Mitchell C. Shelowitz is the Founder and Managing Partner of SLG. Mitch is a veteran New York attorney who has meshed his experiences as a corporate deal lawyer and tenacious litigator at top New York and Israeli law firms, with his business acumen developed over years as in-house legal counsel at leading Nasdaq-traded tech companies.
Mitch has developed a business-focused approach to representing clients based upon his experiences as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary to wireless communications leader Ceragon Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ:CRNT), and as Senior In-house Legal Counsel to satellite communications pioneer Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: GILT).
Mitch’s intense focus on strategy, hands on involvement, and a deep understanding of IP and business law and procedure has led to a number of critical client victories in the areas of breach of contract, piercing the corporate veil, breach of fiduciary duties, shareholder rights, software and music copyrights, design patents, and trade secrets. Commentary on his cases has been published in leading national newspapers, magazines, and law journals – including the Harvard Law Review – and his “never give up” approach has led to new national legal standards in the areas of copyright statutory damage awards and design patent pleading requirements following Iqbal and Twombly.
Mitch’s client experience encompasses an impressive list of industry leaders, such as Radware, Sarine Technologies, AppGuard, CyberBit, Telit, Cellebrite, Ceragon Networks, and Tolkowsky, among many others. He also represents promising early stage companies in wearables, cyber defense, robotics, and apps, such as Watchful, Woojer, MyPart, FitFight, AutoRemind, and Orcam. Mitch also represents leading European businesses in connection with their U.S. business activities.
Mitch was named as a New York Super Lawyer 14 times, being recognized as one of the top lawyers in New York City, and placing him in the top 5% of the profession.
He is a Mentor for the APx (Axel Springer Porsche) accelerator (Berlin); Techstars METRO Accelerator (Berlin); hub:raum Accelerator (Berlin); TechCode Accelerator (Berlin); RockStart (Amsterdam); The Hive (Tel Aviv); and ATOBE Accelerator (Jerusalem). He has lectured at the APx (Berlin); TechStars METRO Accelerator; The German Tech Entrepreneur Center (GTEC) (Berlin); Deutsche Telekom’s Startup Night (Berlin); In-Vent (Haifa); TechCode Accelerator; Microsoft Ventures Accelerator; Zell Entrepreneurship Program; Hubanana; ATOBE Accelerator; HUB Tel Aviv; The Hive (Tel Aviv); and others.
Bar Admissions
- New York
- Connecticut
- Israel
- U.S. District Court, SDNY
- U.S. District Court, EDNY
- U.S. District Court, Connecticut
- U.S. District Court, Colorado
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Federal Circuit Court of Appeals
- Second Circuit Court of Appeals
- Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
Industries
- Software and Music
- Wearables and IoT
- Mobile and Wireless Telecom
- Entertainment & Hospitality
In-House Experience
- General Counsel, Ceragon Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: CRNT)
- Sr. In-House Counsel, Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: GILT)
- President and Founder, Association of Corporate Counsel Israel
Lectures
- The Million Dollar Name: The Top Five Company and Product Naming Mistakes, APX Accelerator by Axel Springer Porsche, Berlin, Germany, September 9, 2020.
- Seed, Series A, FFF: What Every Founder Needs to Know About Investments, HUJI Innovate: Hebrew University’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center, Jerusalem, Israel, July 29, 2020.
- Truth in Advertising Guidelines for Online Advertising, Client Marketing Department Workshop, Israel, July 16, 2020.
- Social Media Intellectual Property 101, Client Marketing Department Workshop, Israel, February 19, 2020.
- Hire Slowly and Fire Quickly: Top 8 Tips in Hiring and Firing U.S. Employees, SLG Roundtable Luncheon, Tel Aviv, Israel, February 18, 2020.
- Seed, Series A, FFF – What Every Founder Needs to Know About Investments, ATOBE Accelerator, Jerusalem, Israel, February 12, 2020.
- Intellectual Property Issues Involving Corporate Social Media, Faculty Member, New York State Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education Course, New York City, October 18, 2019.
- Patent, Trademark, and Copyright Law Developments Affecting Web-Based and Mobile-Based Businesses, Faculty Member, New York State Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education Course, New York City, October 18, 2019.
