Regulation and Public Policy
Meitar is Israel’s leading Regulatory and Public Policy law firm.
The firm’s Regulatory and Public Policy group includes lawyers who have served in a number of government and regulatory authorities, and is led by former senior members of Israel’s civil service.
We specialize in helping our clients navigate the challenges presented by the complexities of regulation, and strive to attain for our clients the best solutions and outcomes for their business.
We regularly represent our clients before a wide variety of Israeli Governmental agencies, including the Bank of Israel, the Israel Tax Authority, the Ministry of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor (including its sub-authorities, the Israel Innovation Authority and the Investment Center), the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of National Infrastructures, the Israel Securities Authority, the Competition Authority, the Government Companies Authority, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Government Export Institute and the Commissioner of Capital Markets, Insurance and Savings.
Our firm’s regulatory expertise includes top ranking practices in:
- Administrative Law
- Antitrust and Competition Law
- Banking
- Communications and Media Licensing and Regulation
- Corporate Compliance Programs
- COVID-19
- Energy/Oil and Gas/Independent Power Producers (IPP) Regulation
- Environmental Law
- Fintech (including Blockchain and Cryptocurrency)
- Global Coordination of Regulatory Matters
- Government Agency Intellectual Property Licensing
- Government Companies and Privatization
- Government Grant Programs, such as the Israel Innovation Authority (formerly known as the Office of the Chief Scientist)
- Land Use / Zoning Regulation
- Pharma/Life Sciences/Healthcare
- Privacy
- Project Finance, Tenders and Public Procurement
- Securities Regulation
- Tax Policy
- Trade (including Anti-Dumping Restrictions)
- Transportation
Key contacts include:
Alon Gellert served previously as the legal adviser to the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel, advising Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon on a wide range of public and constitutional law issues. During 2002-2003, Alon assembled the legal team focused on the criminal claim pending against Prime Minister Sharon in Belgium. During the years 2001 through 2010, Alon served as chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Government Companies Authority.. Alon has been very active various aspects of public and private law, representing government-controlled companies, government agencies and authorities in administrative matters, as well as political parties in government coalition negotiations. Alon represents private organizations in regulatory matters and has represented clients before the Supreme Court in multiple cases.
Avi Licht joined our firm as a partner in 2019 after having served as Deputy Attorney General for nine years and as Senior Deputy State Attorney – High Court of Justice Division for eleven years. Avi has extensive experience in providing ongoing legal advice to the government and in drafting legislation, including some of the country’s most consequential laws in recent years. As Deputy Attorney General, Avi was in charge of the legal aspects of a significant part of the economic reforms of recent years in various fields, including regulation of natural resources, communications, transportation, infrastructure, privatization of government companies, financial regulation, commercial law and insolvency. Recently, Avi represented one of the two major political parties in the government coalition negotiations.
Alon Bachar served as a veteran for 27 years in public service, of which the last 11 were spent leading certain regulatory agencies. In his last position, Alon was the senior legal official in charge of personal data regulation in Israel encompassing privacy, data cyber-security, data analysis, legal uses, and data applications. In his various positions, Alon maintained chief executive level leadership in the Israeli civil service and acted as the prominent regulator in fields spanning from economic to technological sectors, and participated in numerous government commissions regarding technology, digitization and cyber in Israel. Alon initiated and led major legal, technological, and administrative reforms that impacted the Israeli economy on a national scale. Alon is well recognized as a top expert for privacy, data protection, and cyber regulation in Israel and abroad.
Yuval Sasson served as Deputy to Israel’s State Attorney for 5 years prior joining our firm in 2005, where he gained extensive experience handling high profile cases involving sensitive security matters.
Yuval’s expertise includes in-depth knowledge in import/export regulation, anti-money laundering (AML) regulation and regulation of foreign corrupt practices (FCPA and its Israeli analogue) as well as litigation in such matters.
Yuval is a well-known lecturer and commentator on legal and commercial issues related to defense, homeland security, aerospace and military operations. Yuval also advises regularly governmental bodies and agencies on international public law matters.
Dana Yagur has extensive experience in representing clients vis- a-vis various regulatory authorities, including in connection with governmental support programs provided by the Israeli National Technology and Innovation Authority (formerly known as the Office of the Chief Scientist). In addition, Dana leads the firm’s practice in connection with representation of nonprofit organizations, many of which the firm represents pro bono.
Yossi Abadi’s past experience combined an active senior role in shaping government regulation, wide experience in litigation and commercial law and senior positions in the media.
Between 1997 and 1999, Yossi was the Executive Director of the Israel Broadcasting Regulatory Administration, where he initiated sweeping reforms in the Israeli broadcasting market. These reforms included the launch of competition in multi-channel television platforms.
During 1996 and 1997, he served as Counsel to the Israeli Ministry of Communications, where he negotiated a landmark agreement between the Ministry of Communications and the British firm, Cable & Wireless, regarding its holdings in Bezeq, Israel’s privatized telecom monopoly. He also served as a member of the Peled Committee on Reform in the Electronic Media.
From 1994 to 1996, Yossi served as General Counsel of the Government Companies (Privatization) Authority, overseeing over US$500,000,000 in privatization deals completed during his tenure.
Compliance and Permitting: Meitar regularly advises local and international entities whose businesses are regulated in Israel and abroad. Meitar provides expert and area-specific advice in such diverse fields as life-sciences and pharma; finance; communications and media; energy; environment; defense; trade; transport; privacy and others.
Emerging Fields of Law: Meitar advises clients whose activities remain lightly or imperfectly regulated. As new technologies such as AI or crypto emerge, Meitar is able to look holistically at all the relevant issues to navigate both the regulations in force and assist clients in proposing alternative regulations while they are being developed by the government. Similarly, Meitar is able to advise clients on how to operate during events that cut across multiple legal disciplines, such as pandemic or war.
Legislative and Public Minded Drafting: Meitar assists both corporate and non-profit clients in the drafting of statutes or amendments that they wish to promote, as well as agreements that may be subject to judicial or administrative review.
Cutting Edge Projects: Meitar regularly advises clients on ‘one-of-a-kind’ projects requiring customized solutions and management or where the rule-book has yet to be written.
Risk and Crisis Management: Meitar regularly advises clients in matters of corporate governance, mass torts and business and reputational risk. Meitar is a trusted advisor to companies, executives and public figures who find themselves in the media spotlight or subject to parliamentary or administrative scrutiny.
Global Business in Israel: We understand that clients often find themselves subject to the laws and regulations of different jurisdictions. Meitar is expert at overlapping regulations such as those applying to companies traded on multiple stock markets or subject to privacy rules for Israel, the US and the EU (GDPR). Working with foreign counsel we build workable strategies to ensure maximum compliance.
