Real Estate

Demographic changes, urban renewal and the bright spotlight on the environment have all been impacting the real estate sector for a number of years, long before the COVID-19 pandemic struck and accelerated these changes further. Businesses operating in real estate benefit from advisors with domestic, global and sector-wide insights and the industry relationships to drive projects forward.

Ranked in Tier 1 in global legal directory Legal 500, our Real Estate Department has cemented our national reputation as one of the elite firms in residential, urban renewal and National Outline Plan 38 (TAMA 38), commercial, office towers, hotels, senior housing and other projects that are transforming the Israeli landscape. Our wealth of planning and zoning expertise also obtains the green light for highways, infrastructure and large-scale renewable energy projects.

Comprising over 30 lawyers with experience that spans multiple decades, we act for the most active real estate developers and construction companies, associations and purchase groups, landowners and other parties. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, both in advice and service, our seasoned team enjoys a successful track record in complex transactions, purchase/sale contracts and some of the largest projects in Israel.

Combining a tailor-made legal strategy for each transaction with our real-world knowledge of real estate law and the Israeli market, we proactively offer our clients an unrivalled and integrated service, advising on construction, senior housing and urban renewal projects, and acting for landowners in combination transactions, co-ownership agreements and the dissolution and management of tenders for the sale of real estate properties.

Construction projects
Over many years, we have represented a wide mix of private developer and public company clients, in Israel and abroad, in a wide range of real estate issues, including complex financing transactions on which the success of the project often depends. Our Real Estate Department provides the full range of legal services relevant to the sector – such as due diligence examinations, engagement contracts, tax assessments and tax planning, planning and marketing processes, as well as negotiations and registration of rights, parcellation, condominiums, etc.

Among the key projects on which the Department has advised are large-scale projects in the Herzliya Marina, about 1,000 residential units in Rehovot and Jerusalem, large-scale projects comprising hundreds of residential units in Afula, Nahariya, Tirat Hacarmel, Kiryat Motzkin, Be’er Yaakov, Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Jaffa, Lod, Holon, Netanya, Ra’anana, Kiryat Bialik, Ramat Hasharon, Bet Shemesh, Ness Ziona, and Herzliya. On the commercial side, and worthy of special mention, are a retail project incorporating a large shopping center in the Haifa Bay Area, a large number of office towers in Tel Aviv, and projects for luxury boutique buildings in Tel Aviv.

Senior Housing
Our longstanding track record in the field of senior housing ensures we are a prime destination for clients addressing the increased demand for such accommodation. We provide a comprehensive portfolio of legal services with special emphasis on the unique attributes of senior housing, from the initiation of the project, including issues of development and handling of any objections to the development plans at the national and local levels, through betterment levies and tax planning, to ongoing advice throughout the project itself. Our extensive knowledge includes participation in discussions in the Knesset regarding the legislation of the Sheltered Housing Law and its amendments, and more.

Urban Renewal
Clients benefit from our decades’ experience in large-scale projects for urban renewal, vacate and rebuild projects, and the different types of projects under TAMA 38 (aka NOP 38, regulating the reinforcement by contractors of older apartment buildings against earthquakes, in consideration for extra building rights, under Section 38 of the National Outline Plan). Our specialist team has engaged in dozens of landmark urban renewal projects across the country.

The Department advises developers, tenants, purchase groups, and private associations, providing them advice and fully comprehensive legal services in all matters relating to urban renewal (planning and construction, real estate, taxation, appeals committees, and more).

The Department has experience and proven capabilities in crafting creative, out-of-the-box solutions for the type of complex issues that are frequently part and parcel of urban renewal. In particular, we provide a response to the issues surrounding the relationships between and among the tenants, and assist in removing barriers such as dealing with recalcitrant tenants.

Multi-Owner Complexes
We have accrued comprehensive knowledge and vast experience related to the intricate processes involved in multi-owner complexes. As such, we offer landowners an authentically professional and personal service, including management of the planning processes, distribution of the rights between the owners and exercising the rights through deals with developers and contractors. These deals are tailored to the requests and decisions of the landowners. We arrange financing, handle taxation issues, and provide comprehensive assistance during the execution of the project until the apartments are delivered to the owners and the rights are registered.

• Plan HR/2200/A Complex – Southwest Quarter Herzliya – Hof Hatchelet
• The TA/4444 Plan – The Sde Dov complex
• Plan TA/3700 Complex – Northwest Tel Aviv
• The TA/3388/B Complex Plan
• The Kiryat Hamaslul Complex in Herzliya
• The Third Strip Complex – Givat Shmuel

Associations and Purchase Groups
We draw on our many years’ experience in representing purchase groups and associations that form for the purpose of buying rights in land, whether in the framework of a private purchase or whether to participate in tenders published by the Israel Land Authority. In both instances, our service includes advice and representation throughout all stages of formation, negotiations and/or submitting bids in tenders, including planning processes, activity vis-à-vis the district committees, appeals and all other stages and aspects of projects of this type through to successful completion and registration of the condominium.

We act for hundreds of tenants in projects across the Gush Dan Metropolitan Area (the conurbation comprised of Tel Aviv and neighboring cities), with a cumulative value of hundreds of millions of shekels. In such projects, the team advises the tenants as of the tenants’ association meetings, through formation and unification of the group of apartment owners, submission of plans, selection of a developer, representation in the planning and building committees, and through to successful completion of the project.

Representation of Landowners in Combination Transactions
We act for large groups of landowners in combination transactions, from the stage of promoting real estate plans and their betterment, arranging relations between the landowners, representing them vis-à-vis developers, handling all taxation and betterment levy aspects of the transaction, handling receipt of the collateral and managing relations with the financing bank, supporting the process of handover of the units and also handling their sale to third parties. In this manner, the Department has represented large groups of landowners in combination transactions in Ness Ziona, Ra’anana, and many other places around the country.

Co-ownership Agreements and Dissolution and Management of Tenders for the Sale of Real Estate Properties
Our Real Estate Department has extensive experience in managing tenders for the sale of real estate properties, whether through the court or otherwise. It does so as of the stage of filing the claim with the court for dissolution of the co-ownership if necessary, obtaining valuations, publishing announcements in the press, preparing tender documents, including sale contracts, holding bidding contests between the bidders, and handling all stages of the contract, including court approval where necessary, and through to transfer of rights in the names of the buyers.