Zeev Liond

Adv. Zeev Liond heads the Defamation, Media and Communications, Intellectual Property, Internet and Digital Information departments.

He completed his internship in 1976 with the late Adv. Shmuel Tamir, former Minister of Justice, and later became his partner. Adv. Liond led Zeev Liond & Co., which joined the Balter, Guth firm in 2026. The practice led by Adv. Liond has consistently been ranked among Israel’s leading practices in the fields of defamation, internet law and intellectual property.

His clients include press organizations, digital content and news websites, television broadcasters, production companies, publishers and senior journalists, as well as publishing houses and companies in the printing industry, and high-profile private clients.

Adv. Liond has extensive litigation experience across a broad range of matters and has handled complex cases in numerous fields, including commercial litigation, contracts, administrative law, corporate law, dissolution of partnerships, antitrust, defamation, intellectual property, licensing, planning and construction, class actions and more.

Adv. Liond has advised on large-scale commercial activities in many fields, including mergers and acquisitions, including in the communications and press sectors, fuel and gas, real estate, cellular content companies and more. He has also handled numerous real estate transactions and represented clients in planning and construction proceedings before courts and various authorities.

LL.B., Tel Aviv University.

Admitted to the Israel Bar in 1976.

In the Media:

• Supreme Court issues order nisi in petitions against the government decision to boycott Haaretz (The Seventh Eye)
• “The real plaintiff is not the plaintiff, but his brother” — dismissal of a mayor’s defamation claim against Maniv and Reshet 13 (The Seventh Eye)
• Raviv Drucker and “Hamakor” prevail over Benjamin Netanyahu in Supreme Court hearing (TheMarker)
• Victory for senior journalist Baruch Kra against Eli Tzipori in a defamation claim (The Seventh Eye)
• Dismissal of a Knesset member’s request for a publication ban concerning an article in TheMarker Magazine
• Haaretz approaches the Attorney General following cancellations of police subscriptions to the newspaper (Posta)
• Football players’ agent ordered to pay nearly NIS 1 million in connection with Kenny Saief’s transfer to Anderlecht (ONE)
• Players’ agent’s appeal dismissed; he will compensate Beitar Tubruk Football Club in the amount of NIS 1 million (Sport 1)
• Victory for Lior Schleien in a defamation action against a screenwriter who admitted that he had lied (Globes)
• The mutual claims between Rani Rahav and Haim Levinson set off against each other (Globes)
• The Anat Kamm v. Haaretz case through the Supreme Court appeal (Israel Hayom)
• Another victory for Baruch Kra on appeal to the Supreme Court (Walla)
• Glatt-Berkowitz’s appeal against Haaretz dismissed (Globes)
• Loni Herzikowitz and Maccabi Tel Aviv ordered to compensate Shlomo Scharf in the amount of NIS 1.25 million (Globes)
• Former owner of Maariv ordered to pay approximately NIS 2 million to Haaretz Printing House (The Seventh Eye)
• Approximately NIS 1 million defamation claim against the local newspaper “Kol Barama” (Globes)
• Bezeq International’s application for an injunction against Haaretz in the Walla matter dismissed (Calcalist)
• Dispute between Bezeq International and Haaretz resolved: the newspaper may sell its shares in Walla (TheMarker)
• Leonid Nevzlin acquires 20% of Haaretz shares (TheMarker)
• MK Benizri withdraws defamation claim against the local newspaper “Kol Ha’ir” (Globes)
• Defamation dispute by the Basketball Association’s legal adviser against Zvika Sherf (ONE)
• Court permits business newspaper to publish suspicion of corruption in a major conglomerate (News 1)
• Azorim and Delek Properties acquire the Marmelstein-Varsuli large gas station at Pat Junction
• Application to the Antitrust Tribunal — Schocken Network and Yedioth Ahronoth (Globes)
• Haaretz petition against the Israel Police (requests for journalists’ communications data — circumvention of journalistic privilege)
• Claim against a local newspaper under the Elections Law (Propaganda Methods) dismissed (The Seventh Eye)
• Court dismisses application to set aside an arbitration deed in the Ofman-Mayrowitz share sale matter (Globes)
• Successful action by attorneys for monetary compensation following bad-faith termination of an engagement to advise a construction project (Haaretz)
• Motion to certify a class action against Haaretz dismissed (TheMarker)
• Coverage of the Wiliger claim (securities transaction) (Haaretz)
• Hellman-Aldubi claim against the Haredi newspaper (The Seventh Eye)

Notable Cases:

1. CC 1121/07 Liora Glatt-Berkowitz v. Baruch Kra et al.
   Journalistic privilege and source protection.
2. CrimA 1682/21 Reshet Media Ltd. and Raviv Drucker v. Benjamin Netanyahu et al.
   Publication of visual and audio documentation from a police interrogation under Section 13 of the Criminal Procedure Law.
3. CC 47819-12-21 Shai Shama v. Reshet Media Ltd., News 10 and Omri Maniv
   Defamation — a SLAPP suit intended to serve a third party.
4. Prisoner Leave Appeal (Central District) 3134-09-23 Dudu Dahan v. Central, Sharon and Shomron Football Clubs (CC) (Nevo, Sept. 28, 2023)
   Arbitration — sports contract law.
5. LCA 8268/96 Reichert v. Shemesh
   Class actions, securities and corporate law.
6. HCJ 720/82 Elitzur Religious Sports Association, Nahariya Branch v. Municipality of Nahariya et al.
   The principle of equality and affirmative action in administrative law.
7. LCA 3614/97 Avi-Yitzhak, Adv. et al. v. The Israeli News Company Ltd. et al.
   Prohibition on public reporting of court proceedings in defamation actions.
8. HCJ 5439/98 Haaretz Newspaper Publishing Ltd. v. The Second Authority for Television and Radio et al.
   Obligation to grant compensation under the Second Authority for Television and Radio Law.
9. LCA 254/88 Kibbutz Kadarim v. Morad et al.
   Stay of proceedings due to an obligation to resort to arbitration.
10. LCA 3254/96 Schocken Network Ltd. et al. v. Israel Land Development Company Ltd. et al.
    Journalistic privilege in a defamation action.
11. CA (Supreme Court) 4791/92 Hanoch Farber et al. v. Bernard Rozink
    Corporate law — signatory rights in a company, legality of a resolution contrary to an agreement, and defects in holding a general meeting.
12. CA (Tel Aviv) 25/87 First International Bank of Israel Ltd. v. Berta Friedman
    Civil procedure — travel ban order against a litigant even when the litigant is not present in Israel.
13. CC (Haifa) 9416/04 Asher Shmueli et al. v. Jackie Sabag et al.
    Defamation — truth defense regarding an accurate quotation on matters of public character.
14. CA (Supreme Court) 7206/06 Ahuzat Aldi Ltd. v. C-Bar Ltd.; Originating Motion (Tel Aviv) 217/06 C-Bar Ltd. v. Ahuzat Aldi Ltd.
    Contract interpretation and fundamental breach.
15. Motion 439/05 (Beer Sheva) Shimon Bari v. Haaretz Newspaper Publishing Ltd.
    Class actions — consumer protection law.
16. Administrative Petition 6097-09-11 (Jerusalem) Zalman Barashi & Brothers Ltd. v. State of Israel — Ministry of Construction and Housing — Tenders Committee, The Braderian Brothers Ltd. et al.
    Tender law.