Labor Law and Labor Relations

Negotiating the complex minefield of labor law in today’s ever-changing climate requires a wealth of knowledge and practical experience. Lipa Meir’s Labor Law Department not only brings an unparalleled depth of experience in this area but has also expanded to become one of the prominent and influential departments in the market.

Headed by the hugely experienced Shabtai Michaeli, our Labor Law Department comprises a talented team of professionals, who are well versed in numerous areas of labor law and are constantly negotiating with government ministries and various Knesset committees to promote and shape any legislative changes.

Our team has also been involved in the setting of numerous precedents that have shaped Israeli labor law, and These precedents include: Bibiring v. El Al, which laid down rules with regard to employee class actions in the workplace; Issakov v. Panaia et al., in which clear legal criteria were prescribed with regard to employers’ monitoring their employees’ email; Bashir Koka v. Yossi Schwartz, which concerned the severance pay of Palestinian employees who were dismissed due to the Israeli disengagement from Gaza, and many more.

Public companies, international corporations, leading private local companies and public authorities make up an extensive roster of clients, spanning many sectors, including defense, healthcare, telecommunications, transport, wine production, energy, high-tech, start-ups, finance, kibbutzim, and many more.

Among the most prominent clients are the National Labor Federation, one of the country’s oldest trade unions, Mekorot, Israel’s national water company, Clalit Health Services, Carmel Mizrahi Wines, the Raval Group, the Tadir Gan Group, Ginegar Plastic Products, Israel Weapon Industries, Meprolight, Camero-Tech, Israel Shipyards and Israel Shipyards Port, Telrad, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Bagir, BATM Advanced Communications, WebPick, Lease4u (Pacific Vehicle & Transportation), Afimilk, Shekel Scales and many other leading corporates.

Cradle to Grave Service for Employers
Given the size of the clients that we represent, our Labor Law Department is exposed to the complete range of challenges facing employers. Clients benefit from our extensive experience in all aspects of individual and collective labor law, including counselling, employment contracts, including the most complex ones for specific situations, collective negotiations and agreements, transactions, such as mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations. We also advise on changes in labor law (both legislation and court rulings) and help clients to incorporate the changes in the most appropriate ways for their business.

Employee Rights and the Remuneration of Senior Officers
We also have vast experience in advising on issues affecting the delicate balance between employers and senior employees and corporate officers. As such, we regularly act for clients in the scope of contracts of employment or contracts for the provision of services and consultancy. The department acts for the client in the whole process from the stage of negotiations until execution of the relevant agreement. Similarly, the department also acts for its clients in proceedings relating to the termination of the relationship with senior employees and corporate officers. In addition, the department also specializes in the various different methods of remunerating senior employees, including the preparation of bonus and incentive plans for executives, options and phantom stock options.

We also advise employers on their international operations and the employment of workers in various countries globally and in Asia in particular. We have a long track record in representing clients in the U.S., Italy, China, Luxembourg, Germany and Vietnam, and many more.

Litigation – Civil and Criminal

We have a successful track record in acting for employers and senior employees in the different Labor Courts (the Regional Labor Courts and the National Labor Court), the Supreme Court, as well as before various government agencies like the Commissioner under the Employment of Women Law, the Wage Commissioner, the Ministry of Defense Employment Bureau, the Ministry of the Economy’s enforcement departments, and many others with regards to various issues relating to labor law. Clients also tap into our ability to resolve disputes when matters are referred to mediation and arbitrations.

Major Insolvencies

We also enjoy a long and successful track record in representing some of the country’s most prominent clients in distress, bankruptcy, or insolvency in relation to the impact on the company and its employees. Among a raft of services, we guide clients through collective agreements as a result of the recovery or acquisition of an insolvent company, decisions relating to employees’ debt claims and liquidation appeals before various courts.

We advise labor unions, federations and employees with regards to the various aspects involved in corporate suspensions of proceedings, recoveries and insolvency, and have acted in some of the largest and most highly publicized cases in recent years, including Hadassah Hospital, Mega, Nortel, Scilex, Channel 10, Tnuva Export, Cementcal and others.

Combining this unique depth of experience for employers and trade unions, our Labor Law Department is well equipped to guide clients through this most complex, sensitive and vital area of law.

The Department was ranked by The Legal 500: “Lipa Meir & Co is instructed by major corporates and labour federations and has experience in a range of contentious and non-contentious labour and employment matters. Shabtai Michaeli serves as effective in-house counsel for the National Labor Federation in Eretz-Israel – the country’s second-largest labour federation.”

News & Publications

12.10.21

16.04.20

25.02.20