- Painful Social Media Traps: Lessons from Kim Kardashian and Ariana Grande, StartupBoot, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, September 24, 2019
- Raising Capital: Funding War Stories – Challenges on the Road to Success, Amsterdam Capital House, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, September 24, 2019 (Panel Moderator)
- 5 Tips to Avoid Crushing Penalties: The Kids Game App Publishers’ Primer on COPPA, Israel Mobile Summit 2019, Tel Aviv, Israel, June 12, 2019
- Founders Agreements and Seed Investments: What Every Founder Must Know, StartupBoot, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, May 22, 2019
- Expand For Success: Critical Action Items for Expanding Sales and Operations From Europe to the U.S. or From the U.S. to Europe, METRO-TARGET Accelerator, Berlin, May 20, 2019, jointly with Bastian Reinschmidt, BMH BRÄUTIGAM, May 20, 2019
- Seed, Series A, FFF – What Every Founder Needs to Know About Investments, ATOBE Accelerator, Jerusalem, Israel, March 27, 2019
- Awareness and Compliance with Social Media, Music, Image, and Photograph Protections: U.S. Copyright Act; Creative Commons Licenses; Open Source Restrictions; and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Requirements, Annual Client Compliance Seminar, February 27, 2019, Israel
- 5 Secrets To Successfully Launching Your Dutch Startup in New York, StartupBoot, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, May 9, 2018
- What Really Happens With New York Law Choice of Law and Arbitration Clauses: Through the Eyes of Battle, Shenhav & Co. Law Firm, Tel Aviv, Israel, April 17, 2018
- Founders Agreements and Seed Investments: What Every Founder Must Know, WoPa Accelerator with BDO, Raanana, Israel, November 8, 2017
- $500 Million Lessons From the Oculus Case: How Every Tech Company Must Protect Its Software, TECHSTARS METRO Retail Accelerator, Berlin, Germany, June 20, 2017
- Seed, Series A, FFF – What Every Founder Needs to Know About Investments, ATOBE Accelerator, Jerusalem, Israel, May 29, 2017
- $500 Million Software Copyright Infringement Award Against Oculus: The Power of U.S. Software Copyrights for German Companies, Seminar at Noerr, leading Berlin law firm, April 26, 2017
- $500 Million Lessons From the Oculus Case: How Every German Tech Company Must Protect Its Software, German Tech Entrepreneurship Center, European School of Management and Technology (ESMT), Berlin, Germany, April 24, 2017
- Seed, Series A, FFF – What Every Founder Needs to Know About Investments, StartupBootcamp, Berlin, Germany, April 24, 2017
- Awareness and Compliance with Social Media, Music, Image, and Photograph Protections: U.S. Copyright Act; Creative Commons Licenses; Open Source Restrictions; and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Requirements, Annual Client Compliance Seminar, March 26, 2017, Israel
- $500 Million in Damages From Oculus/Facebook: 4 Key Ways to Protect Your Software, ATOBE Accelerator, Jerusalem, Israel, March 2, 2017
- $500 Million From Oculus: Four Key Ways to Protect Your Software, StreetsHub, Rehovot, Israel, February 13, 2017
- Seed, Series A, FFF – What Every Founder Needs to Know About Investments, In-Vent, Haifa, Israel, January 11, 2017
- Seed, Series A, FFF – What Every Founder Needs to Know About Investments, Hubanana, Raanana, Israel, December 6, 2016
- How U.S. Software Copyright Registration Can Help You Raise Your First Million, The Hive, Tel Aviv, Israel, November 24, 2016.
- Protecting Your Data and Code: Four Key Tools, Data Natives Conference, Tel Aviv, Israel, September 25, 2016
- Steps to Success in the U.S: The Legal Challenges to Consider When Launching U.S Operations, Deutsche Telekom, Startup Night, Berlin, Germany, September 3, 2016
- Steps to Success in the U.S: Avoiding Headaches in Your U.S. Business Launch, In-Vent, Haifa, Israel, August 17, 2016
- The New U.S. Trade Secrets Act: Required Actions for All Companies with U.S. Operations and Aspirations, Naschitz Brandes Law Firm, Tel Aviv, Israel, June 28, 2016
