On January 6, DLA Piper hosted a forum at its NYC office for legal professionals thinking of shifting their careers to Israel. Representatives from a number of top Israeli law firms, foreign law firms with Israeli practices, and Israel-connected companies shared their insights and experiences with an audience of over 75 law students and lawyers at all stages of their careers.
Across the board, speakers communicated that there are many opportunities for lawyers in Israel and with Israeli companies, and that successfully shifting a career requires both thinking outside the box and being open to the possibility of a different type of career path than originally anticipated. Some of the key messages of the morning were: Don’t be scared to pave your own way or ask to build a position for yourself; your work in Israel probably won’t look the same as it does in the U.S., but that’s not a bad thing; and “network, network, network!”
Teaneck native Yoheved Novogroder-Shoshan, partner at Israeli law firm Arnon, Tadmor-Levy, shared that American and American-trained lawyers should embrace their background as they offer unique qualities, especially when it comes to cross-border work. She said: “Israeli companies appreciate not only the English language skills of American lawyers, but also the U.S. cultural familiarity and even the temperament. You bring to the table things that native Israelis, by and large, might not be able to.”
This event is the brainchild of Jeremy Lustman, partner and head of DLA Piper’s Israel Group, and Naomi Maryles, managing director at DLA Piper, both of whom sit in Tel Aviv. A panel discussion about Israeli law firms was led by Chaim Friedland (partner, Gornitzky & Co.) and included Itai Sarfaty (partner, Herzog Fox & Neeman), Tomer Shani (managing director, MeitarNY Inc.) and Yoheved Novogroder-Shoshan. A panel discussion about working with in-house legal teams at Israel-related companies was led by Joseph Turitz (former general counsel, BioCatch) and included Erin Abrams (chief legal officer, Via), Scott Buell (general counsel, Forter) and Avi Lauer (VP for legal affairs, secretary, and general counsel, Yeshiva University). Participants also heard from Natti Ginor, head of Israel investment banking at Jeffries, who shared insights on the resilience of the Israeli economy in 2024. Finally, three foreign law firms—DLA Piper, Honigman, and Greenberg Traurig—presented about their Israel practices.
Feedback from the event has been very positive, with many attendees noting in person and in follow-up notes that the event gave them a lot of chizuk, and that the advice offered has them starting to think practically and proactively about how a career shift might work.
Last year’s event and subsequent lawyers’ mission to Israel resulted in both job offers and the aliyah of a number of participants. DLA Piper is planning another mission for lawyers in February, which will include meetings with top Israeli law firms and unicorn tech companies, volunteering, and more. For information about the mission, email [email protected].
