Hartavi Bornstein Basson & Co. Law Offices

Hartavi Bornstein Basson & Co. (HBB) is an exceptional law firm with a unique professional real estate outlook. Over several decades the firm has built a reputation for specializing in all aspects of real estate including litigation, contracts, urban renewal projects, TAMA 38 earthquake retrofits, routine support acting for contractors, and planning and building. All these give the firm’s lawyers a broad and overall perspective including all aspects of the field, and bestow the ability to conduct the most complex real estate cases and lead clients out of the bureaucratic maze of government real estate bodies. 

History

The firm in its present form was founded in 1996 before which it was part of Sochovolsky -Hartavi, which operated from the late 50s until the death of Adv. Sochovolsky. In 1996, Zeev Hartavi joined Mira Bornstein and David Basson to found a partnership and build a team of 16 lawyers, most rising through the firm’s ranks, and 12 other employees. 

Vision & Strategy

To lead Israel’s land, planning and building, and real estate sector as a one-stop-shop by conducting the main and most complex cases, and leading complexed deals. The firm’s work procedures are conducted through personal service to every client by partners and assistants. The firm’s leaders aspire to uncompromising professionalism in all areas of real estate and provide clients with professional knowhow and a candid work approach. 

Practice Areas

Litigation – One of the firm’s core specializations in all courts and committees in real estate including; land disputes and clarifying rights, tenant protection suits, land expropriation and compensation, liquidating property partnerships, historical rights, arbitration and mediation. The firm represents companies, local authorities, kibbutzim, moshavim, cooperative associations, and private clients.

Planning & Building – The firm plans and develops urban building plans from initiation through approval, construction and sale including cooperation with planners, consultants, planning and appeals committees, and administrative petitions. The firm acts for local planning and building committees and municipalities in suits including tenders, contracts, planning and building, and provides legal responses for problems arising from committee works including regularly participating in plenary meetings, providing routine legal consultancy to officials, appearing before appeals committees, and acting regarding betterment fees, including routine consultancy, appearing before assessors and courts.

Real Estate Projects – The firm leads many projects and supports apartment sales by contractors. The firm has supported building projects of thousands of housing, industrial, commercial and office units including agreements and contracts, land planning, legal contacts, tax, parcel registration, shared housing, listing land registry rights, appearing before appeals committees etc. Well known projects led by the firm: Neve Avivim (Tel Aviv), Neve Amirim (Herzliya), Merom Naveh (Ramat Gan), Givat Merom (Givat Shmuel), Givat Savion Hahadasha, Lev Rehavia, Migdal Neve Tzedek, Hamashtela Tel Aviv, Beit Yadlin (Nof Hayam project), Custom House Jaffa, Hatzrot Hamoshava Rehovot, Lugano Yehud, Beit Avgad, Oasis Building, Hamachlavot Ramat Gan, Mamilla Jerusalem, Herzliya and Holon Industrial Zones.

Urban Renewal and Earthquake Retrofits – The firm manages large clear and build urban renewal and TAMA 38 earthquake retrofit projects and their regulations promoted by large development companies. Examples: representing landowners in Ramat Aviv G, projects in Yad Eliyahu, Ramat Hatayasim, Givat Shmuel, Uziel St. and Arlozorov St. Ramat Gan, central Yehud, two Kiryat Ono complexes, Givatayim and Petah Tikva complexes. These projects involve vacating thousands of apartments with luxury projects built instead.

Kibbutzim and Moshavim – The firm supports many dozens of kibbutzim and moshavim and acts for cooperative associations before government authorities and the Israel Land Administration (ILA) in land compromises, rezoning, expanding and developing building land.

Clients

Private landowners, kibbutzim, moshavim, Prima hotel chain, Almog Red Sea, Solomon Construction, Histadrut assets – Hevrat Ovdim, Hadassah Hospital, Hod Hasharon local planning and building council, Discount Bank assets department, Mercantile Discount Bank asset department, Histadrut, Aspen Group, Trigo Group, Kfar Shmariyahu, Rishpon, Kfar Maccabi, Kfar Hasidim, Heftziba, Ein Hamifratz, Tzomet Sfarim, Ministry Of Defense, Israel Military Industries ltd, Bar-Ilan University. 

The Partners

Zeev Haratavi, Founding Partner – planning and building –acting before planning authorities including expropriations, compensation, real estate deals, registering land parcels and deals, preparing contracts and conducting land, planning and building court cases, arbitration and mediation, judge in the Israel Bar disciplinary court for many years, national president Young Israel Bar 1965, Member Merhavit Planning & Building Committee for Planning and Building 76-85.

Mira Bornstein, Founding Partner – acting for clients in real estate deals and legal proceedings in all courts regarding property rights, protecting property and planning procedures, acting for churches in land deals, and complex legal proceedings, acting in deals and legal proceedings for settlement and moshav rights, handling clear and build and urban renewal projects.

David Basson, Founding Partner – coordinates the firm’s litigation cases, acts for companies and private clients in real estate, deals and proceedings in all courts regarding property rights, protecting property and planning and building, provides tax, land and real estate consultancy in complex deals, acts for businesses in legal proceedings on rights of settlers, kibbutzim and moshavim.