Yuval Levy & Co.’s antitrust practice is headed by Opher Levy, a nationally recognized authority on antitrust law in Israel. The antitrust practice group uses a unique synergy with the firm’s other practice groups, and serves as an integral part in the firm’s corporate representation – particularly, its clients’ merger transactions, joint ventures, and asset and share purchases. The firm’s team counsels its clients in a wide variety of issues such as vertical restrictions, distribution, pricing issues, joint ventures, strategic alliances and mergers. In addition, the group provides counseling to a range of clients in consumer goods, retail and manufacturing industries in a variety of matters, including restraints of trade of both a vertical and horizontal nature, and abuse of monopoly power.

The firm’s representation has included the defense of Visa and Diners’ Club, in one of the largest class action suits filed in Israel to date, with alleged damages of over US$ 400 million. The suit, successfully dismissed, encompassed issues of precedential value in antitrust law, the nature of monopolistic behavior, the definition of « market » as it relates to monopolies, and indeed, the very nature of class action suits in Israel. The firm also represents Leumi Card, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank Leumi and issuer of Visa and MasterCard credit cards, in proceedings before the Antitrust Tribunal regarding the interchange fees between issuing and acquiring banks.

The firm has acted for a number of large foreign and Israeli companies, both in connection with the Israel Restrictive Business Practices Law, as well as compliance work. It provides legal consult regarding the criminal and civil aspects of antitrust considerations, and represents client interests before the Antitrust Tribunal, it assists in the structuring of transactions and conducts negotiations regarding all relevant aspects of antitrust compliance.