Meet Our Team

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Meet our team

Our People Make our Firm

Our firm was founded in 2015 by Adv. Yair Benjamini, who has approximately 20 years of experience in Israeli tax. Yair was joined by three partners - Doron Elmekiesse, Sagiv Ron and Shahar Strauss, each a leader in their respective tax field. The firm's diverse range of professionals includes Israeli and US qualified lawyers, Israeli CPAs and former tax authority senior officers, which provide our clients with a broad range of experience and perspectives when negotiating intracate tax matters.

Yair Benjamini, Partner

Yair has worked in the field of taxation for the last 20 years and over time has acquired broad legal knowledge and extensive experience in all areas of Israeli taxation, as well as in a wide range of complex international taxation issues.

During his years of experience Yair has handled a broad range of issues, assessments and appeals encompassing virtually every possible taxation law subject in Israel. He has provided his services to individuals, residents of Israel and foreigners, private companies, public companies, multinational corporations, funds, trusts, investment partnerships and nonprofit organizations.
Yair serves as legal advisor to some of the largest accounting firms in Israel, providing advice with regards to the tax issues encountered by their clients, including drafting legal opinions, and provides legal support during tax authority assessment proceedings and representation in the courts. In addition, Yair deals with voluntary disclosure of foreign accounts and non-disclosed trusts, while legally represens clients in audit proceedings, advises families on the changes in trust law and compliance with reporting requirements in Israel with respect to foreign and local trusts. Yair has accumulated a wealth of legal experience, especially in the field of equity-based employee compensation schemes (options, shares, RSUs and additional instruments) and he regularly advises multinational corporations concerning remuneration strategy for workers in Israel.
Yair began his legal career as an associate and subsequently as a partner in the taxation department of Yigal Arnon & Co, where he learned to integrate taxation advice within the spectrum of commercial, business, economic and legal considerations underlying his clients’ decisions. Establishing the firm of Benjamini & Co constituted the natural continuation of this approach, reflecting Yair’s desire to offer his services and those of the partners and assistant attorneys working with him to a broader range of clients.     

Membership in professional bodies (Adv, CPA):
Membership of the Israel Bar Association since 2001.

Education:
Undergraduate degree in law (LL.B magna cum laude).

Hobbies:
Yair is an avid and dedicated (even if not a particularly talented) surfer

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Sagiv Ron, Partner

Sagiv Ron is an attorney who specializes in Real Estate taxation including value added tax issues.

Sagiv has extensive experience and expertise in various areas of taxation, and focuses on all tax aspects of real estate transactions. Sagiv provides tax advice and support to in real estate transactions – planning the tax structure, writing opinions, preparing self-assessments, representing clients before the land taxation authorities in assessment proceedings and before land taxation appeal committees. Sagiv advises on urban renewal, purchase groups, residential apartments, real estate associations and development projects, provides continuous guidance to real estate contractor companies, developers, private individuals and real estate associations and specializes in advising developers in urban renewal projects (NOP 38, vacate and build, etc.). Sagiv’s ongoing work with Israeli and foreign clients includes, inter alia, advising on cross-border tax planning, representation before the Israel Tax Authority is assessment proceedings and in obtaining preliminary approvals, as well as in tax proceedings before the courts, advising on tax benefits pursuant to the encouragement laws, writing opinions on various taxation subjects, etc.
Sagiv is a member of various Israel Chamber of Advocates Tax Committees.
Sagiv previously worked in the tax department of the accountancy firm KPMG Somekh-Chaikin and at the law firms Fischer Behar Chen Well Orion & Co and Erdinast, Ben-Nathan, Toledano & Co.

Membership in professional bodies (Adv, CPA):
Membership of the Israel Bar Association since 2004.

Education:
Sagiv holds undergraduate degrees in law (LL.B) and economics (B.A.)

Hobbies:
Running, hiking

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Doron Elmekiesse, Partner (CPA)

Doron Elmekiesse is a lawyer and Israeli accountant who specializes in Israeli taxation, international taxation and the taxation of domestic and international trusts.

Doron worked for seven years for the Israel Tax Authority as a senior inspector and corporations and trusts coordinator. In his role at the Israel Tax Authority Doron accumulated extensive experience in tax audits of individuals, shareholders, companies and trusts, with an emphasis on numerous large-scope international taxation issues.
Doron sat on various Tax Authority committees which dealt with legislative changes in the realm of the taxation trusts and headed tax assessments for large and complex trusts.
Doron won the prestigious annual quiz of the Israel Tax Authority in 2011.
Doron joined our firm in 2016 and leads the negotiations with the tax authorities, assessment and audit proceedings, provides legal opinions and ongoing advice for all aspects of individual and corporate income tax, assists in designing and implementing multinational structures, Israeli related trusts, etc.
Doron has served for many years as a tutor and lecturer in all areas of income tax at Bar-Ilan University, the College of Management Academic Studies and Sha’arei Mishpat College and has written articles on taxation subjects for economic journals.  

