Meira Ferziger

With more than 25 years of employment law experience, Meira Ferziger has provided legal counsel to hundreds of Israeli start-up 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 merger, acquisition, and IPO stages.

Located in Greenberg Traurig’s Tel Aviv Office, Meira focuses on the individual needs of particular companies, preventative strategies and litigation avoidance. She guides clients through the development and implementation of employment policies and practices in light of applicable local, state, and federal laws, and advises clients as to minimizing the risk associated with terminating employees, 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 pursuant to such transactions.

Meira represents clients in a wide variety of industries, including cybersecurity, eCommerce, medical devices, biotechnology, health care and pharmaceuticals, financial services, defense, agriculture and water technology, transportation technology, 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

• Separation and release agreements

Experience

Representative Matters

• 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 as to proper development and implementation of employment policies under applicable local, state, and federal law, particularly with respect to companies that have employees in multiple jurisdictions.°

• Guided corporate clients through process of employee layoffs and terminations, including drafting of separation letters, severance agreements, 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 upon Department of Labor audit of independent contractor (as opposed to employee) worker classification.°

°The above representations were handled by Ms. Ferziger prior to her joining Greenberg Traurig, P.A.

In-House Experience

• Assistant General Counsel, Employment Division, City University of New York, 2000

Previous Experience

• Author, American Law Reports, 2001-2004