Alon Kraus Law Office in Tel Aviv provides advice and representation in complex civil and commercial matters in which contract, corporate, real estate and tax law operate simultaneously. We practise contract law, tenancy law and real estate taxation, combining analysis of the transaction and business risk with development of the legal position and preparation for proceedings. We advise companies, business owners, property owners and private clients facing decisions with significant financial implications.
One dispute, several legal dimensions
A dispute concerning property held through a company does not necessarily end with interpretation of the sale agreement. It may involve management authority, obligations to a lender, a tenant’s rights, security arrangements and the tax consequences of the proposed separation. Even a settlement that appears effective contractually requires consideration of implementation and registration, the parties’ exposure and the overall cost.
Our work begins with an integrated assessment: who holds the right, who undertook obligations to whom, which documents govern the relationship, where the evidence is located and what business outcome is sought. Identifying a cause of action is not enough; each step must be assessed for its impact on the other issues and on ongoing operations.
Commercial contracts: interpretation, risk allocation and crisis management
We assist with drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial agreements and represent clients in disputes over their performance. Our review focuses on mechanisms that become decisive during a crisis: conditions precedent, milestones, price-adjustment mechanisms, representations, indemnities, limitations of liability, security and exit arrangements.
When a dispute arises, we examine the agreement alongside its schedules, negotiation drafts, correspondence and actual performance. A breach notice, demand to remedy, withholding of payment or settlement proposal is considered within the same strategy, with attention to consistency of positions, preservation of evidence and the implications for commercial relationships.
The analysis does not end with whether a breach occurred. It also addresses what the client seeks to achieve: continued supply, completion of a transaction, termination of a relationship, compensation or a revised agreement. Each alternative may have different implications for cash flow, counterclaims and practical enforceability.
Further analysis of managing a commercial-contract breach dispute (Hebrew).
Companies, shareholders and partners: legal rights and business continuity
Our work includes founders’ and shareholders’ agreements and arrangements for decision-making, information rights, financing and separation. In a dispute between partners, we examine the relationship between contractual arrangements, corporate documents, decisions of the company’s governing bodies and the parties’ conduct, rather than ownership percentages alone.
Where appropriate, this requires parallel consideration of shareholder loans, personal guarantees, related-party transactions and control over information and accounts. The objective is a workable arrangement: joint management on agreed terms, changes to control mechanisms, acquisition of interests or the appropriate proceedings, with attention to customers, employees and business assets.
Real estate and real estate taxation: the transaction, ownership structure and dispute
We handle real estate transactions and disputes, including examination of rights, sale agreements, co-ownership and registration, together with land appreciation tax and purchase tax issues. Our assessment focuses on the relationship between the legal structure and its economic consequences: the parties’ identities, ownership arrangements, completion conditions, payment dates and obligations continuing after possession is delivered.
In a complex transaction, we also examine registration status, charges and restrictions, commitments to third parties, actual possession and relevant planning documents. In taxation matters, we examine the transaction details, documentation, reports and assessments and the need for appropriate dealings with the Israel Tax Authority. We do not assume that a structure acceptable to the parties necessarily produces the intended tax result.
An integrated approach is equally important when a dispute arises. A price adjustment, alleged cancellation, division of rights between co-owners or settlement requires joint consideration of contractual obligations, registration feasibility and taxation. These examples illustrate issues for examination; they do not describe particular cases or outcomes.
Tenancy law: income-producing property, business operations and security
The firm assists landlords and tenants with drafting and reviewing leases and with disputes arising from them. For commercial leases, the review covers permitted use, alterations to the premises, allocation of maintenance responsibilities, options, indexation, assignment, subletting, security and return of the property.
When performance becomes difficult, the interaction between a demand for possession, a monetary claim, enforcement of security and continued operations at the premises must be examined. We assess the agreement and factual record to develop an approach addressing both the alleged debt and the business cost of interruption, replacement of a tenant or prolonged proceedings.
Civil and commercial litigation: building a case that can be proved and enforced
Representation begins with defining the dispute and building an evidential foundation. We examine whether the remedies fit the objective, which parties should be joined, questions of jurisdiction and forum, and the need for interim applications in the circumstances. Alongside documents, we consider information sources, witnesses, evidence of loss and the need for expert opinions.
The assessment also addresses exposure to a counterclaim, the resources required and the practical possibility of enforcement at the end of the proceedings. Negotiation, mediation, arbitration and court proceedings are considered according to the applicable agreements and circumstances, not as routes with predetermined outcomes or durations. A settlement is also assessed by reference to its implementation, security and treatment of future obligations.
Disputes with an international connection
Where an agreement, the parties or assets are connected to more than one country, the jurisdiction clause, choice of law, service of documents and enforceability of a decision where the assets are located require examination. The firm provides advice and representation under Israeli law; matters requiring German-law work are handled in cooperation with qualified local advisers.
Further reading: jurisdiction and choice of law in international contracts (Hebrew) and Israeli legal representation for Israelis abroad.
Defining the scope of the engagement
An initial enquiry need contain only a short, non-confidential description of the dispute, the parties’ names and any approaching deadlines. Following a conflict-of-interest check, we will arrange delivery of documents and define the scope of the review. The professional discussion will focus on objectives, alternatives, risks and required stages; the scope of work and fees will be agreed before work begins.
Contact the firm about a commercial dispute, contract, lease or real estate matter.
Related legal analyses
- Commercial contract interpretation: recent judgments and the 2026 amendment
- Property tax and residential use contrary to a permit: the Stein judgment
- Buying property from a trustee: title, possession and contractual risk
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Talk to us now — we assist in English, German and Hebrew.