FISCHER (FBC & Co.)

Managing Partner: Amir Chen

Numbers of lawyers: over 330 (including 110 partners)

Languages: Hebrew, English, French, German, Arabic 

Firm Overview: 

FISCHER (FBC & Co.) founded in 1958 is one of Israel’s largest law firms, providing high-quality, diverse and multidisciplinary legal services in a wide range of practice areas, as a one-stop-shop.

The firm includes more than 330 lawyers, of which 110 are partners who provide tailored legal services customized to their clients’ business environment.

FISCHER recruits high-quality and experienced human resources. The firm’s lawyers have in-depth familiarity with the full range of the Israeli economy and have far-reaching work relationships and a wide global presence. The firm is regularly involved in a broad range of transactions and litigation at the center of Israel’s legal, economic and public agenda, and it represents its local and international clients in a long list of practice areas. The firm has a vast and longstanding network of professional relationships with some of the world’s largest and leading law and accounting firms; and it benefits from a significant reputation among leading legal professionals in numerous countries.

FISCHER represents a long list of domestic and international clients, who operate in a variety of sectors and industries. The firm’s clientele includes some of the largest public and private companies in Israel and the world, high-net-worth individuals, leading executives, entrepreneurs, public officials and more. The firm regularly leads the legal ranking tables, and consecutively receives recognition and esteem from local and international ranking guides, including Chambers and Partners, Legal 500, IFLR 1000, GCR, WWL, Dun’s 100 and BdiCode.

(Listed in alphabetical order)

Aviation & Maritime; Hotels & Tourism: Extensive experience representing major airlines and low-cost carriers, insurers, importers and exporters, freight forwarders, and online travel service providers in the full range of matters encompassed by aviation, maritime and tourism law, with an emphasis on commercial litigation, class actions, corporate and regulatory matters, leasing and commercial transactions, competition, labor relations and taxation.

Banking & Finance: Advising many of Israel’s largest creditors and borrowers in complex secured and non-secured financing transactions. Providing counsel to foreign banks and financial institutions in their banking and financial regulatory matters. A market leader in the areas of securitization, secured finance and inter creditor relations, with the largest institutional lending practice in Israel.

Capital Markets: The Capital Markets practice is one of the leading and most experienced practices in Israel, representing issuers, banks and underwriters in placements of equity and debt securities on the Israeli and international capital markets, and counsel on international and local public offerings, private placements, controlling shareholder transactions and issues relating to corporate governance, and ongoing reporting and filing requirements. The practice also takes part in representations before the Israel Securities Authority and in administrative enforcement proceedings.

East Asia desk 

The practice offers legal services to businesses operating in East Asian markets, and to East Asian entities and individuals operating in Israel or seeking strategic partnerships and investment opportunities in the Israeli market. The legal team is experienced in advising on matters and transactions with entities and individuals from a broad range of East Asian markets.

Class Actions & Derivative Suits: Israel’s leading firm in class actions and derivative suits.The firm’s lawyers represent the largest corporations in Israel and globally in complex class actions and derivative suits, some of which have significant implications on corporate operations. Helping clients navigate the certification stage and - where necessary - the substantive stage of class action cases, and advise clients in evaluating the complex web of potential risks and rewards that typically characterize class actions and derivative suits.

Competition & Antitrust: Israel’s leading and largest Competition & Antitrust practice, representing multinational and local companies on the full spectrum of criminal, administrative and civil antitrust matters, including merger control, abuse of dominant position, restrictive arrangements and regulation of cartels, monopolies and oligopolies. Ongoing advice on antitrust compliance, and representation in commercial transactions, as well as in class actions and complex litigation. The firm is regularly ranked by GCR as one of the Top 100 global antitrust law firms and as the leading Israeli firm, in this practice area.

Dispute Resolution; Arbitration & Mediation; Litigation: The practice provides clients with holistic legal counsel and has represented some of the largest and most significant cases in Israel. The practice has expertise in diverse litigation fields and in managing complex mediation and arbitration proceedings, that yield efficient and creative solutions. In addition, its lawyers have vast experience in representing clients before tribunals of all levels and types.

Environmental: The firm’s Environmental practice offers comprehensive advice on environmental matters including administrative and criminal enforcement proceedings, due diligence, and preparation of internal enforcement programs.

FinTech: Advising on a wide range of cutting-edge technology oriented legal matters including privacy, data protection, information security and commercial activities in cyberspace, including computer law, exporting dual-use technology, Information security regulation and GDPR.

Hi-Tech, Technology, VC’s & Investment Funds: Advising start-ups, mature companies, strategic investors, venture capital and private equity funds in all their commercial activities, including initial structuring, investment transactions, license agreements, M&As, PIPE transactions, fund formation, operations acquisitions, private placements and public offerings on securities exchanges in Israel and abroad.

