAL LEVY & CO. Joining them are partners Nava Karavany and Ayal HaCohen, along with nine associates.

The firm is defending Nestlé subsidiaries Nespresso Israel and Nestlé Nespresso in a 192 million New Israeli shekel class action alleging that Nespresso is a monopoly in the coffee capsules market and has charged unfairly high prices for its capsules. The team is defending Daimler against a follow-on damages claim related to the trucks cartel, and Max It Finance against a class action in the debit card industry. The latter case raises the issue of whether such a claim can challenge arrangements that have already been approved by the competition tribunal and regulator.

In merger control, the firm acted for IBM in its acquisition of Red Hat, as well as for FedEx in its acquisition of the express delivery business of Flying Cargo. Both deals were cleared unconditionally. The team was also counsel to El Al in its appeal against the authority’s decision not to approve the national airline’s merger with Israir Airlines. The deal was eventually withdrawn for business reasons.

In January 2019, Weinstock Zecler & Co merged into YIGAL ARNON & CO. The competition practice is co-led by Niv Zecler and Ronit Amir-Yaniv, who previously headed up the antitrust teams in the two predecessor firms. The new team includes three other partners and seven associates.

In merger control, the team acted for Nvidia in its $6.9 billion acquisition of Mellanox Technologies – the second biggest deal in Israeli history. It also acted for Salesforce in its acquisition of Israeli field service software company Clicksoftware Technologies, as well as cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks in its simultaneous acquisitions of Tristlock and PureSec. It was also counsel to Israeli pharmacy chain Super-Pharm in the sale of 33% of its shares, and to Medtronic in its acquisition of Nutrino Health.

The firm is advising the Central Bottling Company – Israel’s largest bottling company – in an investigation by the competition authority into alleged abuse of dominance. In April 2019, the enforcer announced a reduced fine of 51 million New Israeli shekels, which the company can challenge at a hearing. Yigal Arnon & Co is acting for Ashdod Port in challenging a fine for abuse of dominance. In follow-on damages, the team defended capacitor producer Vishay Polytech in a class action brought by indirect purchasers of electrical appliances, with a settlement agreed in November 2018 and a hearing in July 2019. The firm is also counsel to CAL Israel Credit Cards in a class action alleging restrictive agreements related to commissions in prepaid and debit card transactions.

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The competition team at M FIRON & CO is co-headed by partners Mazor Matzkevich and Eytan Epstein. Former partner Niv Sever recently left the firm to become senior legal counsel at Weksler Bregman & Co. M Firon has acted for Toshiba in three class actions related to the company’s alleged role in the Cathode Ray Tubes, Lithium Batteries and Optical Disk Drives cartels. In criminal proceedings, the firm represented Green Way. Though the environmental company was found guilty of rigging tenders organised by the Israeli Electricity Company, counsel convinced the court not to sentence the owner to jail time.

In merger control, the team advised Mastercard on its acquisition of 10% of Bank Hapoalim subsidiary Shva. The share sale was imposed by the competition authority, meaning it was subject to extensive scrutiny. The team acted for both Rockwell Automation and Schlumberger in the Israeli aspects of their global deal to create the joint venture Sensia, which provides digital oilfield automation solutions.

Niva Barg-Livnat leads the antitrust practice at MEITAR LIQUORNIK GEVA LESHEM TAL, supported by nine associates. The team acted for the controlling shareholders of Union Bank of Israel in its proposed acquisition by Mizrahi Tefahot Bank. The firm is appealing against the competition authority’s rejection of the merger to the Competition Tribunal. The team also advised municipal finance bank Municipal in its acquisition by Discount Bank, negotiating the divestiture of Municipal’s loans to local government entities. The firm also represented Pfizer in the Israeli aspects of the drug maker’s consumer health businesses joint venture with GlaxoSmithKline.

In behavioural matters, the team is representing GlaxoSmithKline in a claim by Unipharm that the pharmaceutical company harmed competition in the market for Seroxat, a brand name for the antidepressant paroxetine. After a lower court rejected the claim, Unipharm is appealing before the Supreme Court. The firm is advising Philip Morris in the initial stages of a class action against the company for allegedly abusing its monopoly power by charging excessive prices for cigarette packs. In another class action, the firm is defending MAN against a follow-on claim related to the European Commission’s Trucks cartel decision.

At S HOROWITZ & CO, practice head Hagai Doron is joined by partners Gitit Levin Grinberg and Uriel Prinz, as well as four associates. The team acted for Teva Medical in several merger filings including the sale of a portfolio of its women’s health products to CVC, as well as the sale of its Tevadaptor business to Fimi Fund. It represented General Electric in its collaboration with Baker Hughes, a GE company, in the aero-derivative gas turbines sector. The team was counsel to Verifone, which provides electronic payment transaction technology, and Francisco Partners in the latter’s purchase of the former.

The team is representing British Airways against a claim related to its alleged cargo surcharges price-fixing, Scania against a damages claim following the trucks cartel, and Sharp in proceedings related to the liquid-crystal display cartel. The team is defending Barclays Bank in two separate actions concerning the manipulation of the Libor and Forex rates. The firm is also defending Israel Electric Corporation against claims that it abused its dominance by refusing to provide services to customers of private manufacturers of electricity.

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Gal Rozent is the sole competition partner at ESHEL ASHLAGI ROZENT LAW OFFICES, supported by two associates. The firm acted for Red Hat in the Israeli aspect of its acquisition by IBM, which received unconditional approval in May 2019. The team is also representing the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) in multiple cases related to the gas insulated switchgear cartel member, and ready-mix concrete producer Aviad Concrete and Clay Industries in a civil lawsuit accusing Nesher Israeli Cement Enterprises of abusing its monopolistic position. The firm also successfully challenged the competition authority’s assertion that the ethics rules of the Israel Association of Travel Agencies & Consultants constituted a restrictive arrangement.

Talya Solomon leads the competition practice at HERZOG FOX & NEEMAN, which also features partner Iri Achmon and three associates. The team acted for The Walt Disney Company and 21st Century Fox in the Israel aspect of the companies’ global merger, and is representing Applied Materials in its proposed acquisition of Kokusai. The firm acted for airline Arkia in objecting to the now-abandoned merger of El Al and Israir. In behavioural work, the team is counsel to the Egg and Poultry Board in a class action related to a chicken meat cartel, as well as a bakery in a separate action following the alleged bread cartel. The team is also representing two officers of Ashdod Port, one of Israel’s main maritime gateways, in a case related to the violation of the country’s monopoly law.

Sole antitrust partner Ziv Abramovich heads the competition practice at LAPIDOT MELCHIOR ABRAMOVICH & CO, supported by a couple of associates. The team acted for food importer Leiman Schlussel in its 50% share acquisition of dates producer Taamey HaGalil, as well as beverages supplier Tempo Beverages in its 60% share acquisition of juice machines importer Sumitz Holdings. The firm is representing a staff member of travel agency Diesenhaus Unitours in a criminal case related to involvement in an alleged cartel in youth tours to Poland, as well as another individual in a bid rigging case in the market for computer servers. It is counsel to Vetmarket Tarde in a class action against the company and three other pet food importers regarding alleged abuse of dominance, restrictive arrangements and excessive pricing.