C&M and the Network for US-Israel Business Team on US-Israel Business Development Event
Crowell & Moring, in conjunction with the Network for U.S.-Israel Business (NUIB), hosted a program at Crowell's Washington, D.C. office on May 29, 2014. The program featured networking for executives representing Israeli tech and life sciences companies with U.S. industry leaders and investors. The interactive program also featured panel discussions in each of three sectors: defense technology, life sciences and TMT (technology, media and telecommunications). Each panel included updates on recent sector-specific developments in Israel, as well as discussion of opportunities and challenges for Israeli companies doing business and the U.S. and for U.S.-based companies in partnering with Israel-based businesses.
Speakers included Shahar Abuhazira, the CEO of Roboteam, a producer of unmanned platforms and controllers with offices in Bethesda, MD and Tel Aviv; Ted Dumbauld, founder of Trident Advisors which invests in tech companies at the intersection of industry and military/intelligence and Board Member of Simulyze, which develops battlespace analysis and visualization software products; David Moskowitz, vice president, investor relations at San Diego-based molecular diagnostics company Trovagene, partner at Equities IQ and a 15-year Wall Street pharmaceutical analyst; Sekhar Puli, vice president of Amdocs, global leader in software and services for service providers in the communications, media and entertainment industry; Scott Wiener, longtime telecommunication strategy and marketing executive and current partner at Alta Nova Group, which advises telecommunications investors and companies; and Guy Yachin, CEO of Virginia-based biotech company Serpin Pharma and longtime leader in the Israel-related life sciences community.
Panelists also included Crowell & Moring Life Sciences and Intellectual Property Group partner and former acting director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Terry Rea; Crowell & Moring Government Contracts Group partner Peter Eyre, who assists companies navigating the world of doing business with the U.S. government, particularly in the defense sector; and Crowell & Moring partner Randy Smith, who chairs the firm's Antitrust Group and has represented the likes of AT&T, DuPont, and United Technologies on many of their most important deals, including the recent acquisition of Blades Technology from Israel’s prominent Wertheimer family. The event also included a demo of Roboteam's MTGR robot which is currently being deployed by U.S. forces in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Crowell partner Sam Feigin, who has focused on the representation of Israeli companies doing business in the U.S. and U.S. investors and strategic partnering with Israeli businesses for nearly 20 years, served as the emcee and moderated the panels.
One longtime leader in the space, Avner Parnes, who currently heads IBD World Group and has served as a public company CEO and mentored legions of American and Israeli tech executives remarked, "This was one of the best Israeli business events that I ever attended. Smart and well-connected people, great presentations, and good food."
NUIB is an informal group dedicated to facilitating the flow of Israel-related business in the U.S. and vice versa.