- Protecting Software Under U.S. Law: BERLIN SOFTWARE PROTECTION WORKSHOP, TechCode, Berlin, Germany, May 24, 2016
- COMPANY SELF-DEFENSE 101: How to Protect Your Israeli Company from Your U.S. Employees’ Mistakes, Israel Export Institute, Tel Aviv, Israel, March 10, 2016
- Startuppers 101: Key Tips for Setting Up Your German or American Tech Company, German Tech Entrepreneurship Center, European School of Management and Technology (ESMT), Berlin, Germany, January 27, 2016
- The Million Dollar Name: The Top Five Mistakes in Naming Your Company, Hubanana, Raanana, Israel, January 20, 2016
- Seed, Series A, FFF – What Every Founder Needs to Know About Investments, HUB Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel, December 12, 2016
- What’s In A Name? Practical Issues in Naming Products Utilizing Existing Names, Images, and Songs, Client Compliance Lecture, August 14, 2016, Israel
- How U.S. Software Copyright Registration Can Help You Raise Your First Million, ATOBE Accelerator, Jerusalem, Israel, December 3, 2015
- The Million Dollar Name: The Top Five Mistakes in Naming Your Company, Tech For Good Rally, Tel Aviv, November 18, 2015
- The Million Dollar Name: The Top Five Mistakes in Naming Your Company, HUB Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, November 9, 2015
- How U.S. Software Copyright Registration Can Help You Raise Your First Million, TECHSTARS METRO, Berlin, Germany, October 20, 2015
- How U.S. Software Copyright Registration Can Help You Raise Your First Million, German Tech Entrepreneurship Center, European School of Management and Technology (ESMT), Berlin, Germany, October 19, 2015
- Steps to Success in the U.S: The Legal Challenges that Every Israeli Company Must Consider When Launching Operations in the U.S.,Hubanana, Raanana, Israel, July 29, 2015
- Avoiding Liability by Understanding IP Laws and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), Client Compliance Seminar, October 12, 2015, Israel
- Steps to Success in the U.S: The Legal Challenges that Every Israeli Company Must Consider When Launching Operations in the U.S., HUB Tel Aviv, July 13, 2015
- Why U.S. Software Copyrights Are a Game Changer, Association Litteraire et Artistique International, Tel Aviv, Israel, June 29, 2015
- Understanding U.S. Software Copyrights: A Critical Element of IP Strategy,Herzelia Interdisciplinary Institute, Zell Entrepreneurship Program, Herzelia, Israel, March 1, 2015
- U.S. Software Copyrights: A Critical Element of Your IP Strategy, Microsoft Ventures Academy, February 25, 2015, Herzelia, Israel
- How Software Copyrights Increase Your Company’s Valuation, Hubanana, Raanana, Israel, February 11, 2015
- Why Every Software Company Should Register U.S. Software Copyrights – The Most Powerful Protection for Software IP, ATOBE Accelerator, Jerusalem, Israel, February 10, 2015.
- How U.S. Software Copyrights Can Help You Raise Your First Million,MESH Modiin, Beer On Tech, January 13, 2015
- How U.S. Software Copyrights Protect Your Software From Theft and Misuse and Boost Your Company Valuation, Microsoft Accelerator, Herzelia, Israel, January 12, 2015
- FUNDRAISING 101: How U.S. Software Copyrights Can Help You Raise Your First Million,Young Entrepreneurs Forum, Haifa (predecessor to “In-Vent” Haifa), November 23, 2014
- Your Software Has Just Been Stolen: Why U.S. Software Copyrights Can Help You Where NDA’s and EULA’s Can Not(Herzelia, New York City, Boston), November 2014
- FUNDRAISING 101: How U.S. Software Copyrights Can Help You Raise Your First Million, November 9, 2014, HUB Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Your Company Has Just Been Sued in the U.S. – Critical Points to Consider, Association of Corporate Counsel Israel, September 9, 2014
- Raising Venture Capital Investments 101: Key Terms and Concepts for Your Early Stage Financing Deal, New York City Business Networking Group, “Rapid-Fire Tech & Business Bootcamp,” July 21, 2011.
- Investment Outlook 2010 – Private Equity, Wall Street & DC, StartupAlpha.com, Dealmakers Forum,New York City, January 20, 2010.
