Jeremy Lustman
PartnerJeremy Lustman created and leads DLA Piper's Israel Group, which includes over 300 lawyers throughout the firm. These lawyers possess the knowledge, business alliances, technical skills, language capabilities and in-depth understanding of the Israeli business culture, ecosystem and procedures to assist Israeli companies wherever they are doing business globally. Jeremy spends most of his time in Israel, where he has worked tirelessly to develop a robust international network of Israeli companies, investors, entrepreneurs, bankers, accountants and local lawyers. Jeremy also is a frequent speaker within and outside of Israel on the Israeli tech and investment ecosystems.
Jeremy represents more than 60 Israeli investors and companies every month, from startups to some of Israel's largest corporations and investors. These clients cover virtually all sectors of the Israeli economy, including leading venture capital and private equity funds, institutional real estate investors and multiple companies in the high tech, telecommunications, industrial, food/beverage, health tech, biotech, agrotech, defense, homeland security and gaming sectors.
Jeremy's trusted advisor practice focuses on assisting many Israeli clients seeking legal guidance, project management and overall responsibility for a wide range of matters in numerous non-Israeli jurisdictions, working closely with DLA Piper colleagues in over 40 countries and more than 90 offices worldwide. These include: 1) day-to-day requests such as the formation of new subsidiaries or other corporate matters, employment issues, intellectual property protection, commercial activities and multiple regulatory inquiries, as well as 2) more complex projects including M&A, multi-jurisdictional litigation, governmental and internal investigations, reorganizations and other significant compliance issues. In addition, Jeremy also provides guidance to non-Israeli clients evaluating business relationships and strategic partners within Israel and serves as a bridge for many of them with local Israeli counsel and other advisors.
Jeremy is passionately committed to social corporate responsibility, both through DLA Piper sponsorship of charitable endeavors and by creating opportunities for the Israel team, clients and visiting colleagues to volunteer together on a regular basis. For example, Jeremy recently launched a marquis and first-of-its-kind annual charity basketball tournament (two years running to-date), with participation by top Israeli law firms, to donate two ambucycles for emergency care to United Hatzalah of Israel. In addition, the Israel Group regularly sponsors events and initiatives with organizations that support ill, handicapped, or at-risk children, address food insecurity and lift the spirits of families impacted by terror. Jeremy also personally sits on a number of not-for-profit boards connected to mental health, emergency medicine, social services and the environment.
Learn more about the DLA Piper Israel Group here.
EXPERIENCE
Israel-related representations
- One of Israel’s largest semiconductor companies in a significant asset acquisition in Japan and a significant equity divestiture in Hong Kong
- Numerous Israeli institutional investors in connection with complex real estate joint ventures and private equity investments in the United States
- A large Israeli flavor and spice company in connection with numerous M&A-related transactions and processes across five jurisdictions
- A significant Israeli beverage company in connection with litigation matters and intellectual property issues within Europe
- Numerous Israeli companies in connection with the establishment of foreign subsidiaries in the United States, Italy, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brazil, Norway, South Africa, the Ukraine, Australia and Japan
- Multiple software-related companies in connection with government procurement and relations issues within the United States
- A large agro-chemical company in connection with two global acquisitions and a multi-jurisdictional securitization transaction
- Multiple Israeli companies across the high-tech, industrial, and real estate sectors, in connection with complex employment termination issues within the United States, Brazil, Japan, Austria, Norway, Austria and Australia
- Numerous Israeli companies across the industrial, agro-tech, and telecommunications sectors, in connection with various commercial-related issues and agreements in the United States, Spain, Japan, Korea, Australia, China, Singapore and Norway
- Multiple Israeli companies in connection with various commercial and intellectual property-related litigation matters within the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria and Brazil
- One of Israel’s largest banking groups in a financing transaction within the United States
- Multiple Israeli venture funds in connection with fund formation activities within the United States and Poland
- Numerous Israeli companies in connection with required tax guidance within the United States, Turkey, Brazil, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Poland and the United Kingdom
Hospitality
- One of the world's largest hotel franchise and management companies in multiple transactions involving the purchase, sale, licensing or management of numerous portfolios of franchised and managed hotels (over 225 in the aggregate) to private and public investment funds and operating companies
- A Native American majority-owned advisory firm in developing and promoting certain entertainment functions within one of its flagship hotel and casinos
- A boutique hotel company in the development and projected rollout of a new creative hospitality brand
- A UK-based international property group in the management and pre-opening services arrangements related to a recently renovated branded hotel
- A luxury hotel company in its acquisition of a high-end golf resort in Florida and in other joint venture projects
- A sports industry's national trade association in contract negotiations with hotels and resorts for upcoming conferences and meetings
- A real estate development company in the sale of equity interests in a luxury European spa, golf and winery resort project
- A large private equity real estate fund in the development and branding of an upscale concierge service for luxury condominium projects
Finance
- A provider of pricing analysis software in its pre-IPO revolving credit and term loan financing facility
