Israel Desks Under the spotlight – Greenberg Traurig’s Joey Shabotgr
In this new weekly section, we profile the driving force behind Israel Desks firms, as we catch up with the prominent leaders of the global law firms with Israel Desks: This week – Greenberg Traurig‘s Managing Shareholder, Joey Shabot:
You have had an office in Israel for some time, what was the driving force behind that and how does it fit in with the firm’s overall strategy and focus?
Joey: GT’s Tel Aviv office was inaugurated 10 years ago as an extension of the Firm’s long-standing Israel desk that had been active for many years. GT’s leadership recognized Israel’s strategic significance for our global client base and the ever increasing impact of innovation on how companies do business throughout the world. That is why GT was among the first firms to set up shop in Israel, in a very public and proud way. This was at a time when lawyers from other major firms were still walking around with business cards that said London or Washington DC, because their firms were not comfortable displaying their interest in Israel. GT has always been outspoken about our belief in this ecosystem and support for this country.
Today, the Tel Aviv office serves two primary functions. For one, we act as a gateway for Israeli businesses seeking legal counsel in relation to opportunities in the US, Europe and Asia. Our Israeli clients get white-glove, concierge access to our attorneys across all 43 GT locations worldwide. In addition, we currently have 16 American attorneys working with us physically located in Israel. The lawyers in our Tel Aviv office know Hebrew and have deep knowledge of this country, including close relationships with Israeli law firms with whom we often collaborate. Having a group of lawyers who live here helps clients get better and faster service in their own time zone, and allows us to reduce our rates by leveraging local resources in addition to our global platform.
What are the challenges that you face as you look to expand and grow the Israel Office? How do you manage them?
Joey: One of our biggest challenges is recruitment. Our lawyers in Tel Aviv need to have the language skills and cultural fluency to operate in at least two countries at once, and they need to have a foreign bar admission in addition to complying with local Israeli bar rules. A related challenge is striking the right balance between having the right offerings available locally and utilizing our experts across GT’s global platform. We try to keep our finger on the pulse of what our clients’ needs are in Israel and what talent is available in the local market. We know we can never replicate the breadth of GT’s unparalleled global resources in Tel Aviv, but in many areas, it really does make everything more efficient for a client when your lawyer is on the ground in-country.
What kind of strategies, mindset or understanding are required for the head of an Israel Office?
Joey: A strong orientation to adding value. In Israel, we are not all things for all clients in all situations. But in many cases, we are the perfect solution – the best feeling is hearing a client’s relief when they realize they no longer need to run around the whole world to coordinate among different law firms, often paying very high prices. Steering clients in the right direction is a big part of what we do. That also requires close attention to managing the Firm’s relationships with local Israeli law firms and respecting their important place in the market.
What industries or areas do you look to emphasize and develop in the coming year(s), with regards to your Israel Office?
Joey: US litigation and regulatory. In the last year alone we added capabilities in US tax and expanded our capabilities in employment law and real estate joint ventures and real estate finance. This is in addition to our traditional corporate, M&A, venture capital commercial transactional practices.