Membership in professional bodies (Adv, CPA):
Licensed to practice accountancy in Israel since 2013 and qualified as a lawyer in 2018.

Education:
Doron holds undergraduate degrees in computer science and accounting (B.Sc.) and law (LL.B.) and a postgraduate degree (M.A.) in legal studies.

Hobbies:
Basketball, diving, international travel.

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Shahar Strauss, Partner (CPA)

Shahar specializes in all aspects of income tax cases, including transaction financing, tax planning, encouragement laws, representation before the tax authorities, obtaining pre-rulings and representation in courts.

Shahar has extensive experience in the management of complex income tax cases, from all their aspects.

Prior to joining Benjamini & Co as a partner, Shahar practiced as a senior associate at the Ziv Sharon and Co law firm and worked as a senior tax manager at KPMG. Shahar began his career at the Assessing Office for Large Enterprises as an income tax inspector (senior) and in his last position at the Income Tax Authorities, served as a tax officer at the Capital Market Department of the Professional Division, where he issued tax rulings and served as a professional contact person for the various local assessing officers.

Shahar specializes in Israeli corporate taxation including tax benefits under the Encouragement of Capital Investments Law, holding company regimes, complex withholding tax issues, and the interface between income tax and land appreciation tax. Shahar has led major litigation cases before the Israeli District and Supreme Courts and is regarded as one of Israel’s most prominent tax litigators.
Shahar lectured in taxation and accounting courses held in various academic institutions.

Membership in professional bodies (Adv, CPA):

Membership of the Israel Bar Association since 2016.
Licensed to practice accountancy in Israel since 2009.

Education:
Shahar holds an bachelor’s degree in law (LL.B.), a bachelor’s degree in economics and accounting (cum laude) and a master’s degree in economics (M.Sc.).

Hobbies:
Squash, outdoors hiking.

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Michal Richulsky, Partner

Michal is an attorney specializing in litigation and indirect taxation.
Michal has extensive courtroom experience handling all branches of taxation, including VAT, income tax, real estate tax, customs and class action suits.

Previously, Michal worked for 13 years as a senior prosecutor in the Fiscal Department of the Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office (Civil Law).

Within her position at the District Attorney’s Office, Michal led large, complex cases on all aspects of taxation. Judgements awarded in these cases constituted important precedents.

During the past two and a half years, Michal was a partner in a boutique tax law firm, where she managed the litigation department. In this capacity, she was responsible for managing tax appeals in the various courts.

Membership in professional bodies (Adv., CPA):

Michal is a member of the Israel Bar Association since 2000.

Education:

LL.B (Bachelor of Laws), Bar-Ilan University

LL.M (Master of Laws), honors, Bar-Ilan University

Hobbies:

Writing, running

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Ariel Schaffer, Of Counsel (CPA)

Ariel Schaffer is an Israeli lawyer and accountant with 20 years of experience, who specializes in Israeli and international taxation.

Prior to joining Benjamini & Co, as Of Counsel, Ariel worked at PwC for over 17 years. In his last position at PwC, Ariel practiced as a tax director and managed the Israeli M&A Tax Practice for over 8 years. Prior to PwC, Ariel practiced for 2 years as a lawyer at the law form of Yossi Avraham & Co. Ariel began his career as a lawyer and legal consultant in the IDF.

Ariel specializes in Israeli corporate taxation including tax benefits under the Encouragement of Capital Investments Law, Israeli tax consulting with respect to M&A transactions focusing on the purchase of Israeli target companies, possible finance alternatives and withholding tax issues. Ariel has participated in many acquisition transactions of Israeli companies, including the performance of dozens of Israeli tax due diligence procedures. Ariel has consulted to many clients, including many Israeli subsidiaries of International corporations. The consultation included, inter alia, preparation of income tax opinions, Income Tax assessments, negotiation on various agreements with the Israeli Tax Authorities and obtaining pre-rulings from the ITA. Ariel has a broad range of experience in the field of employee equity compensation. 

Membership in professional bodies (Adv, CPA):

Membership of the Israel Bar Association since 1995.

Licensed to practice accountancy in Israel since 2005.

Education:
Ariel holds a bachelor’s degree in law (LL.B.), and a master’s degree in law (LL.M.) (cum laude) from the Hebrew University. In addition, Ariel holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting (B.A.) (cum laude) and a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) (cum laude) from Tel Aviv University.

Hobbies:
Ariel is an enthusiastic reader, loves logic puzzles and enjoys sports.

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Shiran Polishuk, Associate

Shiran is an attorney who specializes in Israeli and international taxation, as well as value added tax issues.

