Menachem (Hemi) Lapidor

Hemi Lapidor is a partner and Joint Head of the Labor Law Department at our Tel Aviv office.

Hemi is one of the most prominent lawyers in Israel in the field of labor law, with an emphasis on the law as it applies to the public sector. He guides, advises and provides representation to a wide range of employers and public bodies, including local authorities, municipal corporations and associations with hundreds of thousands of employees. His years of experience in collective labor relations equips him to handle, on behalf of employers, drafting, interpretation and negotiations for collective agreements, and managing crises in this arena.

For many years, he has handled some of the most renowned companies and organizations in the country, providing them with ongoing and ad hoc legal advice on all issues related to employment – including rights and obligations during the work period and termination procedures – representation in labor courts and the Supreme Court. He is also responsible for multiple legal precedents in labor law.

Hemi regularly appears in the Knesset, representing the Center for Local Government, and presenting the position of local authorities on labor law legislation to Knesset committees.

In addition to his expertise in the fields of public labor law, Hemi has extensive experience representing clients in regional labor courts, the National Labor Court and the Supreme Court. He is also a certified mediator.

Hemi joined our practice in  2021 as part of a merger with the boutique labor law firm Lapidor & Co.

• Represented local authorities in the negotiations and drafting of the “Corona Agreements “regarding how the public sector works under the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Represented local authorities against requests by employees to waive presenting a vaccine certification or a negative Covid-19 test as a condition of employment .
• Represented local authorities in National Labor Court motions against the Histadrut union’s intention to disrupt the Ministry of Education’s “Summer Vacation School Program” in 2021.
• Represented local authorities in a National Labor Court motion for a restraining order against the National Teachers Organization’s intention to take measures against the ”New Horizon” reform for special education schools.
• Represented employers against a claim filed by 26  plaintiffs alleging the existence of an employment relationship and various rights, totaling more than ILS 2.5 million; the lawsuit was rejected in its entirety.
• Represented an employer in a lawsuit successfully denying an employee 50% of severance pay.
• Represented an employer against a claim by an employee to receive excess compensation sums accrued in a personal compensation fund .
• Represented the local authorities before various Knesset committees in legislative proceedings regarding tenders for hiring employees at local authorities, quarantine compensation, and the obligation to present a vaccination certificate in certain workplaces.