ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Updated:

Securities Authority Chairman Sefi Zinger made the remarks at the 16th Columbia, Ono Conference, which brought together leading figures in corporate law, finance, academia, and the judiciary from Israel and abroad.

Regulation must keep pace with a rapidly changing market, Israel Securities Authority Chairman Sefi Zinger said this week, warning that delays in regulatory reform could come at a cost to investors and the wider public. “Regulation is stuck. The market is not waiting, investors are not waiting, and the public cannot wait either,” Zinger said at the 16th Columbia–Ono Conference, hosted by Ono Academic College and Columbia Law School.

The conference, which returned this year after a two-year hiatus following the October 7 attacks, focused on some of the most pressing issues in corporate law, corporate governance, and financial regulation. The event was led by Prof. Zohar Goshen of Ono Academic College and Columbia University and featured senior legal, economic, and judicial figures from Israel and overseas.

Corporate attorney Ted Mirvis of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York
Corporate attorney Ted Mirvis of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York (credit: Ono Academic College/Courtesy)
Among the participants were incoming Dean of Ono Academic College’s Faculty of Law Prof. Gil Siegal; Zinger, himself an Ono graduate; Capital Markets, Insurance and Savings Commissioner Amit Gal; and prominent US corporate attorney Ted Mirvis of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen
&
Katz in New York. Mirvis addressed regulatory developments affecting controlling shareholders of public companies in Delaware, examining the relationship between stricter judicial oversight and potential legislative intervention. The opening session was moderated by Prof. Asaf Hamdani of the University of Oxford and Tel Aviv University
.


The conference also featured a panel examining corporate law from the perspective of the economic courts, with Haifa District Court Judge Mohammed Ali and Tel Aviv District Court Judges Michal Rosen-Ozer and Ariel Zimmerman participating. The session was moderated by Prof. Sharon Hannes of Tel Aviv University. A highlight of the conference was a mock trial examining the legality of corporate defense measures against shareholder activism.

The proceedings featured a panel including Tel Aviv District Court Deputy President Judge Hana Fliner, Tel Aviv District Court Judge Yaakov (Kobi) Sharvit, and Prof. Michal Barzuza of the University of Virginia. Representing the prosecution were attorneys Gil Orion and Idan Reiter of Fisher (FBC) law firm, while the defense was represented by Ted Mirvis and Rachel Silverberg of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Speaking at the conference, Amit Gal, Israel’s Capital Markets, Insurance and Savings Commissioner, highlighted the challenges younger generations face in preparing for their financial future.

“Generation Z does not always maintain continuous employment and does not necessarily look ahead toward retirement,” Gal said. “The next reforms must build on previous reforms, but it is also important that citizens take greater responsibility for their own financial future.” Prof. Zohar Goshen concluded the event by emphasizing the importance of continued academic cooperation between Israel and international institutions. “The ongoing partnership with Columbia Law School represents academic solidarity, a commitment to high-quality research, and open professional dialogue – even during periods when antisemitism on campuses around the world harms Israel’s academic ties internationally,” Goshen said. “The continuation of this conference tradition for the 16th year highlights the importance of complex issues in corporate law and corporate governance, while contributing to the advancement of research, professional practice, and the economy.”