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Profile
Lior is a partner in the firm’s Corporate and M&A department, co-heads the firm’s Private Equity practice and is a member of the firm’s leading Management Team. In addition, Lior leads the firm’s practice in the United Arab Emirates and in other GCC countries as well as in East Asia.
Lior’s practice is focused on cross-border M&A and private equity transactions, corporate finance and tech-driven investment transactions, with a special emphasis on highly regulated industries. Lior often represents foreign buyers and investors in acquisitions and sales in Israel in a wide array of sectors, including technology, industrial and manufacturing companies, financial services, defense, telecommunications and entertainment, healthcare and internet.
Lior also leads the firm’s growing East Asia practice and represents both Asian investors searching to acquire local technology as well as Israeli entrepreneurs aspiring to develop their businesses in East Asia.
Lior was named a “Leading Individual” in the Legal500 ranking, and as a “Leading Lawyer” in the IFLR1000 ranking editions. The Legal500 provided that “Lior Oren is our contact for everything related to M&A and finance. He’s very professional, quick to understand, agile, always on our side, and at the same time can voice his views and change our initial point of view. He provides a fresh perspective and has outstanding experience in cross-border deals…
Lior Oren is well known for his capabilities in the M&A and tech spheres. He is well respected by his peers, and this is helpful in negotiation sessions and in attempting to find an amicable resolution to a commercial dispute. At the same time, Lior can be assertive and stick to his guns on the important issues. This versatility is impressive and very helpful at times.”
Lior is claimed to have “superb reputation” as a lawyer who “gets deals done” in the Legal500 ranking edition. Lior was also recently claimed to “provide ‘sound commercial advice’ and to possess ‘good technical knowledge’ in the Legal500 ranking edition.
Representative Experience
M&A, Private Equity and Hi-Tech
- Representation of the Tene Funds in the acquisition of a control stake in Haifa Chemicals according to a valuation of US$600 million.
- Representation of Bank Mizrahi Tefahot Ltd. in its acquisition of Union Bank of Israel Ltd. at a value of NIS 1.4 billion.
- Representation of the shareholders (including Tene and Kibuttz Kfar Hanasi) in the sale of 100% of the share capital in Habonim Industrial Valves & Actuators Ltd., a leading designer and manufacturer of ball valves, to ITT Inc., a publicly traded company in exchange for US$140 million.
- Representation of Tene (via Gadot, as its controlling shareholder) in a unique transaction for the purchase of Haifa Ports Company Ltd., at a value of approx. NIS 4.1 billion, together with the Indian multinational conglomerate, Adani Group.
- Representation of Questar Auto Technologies (previously Traffilog Ltd.) in a share exchange merger transaction with Saferide Technologies, based upon a merged entity valuation of ~US$350 million.
- Representation of Warner Music Group, in its acquisition of 100% of IMGN Media, an innovative Gen-Z oriented content generator for social networks.
- Representation of Carasso Motors Ltd., in the acquisition of 100% of Cal Auto, through the assumption of all its financial liabilities, valued at approximately NIS 1 billion.
- Representation of the sellers representative group in Egged Transportation in connection with the sale of 60% of the share capital to Keystone, an Israeli infrastructure investment fund.
- Representation of Kidan Dahari and Yaron Adiv’s (owners of Tnuport) in the acquisition of Ispro the Israeli Properties Rental Corporation Ltd. from Property and Building Corp. Ltd. in consideration of more than NIS 800 million, involving complex financing transactions with Mizrahi-Tefahot Bank and Reit1.
- Representation of Econergy Renewable Energy (traded on the TASE) in a project financing transaction in the amount of 150 million Euro.
- Representation of APAX Partners (AMI Opportunities Fund) in a share purchase transaction of SR Accord Ltd. for an amount of approximately NIS 130 million.
- Representation of private equity fund, Permira, in the sale of all of its holdings (approximately 61%) in iconic drip irrigation pioneer Netafim to Mexichem, a Mexican public company for US$1.9 billion, in one of the largest and most complex transactions in the Israeli economy in 2017.
- Representation of the insurance company Sirius, in regulatory process and applying for control permits in connection with the acquisition of shares of The Phoenix Holdings, from its controlling shareholder Delek Holdings, in a transaction valued at NIS4.8 billion.
- Representation of XIO Group, a global private equity firm, in the potential acquisition of Meitav Dash, a leading Israeli investment house, for NIS1.5 Billion.
- Reverse triangular merger of a subsidiary of Access Industries with Clal Industries Ltd. (TASE: CII) (“going private”) in consideration of approximately US$350 million.
- Representation of APAX Partners (AMI Opportunities Fund) in the acquisition of 20% in S.R. Accord Ltd., a financial services market leader traded on the TASE.
- Representation of the Tene Funds in the (i) acquisition of 67% of Hamadia Doors, (ii) acquisition of 46% of Traffilog Ltd. for US$33 million, (iii) investment of a total of $45 million equity and secondary investment, in GlassesUSA.com, A US-based Ecommerce company, and one of the global leading online retailers of prescription eyeglasses and eye wear accessories, (iv) acquisition of a control stake in Sharon Laboratories.
- Acquisition of 25% of Mashav (sole shareholder of Nesher, a major cement manufacturer) by Clal Industries Ltd. from the Irish conglomerate CRH Europe.
