Bio

Simon Weintraub is a partner in the firm’s Banking and Finance Group as well as the High Tech Practice Group. He specializes in banking and finance, venture lending, venture capital and start-ups.  Simon also has extensive experience in oil and gas financing transactions and other complex cross-border structured finance transactions. Simon is also one of the heads of our firm’s Asia Practice. In addition, Simon is a member of the firm’s Executive Management Committee.

Simon specializes in representing foreign clients in their investment activity in Israel including clients from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, China, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Azerbaijan, South Africa and many other places. Simon has been an integral part in Israel’s largest oil and gas project finance transactions, as he navigated precedential issues within a new regulatory landscape. Simon  also played a prominent role in the first-ever IPO of an Israeli company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. He also advises clients in cross-border lending transactions, global bond offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and in private placements and joint ventures. In addition, Simon routinely advises promising start-up companies particularly in the area of life sciences and represents several foreign venture capital funds and multinational corporations investing in Israel. IFLR1000 ranks Simon as ‘Highly regarded’ in the Banking, Project Finance and Oil & Gas fields. The Legal 500 recommends Simon Weintraub in the Banking and Finance and Venture Capital fields and describes him as “business minded and straightforward”, “excellent communicator” and “very responsive and commercial. Simon joined the firm in 2000 and became a partner in 2008. Simon received a degree magna cum laude in political science from York University of Toronto in 1995. He received his business law degree from Bar Ilan University in 1999.

EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

  • Representation of JP Morgan Chase and HSBC Bank in the oversubscribed USD $2.25 billion global bond 144A bond offering for Delek Drilling LP for the financing of the Leviathan offshore natural gas project. This was one of the largest international bond transactions in 2020 in the energy field.
  • Representation of a consortium of lenders (consisting of 14 Israeli and international banks from around the world) as well as the Facility Agent and Security Trustee, which loaned USD 720 Million to Mubadala Petroleum, to finance the acquisition of 22% of the rights in the Tamar offshore Gas Field. This representation included the subsequent representation of the consortium of lenders when they loaned funds to an entity controlled by Aaron Frenkel which exercised an option and purchased half of the holdings purchased by Mubadala Petroleum.
  • Representation of JP Morgan Chase and Morgan Stanley (jointly) as well as the primary purchasers, including IBI Investment House, in the issuance of bonds relating to Energean Israel in a $2.5 billion global bond 144A offering with respect to the Karish and Tanin offshore gas fields. This representation included the representation of the primary purchasers in a $750 million upsizing of the bond.
  • Representation of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (NYSE: ZIM) in a $100 million credit facility transaction with a fintech start-up called 40Seas Inc.
  • Representation of Shanghai Healthcare Capital (SHC), in a $20 million Series A financing round of a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company called Biomica Ltd., a subsidiary of Evogene (NASDAQ: EVGN).
  • Representation of K2 Health Ventures, in a $100 million credit facility transaction to 89Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: ETNB), a clinical staged biopharmaceutical company focused in the area of therapies for the treatment of liver and cardio-metabolic diseases.
  • Representation of Voiceitt, a leading start-up in the field of speech recognition technology for non standard speech, in several rounds of equity financing for tens of millions of dollars from leading VC’s and Strategics including, Amazon, Microsoft, Cisco Investments, Third Culture Capital and Viking Maccabee Ventures.

Recognition

Energy, Banking & Finance
Banking Project finance
2023: Energy, Banking & Finance

“Simon Weintraub is an outstanding attorney and routinely puts together a very competent team to help with whatever aspects a given transaction presents.”

“He is always available, eager to help and has the relevant knowledge surrounding the industry.”

Education
1999 Bar Ilan University | LLB
1995 York University, Toronto | Political Science
Admission
2000 Israel
Simon Weintraub

Simon Weintraub

Partner, Executive Member
132 Begin Road, Azrieli Center, Tel Aviv 6702101, Israel
Simon Weintraub