Arieh Hagai - Attorneys at Law

Arieh Hagai, Attorneys at Law is a leading firm, specializing in civil-commercial, insolvency and management, with with offices in Givatayim and Jerusalem. The firm provides comprehensive legal services, including litigation, debt collection, and insolvency management, serving prominent public institutions and corporations in Israel. The firm’s clientele includes some of the largest public and governmental institutions and corporations in Israel, including local authorities, banking institutions, communications companies and government agencies. Most of the clients have a long relationships, which proves the appreciation for the firm and its professional services.

The Firm’s Staff

Adv. Arieh Hagai, Head of the Firm, has has over 30 years of experience in banking, receiverships, insolvency, municipal law, and real estate. He represents clients at all court levels, including the Supreme Court.

Adv. Ronit Chiprut, Partner, has an LL.M., Bar-Ilan University, and has extensive experience in the firm’s practice areas. She leads the Municipal and Communications Companies Departments and is a certified mediator with substantial litigation experience.

Adv. Dana Hagai-Arazi has an LL.B. (cum laude) from Bar-Ilan University, an LL.M. from Tel Aviv University, and a B.A. in computer science. She is part of the management team and focuses on litigation and developing control systems for client interfaces.

The firm has about 35 employees, including 10 lawyers, 3 with LL.M. degrees, and a B.A. in computer science. One lawyer has over 30 years of experience, and another has 20 years. The firm also employs 4 interns, pre-interns, and an administrative staff of 25 employees.

Expertise in Monetary Lawsuits

Throughout the years, the firm has filed tens of thousands of actions on behalf of its clients, totaling of millions of NIS, in both execution proceedings and courts. Since its founding, the firm has been top ranked in debt collection. It operates a unique system dealing with debtors in compliance with regulatory instructions, maximizing collected sums efficiently and sensitively. The firm also handles asset seizures, liquidations, receiverships, and has been appointed as a special manager or trustee in bankruptcy proceedings under creditor’s applications for receivership orders.

Creativity, Experience, and Knowledge

The firm’s excellent reputation results from the synergy that forms from the in-depth knowledge, longstanding experience and extensive creativity for which it is characterized. The firm works in accordance with the motto “As Experience Grows, The Impossible Disappears” (Arthur Helps), and has a record of successes achieved during its years of operations, and the idea that “Scientia potentia est” (Knowledge is Power, attributed to Sir Francis Bacon), and therefore remains constantly abreast of rulings, while applying the vast experience it accumulated and which is available for its clients. Out-of-the-box thinking with the brainstorming of the staff leads to creative solutions that comprise the added value for the clients.

Excellence, Expertise and First-Class Service

The staff’s expertise, skill and proficiency in legal proceedings ensure high success rates, combining diverse litigation and negotiation capabilities. The firm’s clients have enjoyed personal and ongoing legal service for years, reflecting the quality and satisfaction. The firm maintains high availability and a -quality legal response. Employees have extensive experience, working in teams to blend accumulated knowledge with fresh, creative approaches for maximum results. The firm employs advanced IT systems that interface with clients’ computers, enabling real-time updates on case status and data segmentation, supporting efficient interactions.

Principle Setting Rulings

Vast and trailblazing rulings that were given during the firm’s work for its clients, gained dozens of citations in rulings by courts of all levels. Among them are:

Administrative Appeal (AA) 11641/04 Baruch Sela Vs. The Gderot Regional Council: Where a principle was set concerning the first-time imposition of city tax;
AA 4612/06 Lod Municipality Vs. Israel Railways; Civil Appeal Case 9305/09 Arieh Hagai Vs. Yosef Albrek Economic Society Chapter Pardes Hanna-Karkur: The Supreme Court set principles for the late filing of a debt claim;
Case 4700/18 Israel Railroad Vs. Modiin-Macabim-Reut and Ramla municipalities: The supreme court ruling, which stood for all train stations represented by the firm, where platform areas placed 15 M from the track are considered as “streets” and should not be accounted for municipal tax and levies purposes.

Banking, Financial Claims, and Insolvency:

Banking: Case No. 22766-04-23 Bank Hapoalim v. M.A. Topaz - The District Court accepted the bank’s appeal against the Magistrate Court’s judgment and overturned its decision that the bank, when the company faced difficulties during a debt settlement, was required to offer an alternative settlement to the borrower and guarantor, thus releasing them from the debt. The Magistrate Court’s judgment was annulled, and it was determined that the bank’s conduct was lawful, as was the debt settlement made to avoid legal proceedings.

Insolvency: Insolvency (Tel Aviv Magistrate Court) 33582-06-20 - At the creditor’s request, the trustee’s motion to cancel the insolvency proceedings against a debtor who does not fulfill his obligations in bad faith was rejected. It was ruled that in an insolvency proceeding initiated by a creditor, as opposed to by a debtor, enforcement and imprisonment procedures must be exhausted against the debtor, which may cause him to change his ways.

Receivership: Case No. 25135-07-22 Bank Hapoalim v. Metalwork and Paint - In the enforcement of a debenture where Attorney Arie Hagai was appointed as a receiver, the receiver’s request was granted to require a company that held mortgaged assets belonging to the debtor company to pay appropriate usage fees until the debtor company’s full debt to the bank is settled.

Representation of Local Authorities in Class Actions, Administrative Petitions, and Municipal Taxation:

Class Actions: Class Action No. 68001-70-20 Karmi v. Kiryat Ono Municipality; Class Action No. 52342-03-21 Sfori v. Gderot Regional Council.

Development Levies: Case No. 35264-05-20 Peninat Yehud v. Kiryat Ono Municipality; Administrative Petition No. 21907-11-21 Ofir et al. v. Gderot Regional Council – Petition to stop development works claiming failure to preserve natural values was rejected; Case No. 19987-08-21 Misgav Dov Logistics Agricultural Cooperative Society Ltd. v. Gderot Regional Council (Central District) – A lawsuit for the refund of approximately NIS 21 million in development levies and damage payments due to delays in completing a logistics building on an area of about 32 dunams. The lawsuit was settled for approximately NIS 2 million.

Municipal Property Tax (Arnona): Case No. 31462-06-18 Jerusalem Municipality v. Huja – The issue of identifying the occupant of a property for property tax liability, whether it was the individual himself or a company with no assets owned by him. After thorough examination, the Magistrate Court decided to hold the defendant personally liable for the full property tax debt, as well as legal costs. The defendant’s appeal was rejected by the District Court.

Representation of State Authorities: Tel Aviv (Shalom, Petah Tikva) 8842-08-16 Israel Land Authority Vs. Matrani - claim for demolition orders and cessation of excessive use. The claim was accepted both regarding the calculation of the “entrepreneurial profit” in respect of unauthorized use of the land and regarding the cessation of use.

Tel Aviv (Shalom Petah Tikva) 34911-09-16 Israel Lands Authority v. Teitelbaum - A lawsuit to stop unauthorized uses, eviction and disposal and appropriate usage fees in an amount exceeding one million NIS was accepted in full.