Ophir Katz & Co. Law Offices

Ophir Katz & Co. Law Offices is one of Israel’s leading law firms in the provision of legal services and advice to not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) and public institutions, while specializing in higher education.
The firm was founded in Jerusalem by Adv. Ophir Katz, in 1979. The Tel Aviv office was established several years later, which was initially managed by Adv. Miri Katz until she left when appointed as head of the Israel Securities Authority. Today the Tel Aviv and Jerusalem offices are managed by Adv. Ophir Katz and the other partners, Adv. Yair Seelenfreund, Adv. Menachem Lamm and Adv. Nili Sagi , Adv. Udi Ben NAftali.
The firm is recognized in Israel as a leading law firm in NPO law and in the provision of legal services to NPOs, including to institutes of higher education. The firm also practices other aspects of civil law, and in this context corporations and commercial law, including contracts law, IP, land law, land taxation, planning and building, construction and development, estates and inheritances, tender law, labor law, and public law.
In recent years the firm has handled the consolidation and merger of institutes of higher education in the field of education, in the context of realization of the policy of the Ministry of Education and the Council for Higher Education in this regard.

Other Areas of Expertise

Real Estate and Construction
Extensive consulting in real estate transactions and advice in the field of real estate development (business – income-producing, residential, industrial, etc.), planning and building, various registration actions etc., alongside legal counsel for projects, including counsel from the planning processes, engagement with the various professionals, preparation of contractor tenders, supporting tender processes, engagement with contractors and providing ongoing legal advice during and after the construction.

Labor Law
The firm has vast experience in labor law in view of the fact that many of its clients are manpower-intensive organizations. The firm specializes in individual and collective labor law, and in this context provides its clients with litigation services in the labor courts.

Tenders & Administrative Law
As “public” or “hybrid” bodies, many of the firm’s clients are subject, inter alia, to administrative law. The firm writes tenders in all of the operating sectors of its clients, provides legal counsel and advises bodies participating in tenders and sits on many tender committees, as their legal advisor.The firm provides its clients with consulting in this field, legal counsel in proceedings and representation before judicial and quasi-judicial tribunals at all instances.

IP
Many of the firm’s clients engage in various fields of creation and developments, and in activity in which there are various aspects involving intellectual property rights law, with an emphasis on copyrights. As part of the services that are provided to the firm’s clients, comprehensive advice is given in this field, including the drafting of contracts, NDAs, undertakings, etc., legal counsel for projects, setting up and support for accelerators.

Assisted Living Facilities and Senior Homes
The firm provides legal advice to assisted living facilities and senior homes, which today, more than ever (in view of the legislation of the senior housing law and the various regulations promulgated thereunder), require hands-on counsel in all of the licensing proceedings, compliance with the new regulation in the field, drafting of disclosure documents and engagement agreements with tenants, collateral to secure deposits / entrance fees, etc.

General Civil-Commercial Law
In addition to all of the above, the firm provides a variety of legal services in the various aspects of civil-commercial law, including estates, wills and inheritances.

Among the Firm’s Clients

The corporations and the organizations that receive services from the firm are, inter alia, public institutions, institutes of higher education, culture, art, education, funds and research, which operate in the sectors of community activity, social change, sport, welfare, assisted living and senior homes, alongside activity in the various aspects of commercial law.
The firm’s clients include “budgeted bodies”, “supported bodies”, organizations that receive “support” and organizations that provide “services” to the various authorities. The firm therefore has considerable experience in all of the processes entailed by obtaining the budgets, the support, the engagements for the provision of various services, negotiations with the budgeting and supporting entities, or with the purchasers of the services, and fulfillment of the formal requirements in this regard.
The firm also specializes in the methods of financing of the activities of NPOs: raising financial resources, own income, donations and grants, establishing and maintaining contact with friends societies, and establishment and registration of endowments, dissolution and merger of NPOs.
The firm provides ongoing services to dozens of recognized, budgeted and other institutes of higher education. The firm also provides services on an occasional basis to many other institutes of higher education, to statutory corporations and a very long list of NPOs, umbrella organizations, associations, charity companies, endowments and other public bodies.
Among the firm’s clients are associations, charity companies, foreign companies that are registered in Israel, foundations from Israel and overseas and statutory corporations.