Law Firm Targets Israeli Interest in Southeast

ATLANTA-Locally based law firm Arnall Golden Gregory LLC is reaching out to Israeli investors, which are becoming more active in the Southeast. Lawyer Abe Schear, a partner with Arnall Golden Gregory, traveled to Israel last week where he planned to address 1,500 Israelis registered for a real estate conference. The firm also recently hired Israeli attorney Shelley Rabinovitch to tap the Israeli investment market.

“Israel, for various reasons, has a number of investors that are awash in money,” Schear tells GlobeSt.com. “They are a little bit new at what they are doing in the United States.”

Schear says the law firm represents large and small developers who are seeking significant sums of money to pursue projects. With the credit crunch experienced in the US recently, developers are seeking other sources of funding.

And, while Israeli investors have long been active in the Northeast, they are increasingly turning their attention to the Southeast. Schear attributes the shift in part to Delta’s recent offering of a direct flight from Tel Aviv to Atlanta. Schear also notes that there are 50 Israeli companies that operate in Atlanta.

“With the start of non-stop air service, Atlanta has become the beneficiary of more Israeli business,” he says. “They see the opportunity to do business without having to transfer on a flight.”

Schear says the trend is similar to the German investment trend experienced in recent times. “There’s a tremendous amount of German money that has come into the country over the past 10 years,” he says. “Israel will follow suit.”