- Acquisition of Hyperion Therapeutics, Inc. by Horizon Pharma plc for approximately US$1.1 billion.
- Representation of Israel Oil and Gas Fund, owned by Mr. David Wiessman, in the acquisition of the Israeli gas station chain, Sonol Israel Ltd., from Azrieli Group Ltd. for NIS364 million.
- Sale by the Tene Funds and all of the other shareholders of 100% of the Israeli-based dairy herd specialist, S.C.R. (Engineers) Ltd. to Allflex Group in consideration for US$250 million.
- Acquisition of a controlling interest in Partner Communications (TASE: PTNR; NASDAQ: PTNR) by the Saban Group in consideration for approximately US$400 million.
- Representation of Access Industries in a reverse triangular merger of a subsidiary of Access Industries with Clal Industries Ltd. in consideration of approximately US$350 million.
- Representation of Hamadia Doors in the acquisition of a control stake in Rephaim Doors.
- Representation of Getty Images as a leader of a USD 16 million investment in Promo.com as part of an existing strategic partnership between the two companies.
- Representation of Teikametrics Inc., the leading Marketplace Optimization Platform for Amazon and Walmart, in the acquisition of adjusti.co, an ecommerce market intelligence solution based in Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Representation of EndoChoice, a US-based gastrointestinal endoscopy company, in a merger with Peer Medical Ltd., an Israeli endoscopic start-up, involving a substantial equity investment by Sequoia Capital, at a transaction valued at US$150 million.
- Representation of S1 Corporation, a NASDAQ corporation, in a potential stock-for-stock merger transaction with Fundtech Ltd., an Israeli company controlled by IDB Group (dual listed), valued at US$700 million.
- Representation of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG (then indirectly controlled by KKR and Permira), the largest TV operator in Germany and one of Europe’s leading media companies, in the acquisition of July August Communications and Productions Ltd., a leading Israeli production company, by based on a company valuation of € tens of million.
East Asia
- Representation of XIO Group, a Shanghai-based private equity firm, in the potential acquisition of Meitav Dash, a leading Israeli investment house, for NIS1.5 Billion.
- Advising Chroma ATE Inc., a publicly listed company in Taiwan, in its purchase of 20% of the share capital in Camtek Ltd., a dual-listed company on the NASDAQ and TASE, for approximately NIS300 million.
- Representation of Sirius Insurance and its controlling shareholder, China Minsheng Investment Group (CMIG), in the acquisition of a control stake in Phoenix Insurance.
- Representation of an Israeli market leader in the field of micro irrigation solutions in the proposed sale of all its assets to Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd., a company listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.
- Representation of X-Sight Systems, a leading provider of cutting-edge airport runway management solutions, in a governmental bidding process in respect of the installation of a major system at the new Beijing Daxing International Airport.
- Handling the establishment of a joint venture between Israeli-owned Chinese company Daimei Artwork (Shanghai) Ltd., and the Greenland Group, for the purposes of opening a chain of diamond centers throughout China.
- Representation of Ningxia Qinglong Pipes Industry Co., Ltd. (traded on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange) in connection with certain contemplated acquisitions in Israel.
- Representation of BFree, the international baby products vendor, in a joint venture with Polybell (Guangzhou) Limited regarding manufacturing and distribution of BFree’s products throughout the PRC.
Regulation
- Handling the regulatory aspects associated with the acquisition of a control stake by Sirius Insurance in Phoenix Insurance vis-à-vis the Capital Markets Authority and the Israeli Securities Authority.
- Representation of Lockheed Martin in connection with the Israeli aspects associated with a US$4.6 billion merger and restructuring transactions, including handling the regulatory aspects vis-à-vis the Ministry of Defense.
- Handling the regulatory aspects in connection with the potential going private acquisition of Meitav Dash, a leading funds manager, vis-à-vis the Capital Markets Authority and the Israeli Securities Authority.
- Handling the regulatory aspects in connection with the potential acquisition of Clal Insurance, the largest local insurance provider by Permira.
- Handling the regulatory aspects associated with the sale of the controlling stake of Bezeq, the largest telecommunications operator in Israel, to Eurocom in exchange for US$1.765 billion vis-à-vis the Ministry of Communications.
Financing
- Representation of XIO Group in a financing transaction with Mizrahi Tefahot Bank, in connection with a US$514 million merger transaction with Lumenis Ltd.
- Representation of the controlling shareholders of Bezeq in a large-scale refinancing transaction with Bank Leumi.
Biography
Bar Admissions
Israel, 2003
New York, 2005
Education
LL.M., New York University School of Law, New York, US, 2004
LL.B., Magna Cum Laude, College of Management Law School, 2002
Prior Experience
In recent years, Lior serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the Hebrew University as well as at the College of Management and teaches a “Mergers & Acquisitions” course.
Lior practiced law as an associate with a leading reputable NYC law firm, Anderson, Kill, PC where his practice focused on international M&A transactions, securities law and venture capital investments.
During his studies Lior was engaged as a teaching assistant at the Tel Aviv University Faculty of Law in various legal courses, including Corporate Law and Property Law and acted as the Chief Editor of the faculty’s Law Journal.
Publications
“A Villain Under The Guise of Antitrust Laws”, 8 HAMISHPAT L. REV. 615 (2003)
Languages
Hebrew, English