Insolvency & Restructuring; Liquidation & Receivership: Representing debtors, creditors, companies, bondholders’ representatives and controlling shareholders. Focus on the restructuring of debt and equity interests in troubled companies. Involved in nearly all of Israel’s most significant debt arrangements in recent years, including complex re-organisations of multinational enterprises involving Israeli and non-Israeli parties. The practice also advises clients throughout all stages of proceedings, often becoming court-appointed officers - fiduciaries, receivers, special managers and liquidators.

Intellectual Property; Cyber & Information Technologies: Significant experience on the entire spectrum of IP issues, including patents, trademarks, designs, copyrights, and trade secrets, as well as on various matters involving television, entertainment media, Internet, hi-tech and life science. Counsel on information technology, information system security, privacy and data protection, and matters involving commercial cyber issues. Exporting dual use technology, Information security regulation ad GDPR.

International Commercial Law: Representing Israeli and foreign clients in some of the most complex cross-border M&A transactions executed in Israel, in public offerings, private placements, international finance transactions and critical infrastructure projects in Israel and abroad, as well as leading global multinationals from various sectors.

Labor & Employment; Immigration: The practice has a considerable reputation in the field of labor relations in Israel. Handling the full scope of labor and employment matters, including collective bargaining, labor disputes, strikes and organized actions, employer-employee litigation, labor contracts, employment agreements, separation agreements, due diligence, mediation and arbitration. Provides guidance and assistance in obtaining work and immigration permits, drafting work agreements for foreign workers, handling visa and work permit applications, and more.

Life Sciences & Healthcare: Representing prominent multinational and local players in a broad range of areas, including biopharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, medical services, genomics, diagnostics, medical IT and health care services, all in various stages of development.

Mergers & Acquisitions: The firm’s M&As practice has extensive experience representing major private and publicly traded companies and involved in some of the largest and most significant M&A transactions in Israel over recent years. Strong contacts with key regulators, including Securities Authority, Competition Authority and government ministries, with expertise across a wide range of industry sectors. The firm provides clients with experienced legal teams in a broad range of areas, including labor law, antitrust, real estate and more - providing holistic legal support for every transaction. The practice’s clientele includes multinationals, Israeli and foreign corporations, institutional investors and VCs.

Project Finance; Infrastructure & Energy: The practice’s expertise spans all sectors, from transportation, infrastructure and natural gas to energy, water and the photovoltaic (PV) energy field, with particular focus on the complex regulatory and real-estate aspects that are integral to this sector. Providing comprehensive solutions to major multinational and domestic clients, including developers, contractors, and financial investors.

Private Clients, Intergenerational Transfers & Family Wealth Management: The practice provides legal support, while managing a variety of aspects and challenges that are typical in family wealth management. Within this framework, the practice assists in planning wealth transferences through family mediations, agreements, wills, trusts, etc. The practice also advises clients with respect to family dispute resolution and managing family and inheritance disputes.

Real Estate; Planning & Zoning: Israel’s largest and leading Real Estate, Planning & Zoning and Urban Renewal practice, handling a considerable share of the most significant real estate transactions in Israel. Extensive experience in representing public and private real estate companies, entrepreneurs, developers, property owners, and sellers and purchasers in all facets of a sophisticated transaction-based real estate practice: development projects, planning and zoning matters, income-yielding properties, sale and lease of real estate assets, urban renewal, real estate taxation and real estate litigation.

Regulatory: Particular expertise in the interface between the business and public sectors and combines profound knowledge of markets subject to supervision and regulation, together with exceptional legal skills and a deep familiarity with decision-making processes in the public sector. Representation of Israel’s largest entities in some of the most significant regulatory moves implemented in the economy.

Tax: Innovative and tailor-made counsel on the full spectrum of tax matters in Israel, including income tax, VAT, taxation of individuals and trusts, and real estate tax, as well as on cross-border transactions and other complex matters. Expertise in tax litigation proceedings and in obtaining pre-rulings from the Tax Authority.

Telecom & Media: Unparalleled experience in representing leading players in each principal segment of Israel’s telecom and media industries, from fixed line and mobile telecommunications to print media, commercial and cable television and radio broadcasting. The practice also specializes in advising clients on long-term strategic issues and on regulatory, litigation, corporate, transactional, labor and other matters.

White Collar: The firm has a well-established practice and significant reputation in this area. The firm provides comprehensive legal support for defendants during criminal proceedings on a wide range of criminal offenses including money laundering, tax, computer and internet gambling offenses, ethical offenses by public officials and corporate officers, securities offenses and more. During its years of operations, the practice has led a considerable share of the most complex and sensitive cases in Israel.