In the Spotlight: Davis Polk
We spotlight Lee Hochbaum, an M&A partner and co-head of Davis Polk’s Israel practice. In 2023, Lee was named a “Dealmaker of the Year” by the New York Law Journal for his work advising financial institution clients in the recent banking crisis. As a co-head of the Israel practice, Lee has advised on numerous merger and acquisition transactions involving Israeli companies. Recent representations of Israeli companies include NICE on its acquisition of LiveVox and Taboola on its strategic partnership with Yahoo.
What are the primary strategic objectives for the Israel-focused legal team in the upcoming year, and how do they align with the overall goals of the global law firm?
Our primary strategic objective is to continue to be a leading corporate law firm for Israeli companies, primarily on outbound M&A and capital markets transactions, and to grow our market share in this space. This is consistent with our firm’s objective of being a global leader in corporate transactions, providing clients around the world with elite counsel and unmatched service.
How does the team collaborate internally and externally to stay abreast ofthe latest legal developments in Israel and globally?
Internally, our Israel team meets regularly and is in constant communication regarding developments both globally and in Israel that can impact the Israeli market. Additionally, we maintain strong relationships with leading Israeli law firms and other service providers and travel to Israel frequently in order to stay abreast of local developments and other market-moving news.
What opportunities does the head of the Israel-focused legal team foresee for expanding the firm’s presence and influence in Israel?
Israel has proved itself as a remarkably resilient economy and we expect that as Israeli companies continue to look for M&A opportunities and access to global capital markets, they will prioritize engaging sophisticated counsel with experience and familiarity with the local market. Additionally, our history in the region and track record of success on behalf of our Israeli clients positions us to continue to be a go-to firm in guiding companies through their most significant transactions.
Through our consistent travel to Israel, we work to strengthen our existing relationships with clients and local firms and meet new contacts to deepen our ties to the region. Our participation in local conferences is another key way to expand our reach.
What are the challenges facing the firm’s Israeli desk? How does the team address potential cultural or jurisdictional challenges when working on cases that involve both Israeli and global legal perspectives?
While we do not have an office in Israel, members of our cross-disciplinary Israel team from across our global offices frequently travel to Israel, and our strong relationships with Israeli firms helps to maintain our local presence. As far as cultural or jurisdictional challenges are concerned, we haven’t encountered any. Our attorneys are very familiar with the Israeli market, and we partner with Israeli law firms where appropriate.