- The secured lender of revolving and term loans to an equity sponsor in the acquisition, financing and subsequent restructuring of a real estate software company
- The secured lender of revolving and term loans to an equity sponsor in the acquisition, financing and subsequent restructuring of a business management and e-commerce systems software company
- The secured lender to two equity sponsors in the acquisition and financing of an urban-focused custom bag manufacturer
- The mezzanine and second lien lender to an equity sponsor in the acquisition and financing of an independent maker of motor fuels and petroleum products in the US Mid-Atlantic region secured lender of term loans in the refinancing of a credit facility offered to a glassware manufacturing company
- An equity sponsor in the leveraged buyout of a catalog company, including the issuance of senior and subordinated indebtedness
- An international investment bank in multiple corporate trust transactions, involving collateralized loan obligations and other debt instruments in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean
M&A
- A US-based privately held car collision repair company in its merger into a Canadian-based private equity fund
- The third largest publicly held waste company in the US in its merger into the second largest publicly held waste company in the US (with a combined market value of over US$12 billion)
- A large defense technology company in its acquisition of a manufacturer of software security systems for the intelligence community
- A privately-held online health information company in its sale to an online network of health-related websites
- A premier automotive dealership company in the creation of a joint venture together with a multibillion-dollar private investment fund
Real Estate
- A private US-based real estate fund in the acquisition, financing and subsequent sale-leaseback of a meat production and distribution facility
- A large equity real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership, management and redevelopment of high-quality retail assets in the negotiation of marketing initiatives
- J.D., Georgetown University Law Center 2000
Primary Editor, The State and Local Tax Lawyer, a publication of the Section of Taxation of the American Bar Association
cum laude - B.A., Political Science, Yeshiva University 1996
Awards
Chambers Global
- Band 2, Israel Corporate/M&A: International Firms (Expertise Based Abroad in USA) (2019-2024)
- Band 3, USA Foreign Expert for Israel Corporate/M&A (2015-2018)
Chambers comments, "Jeremy Lustman acts for clients in the process of acquiring Israeli companies and advises on the establishment of joint ventures. He is based in the USA and also spends a lot of time on the ground in Israel." Clients say, "Jeremy helps Israeli clients navigate the DLA network very effectively and is an outstanding individual." "He's very pleasant and responsive."
Seminars
- Speaker, "The M&A discussion - what is the missing link that no one talks about?" The Annual Indian GC Gathering, Mumbai (April 30, 2015)
- Speaker, "Vote of Thanks," The India Israel Innovation Conference: Dynamics of Israeli Entrepreneurship and Successful Exits in the Ecosystem, Mumbai (April 28, 2015)
- Moderator, "Dealmaking: Asia," 2015 Israel Dealmakers Summit, New York (March 25, 2015)
- Moderator, "Axis Global Roundtable," Axis Tel Aviv Conference, Tel Aviv (March 18, 2015)
- Presenter, "Silicon Wadi: A Guide to International Lawyering," Yeshiva University Legal Professionals, New York (July 22, 2014)
- Panelist, "Roundtable Discussion: Culture Shift - The Evolution of Corporate Investing," Axis CVC Event, Tel Aviv (December 15 2014)
- Presentation at Yeshiva University: The Silicon Valley Of the Middle East: Understanding Israeli Entrepreneurial Success (October 9, 2013)
Media Mentions
- "COVID helped Israeli companies set more daring goals," The Jerusalem Post, August 22, 2021
- "Juggernaut law firm confronts changing global winds, in Israel," The Jerusalem Post, April 2, 2019
- "Trump's Tax Legislation: How does it affect Israel?" The Jerusalem Post, December 4, 2017
- איתמר חושן, עו"ד יועץ תקשורת בכיר רימון כהן שינקמן
28.2.2017, מרקר - "DLA Piper Conference in Israel discusses global real estate trends," Globes, February 15, 2017
- "Israel Trendspotter: Tech and large deals to drive M&A in 2017," Mergermarket.com, January 2017
- "East African lawyers look to Israel for negotiation tactics," JNS.org, August 18, 2016
- "The start-up nation matchmaker: A conversation with Jeremy Lustman," Five Towns Jewish Times, June 30, 2016
- "Alumni mentors pay it forward," Yeshiva University Alumni Today, Spring 2016
- "A date with Israel's start-up shadchan," JNS.org, February 15, 2016
- "No business as usual with corruption in Israel and China, ex-US official says," The Jerusalem Post, February 14, 2016
- "Asian nations push courtship of Israeli tech companies," TechCrunch, January 28, 2016
- "American oleh turns matchmaker for Israeli businesses," Jewish Link of New Jersey, January 7, 2016
- "From tacos to tech: Mexico and Israel ready for business," The Times of Israel, November 23, 2015
- "Interview with Jeremy Lustman," Nishlis Israel Desks Newsletter, November 2015
- "Super-strict EU data security a boon for Israel, says expert," The Times of Israel, September 29, 2015
- "Israel has far more lawyers than Japan," Globes, August 13, 2015
- "Why aren't foreign law firms rushing to Israel?," Globes, July 9, 2015
- "Scale-up nation," Israel Legal Business, April 2014
- "How Edward Snowden is helping the Israeli tech business," The Times of Israel, April 2, 2014
- "Israel Trendspotter: M&A deal value to remain strong throughout 2014," Mergermarket.com, January 2014
- "The master of the world of law," The Jerusalem Post, January 9, 2014
- "How to Make it Big in Israel," Yeshiva University News, October 14, 2013
- "DC Deal Makers of the Year," The National Law Journal, August 12, 2013
- "DLA Piper makes legal inroads into Israel," Globes, February 7, 2013
Civic and Charitable
Jeremy has served the community in a number of capacities. He currently sits on the board of Simcha Layeled, an Israeli nonprofit institution focused on assisting disabled and seriously ill children. He is also a past board member of American Friends of Yeshivat Sha'alvim and of Hillel at University of Maryland College Park, and a past executive officer and board member of the Kemp Mill Synagogue, in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Memberships And Affiliations
- American Bar Association, Section of Business Law
- Maryland State Bar Association
- District of Columbia Bar Association