Litigation

Since its establishment in 1984, B. Levinbook & Co. has garnered vast expertise in all types of civil and commercial litigation, becoming one of Israel’s most prominent, highly-esteemed litigation firms. Unlike others in the field, our litigation expertise is not limited to just one department; each and every lawyer in the entire firm has extensive litigation knowledge and experience.

B. Levinbook & Co.’s long client list includes many well-known public and private companies, Israel’s leading banks, international banks, various types of financial institutions, and individual clients who have brought us cases on a wide range of topics.

Among the firm’s most recognized regular clients are the vast majority of banks in Israel, including Bank Leumi, Union Bank of Israel, Mercantile Bank, Bank Hapoalim, Discount Bank, First International Bank, Bank Mizrahi-Tefahot, Poalei Agudat Israel Bank (prior to merger), Bank Otsar Hahayal, Bank Leumi USA, and Bank Leumi UK. We also serve industry-leading auxiliary banking corporations, companies and bodies in Israel, including Excellence Investments Ltd. and its subsidiaries, Partner Communications Ltd., Shemen Industries Ltd., the Association of Banks in Israel, Clal Insurance, Pama Agencies Ltd., and local authorities.

We have extensive litigation experience in all areas of substantive law, before all types of judicial bodies, in all jurisdictions and in all types of legal proceedings, including arbitrations and mediation. Our firm is known and respected nationwide for our approach to litigation in cases involving various civil and commercial issues, including corporate law, contracts, torts, property law, class actions, insurance (with particular expertise in bank insurance, directors and officers liability insurance, and professional liability insurance), media, defamation, privacy, liens, trusts, promissory notes, insolvency (receiverships, liquidation and bankruptcy), unjust enrichment, and so forth.

As a rule, clients come to our firm with their most factually or legally complex cases, often marked by critically important precedential and fundamental issues with far-reaching implications for the client. We also often receive cases in which substantial sums are at stake, as well as some of the most legally and financially critical cases in Israel.

Furthermore, several of the firm’s attorneys serve as certified arbitrators and mediators in commercial disputes and other areas relevant to the firm’s expertise.

As one of Israel’s premier litigation firms, we are unique in that each and every one of our lawyers is involved in litigation. This fact makes B. Levinbook & Co. perhaps the largest “litigation department” in the country which, due to our unique qualities and many years of experience, stands at the forefront of commercial and civil litigation in Israel.

Below are some proceedings that have been led by B. Levinbook & Co.:

Representing Shemen Industries Ltd. in a motion to approve a class action suit filed against it, regarding a wide range of products manufactured and sold by the company, and various ads produced in relation to them over the years. The claim, which was denied by the defendants during the proceeding, was that Shemen Industries acted contrary to public health regulations that prohibited the attribution of healing properties to the products. The plaintiffs were requesting damages estimated at over NIS 45 million.

Representing the liquidator of the Matok Group in three appeals filed by various parties against the ruling of the Tel Aviv District Court. Due to the director’s breach of the duty of care for the company and negligence in supervising and controlling the interested parties in the Matok Group, he was ordered to pay the liquidator approx. NIS 10 million, and the Phoenix insurance company, which had supplied his D&O insurance, was ordered to pay approx. NIS 7 million. On December 10, 2014, the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the District Court’s decision, and the amounts due to the liquidator remained unchanged.

Representing an international medical technology company and its managers in demanding insurance coverage under a $10 million D&O insurance policy. This was in connection with a lawsuit that had been filed in the United States against the company for a large sum, over misrepresentation of one of their products. The case ended in a compromise agreement.

Representing Excellence Investments Ltd., its subsidiaries, and several of their managers, in an approval request for a class action that was filed against it. The plaintiffs claimed that the defendants allegedly colluded in order to illegally obtain profits, which were intended to be credited to various investors, by not fully disclosing profits to the public. The amount of the class action was estimated by the plaintiffs at more than NIS 77 million. The proceedings are still pending.

Representing Bank Leumi and Bank Hapoalim in a claim filed against them by the Hashomer Hatzair Fund and its various entities. The organization claimed that the banks had been overcharging them over many years according to an agreement that they had made in the 1980s, and therefore were not entitled to receive additional consideration, including from the sale of the Kibbutzim College grounds, as it had been agreed to be finalized in additional arrangements. The proceedings are still pending.

Representing the Association of Banks in Israel as a respondent in a petition filed under the Freedom of Information Law, 5758-1998, in which the petitioner requested that the court instruct the Israel Securities Authority to disclose reports on audits carried out by the Licensee Supervision Unit in 2009 and 2010. Precedential issues were discussed in the case, including one regarding the interpretation of Section 56E of the Securities Law. The petition was denied in a ruling that took place on April 15, 2015.

Representing Swiss company Infront in a lawsuit filed against it and the Israel Football Association by Israeli Sports Channel Ltd., claiming that Infront had acquired broadcasting rights for the Israeli national football team not by way of tender. The claim was denied.

Representing Grundman & Co. Sports Products Marketing Ltd. in an application for an injunction filed against it by Tennis World Agencies (1988) Ltd., regarding rights under an exclusive distribution agreement. The application was denied.

Representing Phoenix Insurance Company Ltd. in a lawsuit and temporary injunction filed by Sharon Bar regarding a transaction in which Phoenix acquired 50% of the shares of Am-Hal for NIS 60 million. Both the request and the claim were denied.