Attorney Alex Hartman, one of the senior litigators, passed away

Alex Hartman, one of the senior litigators in Israel and a member of the management of the S. Horowitz office, passed away (March 16, 2024) at the age of 68 after a serious illness. Hartman represented the state and prominent private clients in branched and complex proceedings, and was also active in the Bar Association.

Hartman was the son of Israel Hartman, a professor of microbiology who headed the Institute for Biological Research in Nes Ziona for 16 years. He studied law at the Hebrew University, interned at the Horowitz firm, became a partner after only five years and worked in the firm throughout his professional career. Horowitz is one of the oldest, largest and leading firms in Israel, especially in commercial law, and as mentioned Hartman was a member of its board.

Several international guides (European Legal Experts, Chambers, European Legal 500, Which Lawyer) listed Hartman as one of the leading litigators in Israel. He specialized in commercial law, arbitration and commercial litigation. Represented local and foreign companies, Israeli banks, international financial companies and institutions, investment houses, multinational companies, large insurance companies in Israel and around the world and more.

Among the main cases handled by Hartman: receivership of Gad Zeevi’s shares in Bezeq, in which he was a controlling shareholder (he distributed NIS 4.5 billion to creditors – one of the highest sums ever in receivership proceedings); Representing the state in a royalty claim of hundreds of millions of shekels against the Dead Sea factories; Arbitrator on behalf of the state in an international proceeding against Iran’s oil company for violating an agreement to supply oil to Israel.

Hartman’s public activities included membership in the committee to select the Attorney General in 2002-2006, when Manny Mazuz was elected to the position; President of the International Organization of Jewish Jurists (2004-2011); Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Center for Ethics and Professional Responsibility of Lawyers within the Bar (2009-2014); and Chairman of the Bar’s National Ethics Committee (1999-2003); and a member of the board of directors and the content committee of the organization Lex Mundi, which brings together leading law firms in the world. Hartman taught professional ethics at the Hebrew University and the College of Administration, and litigation at Tel Aviv University.