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With over 30 years of employment law experience, Meira Ferziger, Labor & Employment Co-Chair for Europe and the Middle East, has provided legal counsel to hundreds of Israeli companies hiring employees in the United States. Meira has accompanied such companies from their first step into the U.S. market, through the process of remotely managing U.S. employees on a day-to-day basis in accordance with applicable laws, and she has provided invaluable professional and practical counsel to such clients during their growth, capital funding, merger & acquisition, and IPO stages.

Based in Greenberg Traurig’s Tel Aviv Office, Meira addresses the individual needs of each company, with a focus on preventative strategies and litigation avoidance. She guides clients through the development and implementation of employment policies and practices in light of applicable federal, state, and local laws, and advises clients for purposes of minimizing the risk associated with employee separations, including potential discrimination, unjust dismissal, and/or breach of contract claims. Meira also plays a central role in advising clients with respect to the employment aspects of corporate transactions, including the preparation and negotiation of employment and retention agreements for key employees in connection with such transactions.

Meira represents clients in a wide variety of industries, including data privacy & cybersecurity, eCommerce, medical devices, biotechnology, health care and pharmaceuticals, media and telecommunications, financial services, hospitality, defense, information technology, agriculture and water technology, transportation and automotive technology, aviation & aerospace, health & beauty, market research, marketing & advertising, and retail.

Concentrations

  • Executive employment agreements
  • Bonus incentive plans and employee benefit packages
  • Non-competition, non-disclosure, and non-solicitation agreements
  • Employee handbooks and employment policies
  • Offer letters, consulting agreements, sales representative contracts, and incentive plans
  • Terminations, reductions in force, waiver and release agreements
  • Harassment, discrimination and sensitivity training

Capabilities

Experience

  • Served fundamental role in advising clients regarding employment matters related to M&A transactions, including advising of:
    • Optibus regarding company’s acquisition of Trillium
    • NYSE-listed SimilarWeb regarding company’s acquisition of Embee Mobile
    • OwnBackup regarding company’s acquisition of RevCult
    • Care regarding company’s acquisition by Procurement Partners
    • NASDAQ-listed Tech Giant Digital Turbine regarding company’s acquisition of Fyber N.V.
  • Guided clients with respect to impact of COVID-19 pandemic on work force, including in connection with furlough and layoff of employees, return to office parameters, and mandatory vaccination policies.
  • Advised start-up, small, medium, and large companies with respect to the structuring of key executive employment agreements, sales representative contracts, bonus incentive plans, relocation packages, and employee benefit programs for U.S.- based employees and foreign employees relocating to the United States.
  • Counseled small, medium, and large companies as to employment issues related to mergers, acquisitions, and IPOs, including but not limited to evaluation of seller liabilities and buyer exposure; prepared and negotiated employment and retention agreements for key employees pursuant to such transactions.
  • Advised clients with employees located in multiple jurisdictions as to proper development and implementation of employment policies under applicable local, state, and federal law; prepare policies and employee handbooks for companies with multi-jurisdictional obligations.
  • In partnership with litigation colleagues: managed, advised clients and defended employee discrimination, breach of contract, and wage and hour claims.
  • Counseled clients as to furlough process, unemployment compensation eligibility, triggering of COBRA and other benefits pursuant to local, state and federal laws.
  • Guided corporate clients through process of employee layoffs and terminations, including drafting of separation letters, severance agreements, waivers and releases, and advising clients as to avoidance of discrimination, unjust dismissal, and breach of contract claims.
  • Formulated legally enforceable non-competition, non-disclosure, and non-solicitation restrictions agreements protecting client intellectual property rights developed in non-US.
  • Defended multiple companies in connection with Department of Labor audit of independent contractor (as opposed to employee) worker classification.
  • Conducted harassment, discrimination and sensitivity training for client employees.
  • Conducted audits of companies regarding compliance with wage and hour laws, accommodation and leave of absence requirements, EEO initiatives, recruiting and hiring practices, termination procedures, and updating of company policies and employee handbook.
  • Assistant General Counsel, Employment Division, City University of New York, 2000

Recognition & Leadership

  • BDICode (Israel)
    • Recognized, Labor & Employment, Prominent Law Firm, 2020-2024
    • Recognized, International Commercial, Prominent Leaders, 2020-2024
    • Recognized, Hi-Tech, Prominent Law Firm, 2020-2024
    • Recognized, Litigation, Recognized Team, 2024
  • LegallyIsrael100
    • Recognized Attorney, 2022-2024
    • Recognized, Labor & Employment, Elite firm, First Tier, 2020-2024
    • Recognized, Hi-Tech, Elite firm, First Tier, 2020-2024
  • EMEA Women in Business Law Awards
    • Winning Team, Gender Diversity: International Firm, 2022
    • Shortlisted Team, Israel Law Firm of the Year, 2022
  • Dun’s 100 (Israel)
    • Recognized, Hi-Tech, Notable Law Firm, 2022-2023
    • Recognized, International Commercial, Prominent Team, 2016-2023
  • Thomson Reuters ALB Middle East Law Awards
    • Shortlisted, Israeli Law Firm of the Year, 2021-2023
    • Shortlisted, Gender Diversity International Law Firm of the Year, 2021-2023
    • Shortlisted, Women in Business Law International Firm of the Year, 2021-2023
    • Shortlisted, Woman Lawyer of the Year, 2021
  • Asian Legal Business (India and Middle East)
    • Finalist, Private Practitioner of the Year, 2021

Credentials

Education
  • J.D., Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, 1994
    • Member, Northwestern University Journal of International Law & Business
  • B.A., cum laude, Barnard College, 1991
Admissions
  • Israel
  • New York
^ Attorneys in the Tel Aviv office do not practice Israeli law.
Languages
  • Hebrew, Fluent

Related Capabilities

Labor & Employment Venture Capital & Emerging Technology Benefits & Compensation International Employment, Immigration & Workforce Strategies Workplace Compliance & Counseling