ABOUT US - Our Partners
Founding Partner, Shuster Law Firm
Efrat Shuster is a corporate, commercial and technology lawyer with more than two decades of experience advising companies, founders, investors and boards on M&A, complex commercial transactions, corporate matters and artificial intelligence.
Her practice combines extensive experience in corporate and commercial law, M&A and hi-tech transactions with a growing focus on artificial intelligence, AI governance and regulation. This combination enables her to advise clients not only on the legal framework surrounding their technology, but also on the broader business, transactional and strategic issues involved in building, operating, financing and growing a company.
Efrat advises Israeli and international companies of all sizes and stages on mergers and acquisitions, investments, corporate governance, commercial agreements, technology transactions, strategic partnerships, licensing, joint ventures and other complex corporate and commercial matters. She has led and advised on significant transactions involving major international corporations across a wide range of industries, including technology, retail, pharma and life sciences, food and agrotech, biotech and other sectors.
Her approach is strongly commercial. Efrat views legal advice as part of the client’s broader business strategy and brings to negotiations an understanding of commercial priorities, deal dynamics, risk allocation and the practical realities of operating a business.
Artificial Intelligence, Law & Governance
Alongside her corporate and commercial practice, Efrat has developed a substantial practice at the intersection of artificial intelligence, law, regulation and corporate governance.
She advises AI companies, technology companies and organizations developing, deploying, integrating or procuring AI systems on the legal and regulatory issues arising throughout the AI lifecycle.
Her AI practice includes advice on:
- AI regulation and compliance
- AI governance frameworks and internal AI policies
- Responsible AI development and deployment
- EU AI Act compliance and regulatory classification
- Roles and obligations of AI providers, deployers and other actors in the AI value chain
- AI-related contractual risk allocation
- Use and procurement of third-party AI systems
- Transparency and disclosure requirements
- AI-related corporate governance and board responsibilities
- Legal risks associated with AI development and use
- Commercial agreements involving AI technologies and AI-enabled services
Efrat also prepares legal opinions and legal memoranda on AI-related matters, including the interpretation and application of AI legislation and regulation, regulatory classification of AI systems, compliance obligations, governance requirements, transparency duties and other legal questions arising from the development, deployment and commercial use of artificial intelligence.
For AI companies in particular, Efrat’s practice extends well beyond regulatory compliance. She also advises on the broader legal needs of growing technology businesses, including founder arrangements, investments, financing transactions, strategic commercial agreements, technology transactions, corporate governance and M&A.
This enables AI companies to work with counsel who understands both the emerging regulatory environment and the commercial and corporate realities of building and scaling a technology company.
AI Research, Writing & Teaching
Efrat is actively involved in the academic and professional discussion surrounding artificial intelligence and law.
She is a doctoral student at the Faculty of Law of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where her research focuses on questions at the intersection of law and artificial intelligence.
She lectures regularly to lawyers, companies, public-sector organizations and professional audiences on AI regulation, governance, responsible AI use and the impact of artificial intelligence on the legal profession.
Efrat has published two books on artificial intelligence:
AI and the Future of the Legal Profession, which examines how artificial intelligence is transforming legal practice and explores how lawyers and legal organizations can adopt AI while preserving the core professional values of the legal profession.
Building Your AI Policy – Step by Step Guidance for Responsible and Compliant AI Use, a practical guide for organizations seeking to develop and implement responsible, compliant and effective internal AI policies.
Background
Efrat began her legal career in academia. Following her LL.B. degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, she worked as a research and teaching assistant to leading academics at institutions including the Hebrew University, Reichman University and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She also taught various subjects in one of Israel’s leading preparation programs for the Israeli Bar Examination.
After earning her LL.M. with distinction from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Efrat returned to Israel to practice law at leading Israeli law firms, focusing on corporate law, M&A, hi-tech and complex commercial transactions.
Until early 2022, she served as a partner in leading law firms, advising Israeli and international companies on significant corporate and commercial matters. She subsequently founded Shuster Law Firm as a boutique practice combining high-level transactional experience with close, strategic involvement in her clients’ businesses.
Professional & Community Involvement
- Co-Chair, Boutique Law Firms Committee, Israel Bar Association – Tel Aviv District
- Member, International Relations Committee, Israel Bar Association – Tel Aviv District
- Member, Corporations Committee, Israel Bar Association – Tel Aviv District
- Board Member, Israeli Psifas Foundation
- Board Member, Penn Israel Global Forum
- Co-Chair, Audit Committee, Toda’a
Bar Admission & Education
- Admitted to the Israeli Bar Association – 2005
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem – LL.B., 2004
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem – LL.M., magna cum laude, 2008
- University of Pennsylvania Law School – LL.M., with Distinction, 2010
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Faculty of Law – Doctoral Student, Law and Artificial Intelligence
Managing Partner, Shuster Law Firm
Shmulik is a seasoned attorney with over 20 years of experience. He holds dual degrees in Law (LL.B.) and Business Administration (B.A.) from Reichman University. Following his graduation and admission to the Israel Bar Association, Shmulik chose to focus on the business and commercial facets of the legal field. He went on to hold key positions in leading organizations, including one of the global “Big Four” accounting firms and one of Israel’s largest law firms.
Shmulik’s extensive knowledge and experience in intergenerational wealth transfer, family wealth preservation, commercial law, and the strategic business aspects of corporate transactions make him an invaluable asset in providing top-tier legal services.
Over the years, he has accrued vast experience guiding families and individuals as they approach the next stages of their lives, meticulously planning the transfer of wealth to future generations. With a profound understanding of the importance of preserving and managing family wealth for the long term, Shmulik assists clients in crafting comprehensive strategies. These plans seamlessly integrate wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney, and the structured transfer of assets and businesses to the next generation. Always handled with the utmost sensitivity, discretion, and a holistic strategic vision.
Shmulik is certified by the Administrator General to draft Enduring Powers of Attorney. He also serves as a member of several Israel Bar Association (Tel Aviv District) committees, including the Enduring Power of Attorney Committee, the Boutique Law Firms Committee, and the Inheritance Committee.
On a personal note, Shmulik is fluent in both Hebrew and English. While friends and colleagues occasionally call him “Sam,” he is most commonly known simply by his surname, Shuster. He enjoys running, skiing, and scuba diving. Activities that help sharpen his focus and strategic thinking. An avid autodidact, Shmulik takes pride in his ability to independently master new fields and industries. He possesses a vast wealth of knowledge in sectors such as the automotive industry, life sciences, and commerce, and remains ever-eager to continue learning.
Professional & Community Involvement
- Member of the living will committee, Tel Aviv district – Israel Bar Association
- Member of the Boutique law Firms committee, Tel Aviv district – Israel Bar Association
- Member of the Inheritance Committee, Tel Aviv district – Israel Bar Association
- Admitted to the Israeli Bar Association – 2006
- Reichman University – LL.B – 2005
- Reichman University – B.A – 2005