Shiran practices various fields of taxation, primarily the taxation of individuals and companies, taxation of foreign residents and returning residents/new immigrants and VAT. Shiran specializes in negotiating and obtaining approvals and pre-rulings from the ITA for a wide variety of situations.

Prior to joining our firm, Shiran worked as an intern in the Israeli Tax Authority.

Membership in professional bodies (Adv, CPA):
Membership of the Israel Bar Association since 2018.

Education:
Shiran holds an undergraduate degree in law (LL.B) and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Tel Aviv University.

Hobbies:
Books, outdoors hiking.

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Nofar Zigdon, Associate (CPA)

Nofar Zigdon, is an Israeli accountant and Associate in our firm.

Prior to joining Benjamini & Co, Nofar worked as a senior at KPMG- Somekh Chaikin in technology audit division, and worked with high-tech private and public companies, capital ventures and partnerships. Nofar was responsible for auditing their financial statements and tax returns including during IPO and registration to the Tel-Aviv stock exchange and to the NASDAQ.

Membership in professional bodies (Adv, CPA):
Licensed to practice accountancy in Israel since 2020.

 Education:
LL.B. in Law, Bar-Ilan University, 2017.

B.A. in Economics and Accounting, Bar-Ilan University, 2017.

Hobbies:
Running, reading, hiking

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Tal Teri, Associate (CPA)

Tal is licensed to practice law and accountancy in Israel. He specializes in Israeli taxation, international taxation and taxation of domestic and international trusts.

Tal worked for five years as a senior inspector at the Israel Tax Authority. In his role at the Tax Authority, he gained extensive experience in tax audits of individuals, shareholders and companies. He also accumulated vast expertise on a wide variety of tax matters, such as international taxation, transfer pricing and restructuring.

Prior to joining our firm in 2021, Tal completed his internship at the Shekel & Co. law firm.

Tal deals with various tax matters including tax disputes with the Tax Authority. In addition, Tal provides legal opinions and ongoing advice on a wide variety of tax matters to corporations and individuals, including foreign residents and returning residents/new immigrants, etc.

Membership in Professional Bodies (Adv., CPA):

Licensed CPA in Israel since 2018.

Licensed attorney and member of Israel Bar Association since 2021.

Education:

Tal holds bachelor’s degrees in law (LLB) and accounting (B.A) (cum laude). He holds a master’s degree in law (LLM). 

Hobbies:

Traveling, music, sports.

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Erez Hagai, Associate (CPA)

Erez specializes in Israeli and international taxation. He has extensive knowledge and experience handling income tax cases.

Erez worked at the Israel Tax Authority for over six years, where he served as a senior inspector and as manager of the Dan Region Assessing Officer’s Leading Companies Department. Through his work at the Tax Authority, Erez gained extensive experience handling corporate and individual cases, with emphasis on complex issues in various areas, including: capital market, transfer pricing, laws for encouraging investment, classification of individual and corporate activities, reporting bases, cryptocurrencies, wallet companies and so on. At the Tax Authority, Erez led some of the most complex and significant cases in these fields.

Erez joined the firm in 2021 and works in many areas, including assessment discussions with the authorities on a variety of issues, legal opinions in the field of income tax, pre-rulings and tax planning for individuals and companies.

Erez has been a lecturer on taxes at Bar Ilan University since 2017 and has also lectured in the Israel Tax Authority’s Income Tax Inspector course.

Membership in Professional Bodies (Adv., CPA):

Licensed CPA in Israel since 2018.

Licensed attorney and member of Israel Bar Association since 2023.

Education:

Erez holds bachelor’s degrees in law (LLB) and business administration with a concentration in accounting (BA). He holds a master’s degree (LLM) in law from Tel Aviv University in collaboration with UC Berkeley, with honors.

Hobbies:

Swimming and world travel.

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Ben Marock, Associate

Ben is an attorney specializing in both Israeli and international taxation.

Prior to joining our office, Ben worked as in the International Tax Department in KPMG – Somekh Chaikin, following an internship in the legal department of the Israeli Tax Authority.

Membership in professional bodies (Adv, CPA):

Member of the Israel Bar Association since 2021.

Education:

Master of Business Administration (MBA), Finance Track, Ariel University.

Bachelor of Laws (LL.B), Ono Academic College.

Hobbies:

Swimming, reading, traveling.

Prior to joining our office, Ben worked as in the International Tax Department in KPMG – Somekh Chaikin, following an internship in the legal department of the Israeli Tax Authority.

Membership in professional bodies (Adv, CPA):

Member of the Israel Bar Association since 2021.

Education:

Master of Business Administration (MBA), Finance Track, Ariel University.

Bachelor of Laws (LL.B), Ono Academic College.

Hobbies:

Swimming, reading, traveling.

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