Ophir Katz & Co. Law Offices

Ophir Katz & Co. Law Offices is one of Israel’s leading law firms, providing legal consult to non-profit organizations (NPOs) and public institutions, including a unique expertise in higher education matters.
The firm has been operating for almost 41 years, in Tel Aviv and in Jerusalem. The office was established in Jerusalem by its founder Adv. Ophir Katz and a few years later started its Tel Aviv operations. The Tel Aviv office was initially headed by Adv. Miri Katz, who managed it until retiring, upon her appointment as Head of the Israel Securities Authority. Today, the Tel Aviv and Jerusalem offices are managed by Adv. Katz and his partners Yair Seelenfreund and Menachem Lamm. As part of its civil law activities, the firm specializes in NPOs, and public institutions specializing in higher education, public benefit companies, trusts, statutory corporations and NPO corporations, registered abroad and operating in Israel.
Ophir Katz & Co. is recognized as Israel’s leading firm in NPO law and provides legal services to NPOs and institutes of higher education. The firm also operates in other civil law areas including corporations and commercial law, contracts law, IP, real estate law, real estate taxation, planning and building, construction and development, wills and estates, tenders, labor law and public law.
The firm’s activities focus on providing legal consultation and services to corporations and NPOs and others both in their activities and conduct as a corporation and as an organization. Legal activities are reflected in routine handling of clients’ operations including negotiations, acquisitions, contracts, tenders, employees, real estate, construction and development, computers, tax (mainly NPOs), IP, legal opinions, participating in board meetings (as requested) and AGMs, reporting to authorities, representation before the NPO, trusts and companies registrars, external authorities, and other administrative bodies and courts.
As part of its unique expertise in higher education, the firm handles M&A transactions of higher education institutions, as part of Israel’s Ministry of Education’s policy reform in this matter.
The combination of expertise and experience in NPOs and the firm’s commercial activities gives the firm an advantage in situations where skills in both areas are needed.

The Firm’s Clients

The areas of activity of corporations and organizations receiving the firm’s services include public institutions, institutes of higher education, culture, art, education, research, community activities, social change, sport, welfare, immigration, and foundations, as well as all aspects of commercial law. The firm’s clients include, “budgeted organizations”, “supported organizations”, organizations receiving “support”, and organizations providing “services” to the various authorities. Thus the firm has major experience in all procedures relating to receiving budgets, support, negotiations to provide services, negotiations with budgeted bodies, which support or purchase services (mainly the government), and fulfilling formal demands on these matters. The firm specializes in ways of financing NPO’s activities: means of raising funds, independent revenue, donations, and grants (from individuals and foundations) establishing and maintaining contact with alumni, and establishing and registering trusts. The firm provides ongoing services to 12 institutes of higher education and occasional services to many others, to statutory corporations and a very long list of NPOs, Umbrella organizations, charities, public benefit companies, trusts and other public bodies. 

Other Areas of Specialization

Real Estate & Construction
Activities include real estate deals and initiating them (income-producing, residential, industry etc.) planning and building, various registering activities, provision of legal support to projects, including procedures from planning procedures to negotiations with professionals, preparing contractors tenders, supporting tender processes, negotiations with contractors and providing routine leading advice during construction and after.
Labor Law
The firm’s vast experience in labor law derives, inter alia, from the fact that organizations that are its clients have large workforces. As many clients are public bodies which must observe civil service regulations - the firm has major experience in procurements, public service labor law, and in handling special employment conditions. The firm specializes in individual and collective labor law and provides litigation services in the labor courts.
Tenders
Many of the firm’s clients are governed by the Tenders Law. The firm writes tenders in all its clients’ areas of activity, both large and small, and supports and advises bodies participating in tenders and sits on many tender committees as legal advisor.
Administrative Law
As “public” and “dual-substance” bodies make up many of the firm’s clients and are subject to administrative law, the firm provides consultancy in this area, supports procedures and represents clients before tribunals and other judicial forums and courts.
IP
Some of the firm’s clients are engaged in creations and developments which have IP aspects. Some of the firm’s services to clients involve advice in this area including drawing up documents (contracts, NDAs, commitments etc.) project support, etc.
The firm also works with government and public bodies in promoting topics in Knesset committees, promoting relevant legislation and other relevant activities in these areas.
The firm is also active in a range of Civil Law areas including wills and estates. The firm represents companies, businesses, and individuals such as industry, commerce, foreign residents, foreign investments, real estate planning and building, development, infrastructures, computers, banking, advertising, public relations, etc. The firm provides these clients with all the required legal services.

Pro Bono and Contribution to the Community

The firm provides pro bono routine legal advice in its areas of specialization to organizations and NPOs.