IEL Elite

Overview

Herzog Fox & Neeman has a large, market-leading employment law team that is complemented by the firm’s full-service offering to assist clients with the breadth of employment-related matters.

Led by the prominent Orly Gerbi, the group is regularly instructed by foreign firms and multinationals seeking assistance with Israeli legal matters. The team is also able to deftly handle outbound matters for major Israeli businesses through its extensive relationships with leading employment departments abroad.

The depth of the bench was strengthened in January 2022 with the promotion to partner of Grigory Danovich and Orly Katzir.

Specialisms

As a leading and long-standing practice in Israel, the firm boasts links with important labour institutions and regularly assists with drafting new legislation. In addition, the team is frequently appointed to act on mandates that will have significant ramifications on labour legislation in Israel. For example, a four-partner team led by Gerbi represented Wolt in a dispute relating to the classification of gig economy workers as employees – the first class action of its kind in Israel.

A significant area of activity in the last year has been acting for – and preparing – all clients with more than 518 employees for the publication of average wage differences between male and female employees on 1 June 2022. This was the first time that companies over a certain size had to do so, following a 2020 amendment to the Equal Pay for Male and Female Employees Law 1996.

The department also offers extensive prowess in industrial relations. Partners Haya Ehrman and Michal Haberfeld showcased this expertise in advice to the Ashdod Port Company that resulted in the National Labor Court issuing a temporary restraining order prohibiting workers at the port from striking in early 2022.

Aside from contentious work, the team is frequently appointed to assist with the employment aspects of strategic corporate decisions. For example, Nir Gal advised LinkedIn on various employment and labour matters relating to its acquisition of marketing analytics company Oribi, which marked the professional networking site’s entry into the local market.

Another standout mandate was for 888 Holdings on the sale of its bingo business. Moria Tam-Harshoshanim led the advice, which included a pre-sale restructuring plan, and coordination with multiple European jurisdictions on local employee transfer regulations.

The group is also well-versed in issues relating to immigration, tax, and intellectual property.

Clients