- FundingPost’s Fifth Perfect Venture Conference, Venture Capital & Angel Investment Considerations for 2009 & 2010, New York City, November 12th, 2009 (Moderator)
- Venture Capital Term Sheets 101: Understanding Critical Terms of Your Early Stage Venture Deal,SA Special Event Series, New York City, October 21, 2009
- Term Sheets, Letters of Intent, and Memoranda of Understanding, C-Squared Breakfast Series, Williams Club, New York City, March 10, 2009
- Business Self-Defense 101: Hiring Sales Representatives and Consultants – How to Avoid Being Held Hostage to Unearned Commissions and Unreasonable Demands,” SA Business Briefing Breakfast Series, New York City, January 28, 2009
- Negotiating Term Sheets & Exit Strategies, FundingPost’s Fourth Perfect Venture Conference, New York City, November 4th, 2008 (Moderator)
- Business Litigation 101: Your Business Has Just Been Sued – An Essential Guide to the Critical Realities and Decisions in the First 48 Hours, SA Business Briefing Breakfast Series, New York City,October 29th, 2008
- Buying and Selling Your New York City Restaurant: Your Top 10 Ingredients for Success, SA Special Event Series, The New York State Restaurant Association, New York City, September 17th, 2008
- Deal Making 101: How to Lock in the Key Terms of Your Deal, While Retaining Flexibility – Is the Back of a Napkin Good Enough?SA Business Briefing Breakfast Series, New York City,July 30th, 2008
- Employer Self Defense 101: How to Prevent Employee/Consultant Theft of Company Secrets, SA Business Briefing Breakfast Series, New York City,May 28th, 2008
- Everything You Need to Know to Successfully Launch Your Israeli Brand in the U.S., Second Annual Israeli International Franchise Conference: Israel Exhibition Center, Tel Aviv, Israel, October 25, 2006
- How to Sell Israeli Wine Successfully in the U.S., Second Annual Israeli Wine Export Conference: “Israel Exhibition Center, Tel Aviv, Israel, June 15, 2006 (Organizer; Moderator; and Speaker)
- Corporate Lawyering: Incoterms 2000 and Revenue Recognition, University of Pennsylvania, Dickinson Law School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 2005
- Effective Outsourcing for Israeli Companies, Association of Corporate Counsel Israel Power Dinner, Tel Aviv, Israel, September 2005
- 2005 Israeli Wine Export Conference, Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel,Israel, July 2005 (Organizer and Moderator)
- Investing in Israel Conference, The Wall Street Transcript, New York City, June 2005 (Moderator)
- Successful International Sales: What Every Business Should Know About Incoterms 2000 and Revenue Recognition, CLE Program, Rochester, New York, May 2005
- Preparing for Your Next Big Deal, Israel-America Chamber of Commerce Conference, Tel Aviv, Israel, April 2005
- U.S. – Israel Venture Summit, YoungStart-Up Ventures, New York City, March 2005 (Host)
- International Business Transactions, Minority Corporate Counsel Association Annual Event, Chicago, IL, March 2005 (Panelist)
- Legal Challenges in Entering the U.S. Market, BioLog Innovation Conference, Tel Aviv, Israel, November 2004
- Successfully Doing Business Internationally, Association of Corporate Counsel America Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, October 2004 (Panelist)
- What Every In-House Counsel Should Know About Protecting Intellectual Property with Non-Disclosure Agreements, Association of Corporate Counsel Europe 2002 Annual Conference, Versailles, France, June 2002
- The Legal Aspects of Doing Business in Israel, Florida – Israel Institute Conference on Florida-Israel Business,Fort Lauderdale, Florida, June 1998
Cited as Authority in U.S. and Israeli Publications
- Facebook’s Virtual Reality Ambitions Could Be Threatened By Court Order, Reuters, February 27, 2017(Quoted)
- Design Patent Plaintiffs Have Low Bar, Fed. Circ. Says, Law360, January 25, 2013 (Quoted)
- Israel’s Vintners Seek to Increase Exports to U.S., Entree Magazine, V.13; N. 2, September 2006 (Cited)
- US-based Israeli Execs Help Young Companies Reach Market,” Globes (print and on-line; Hebrew and English), December 2005 (Cited)
- Israeli High-Tech Execs Help Israeli Companies, Daily Maily (Hebrew), December 2005 (Cited)
- Drink to Life, To Israeli Wines!, Jewish Exponent, December 2005 (Cited)
- Israeli Wine Industry Hears “Voices from the Market,”Wharton Global Consulting Practicum WGCP Connect Newsletter, Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, August 2005 (Cited)
- Israeli Wine Export Conference, various articles, Israelwines.co.il, July 2005 (Cited)
- Israeli VC Scene on the Rebound, The Daily Deal, February 7, 2005 (Quoted)
- 5764: The Year Investors Came Back, Jerusalem Post, September 24, 2004 (Cited)
- Doing Business With and For Israel, The Jewish Star, September 10, 2004 (Quoted)
- The Great Rapprochement, Foreign Companies Pushed the SEC to Soften Some Sarbanes-Oxley Rules – and Half-Succeeded,Corporate Counsel Magazine, April 2003, p. 72 (Quoted)
- American Corporate Counsel Association Israel to Hold Conference in Herzliya, Globes Online, May 25, 2003 (Cited)
- Lawyers and More, Maariv (Hebrew), Special Business Supplement, May 20, 2003 (Cited)
- This Year in Israel, “Silicon Wadi” Lawyer Gets ACCA’s Nod to Set Up a Branch,” Corporate Counsel Magazine, March 2001, pp. 20-22 (Cited)
- Hearsay, American Lawyer, March 2001, p. 20 (Cited)
- This Year in Israel, Law.com, March 2001 (Cited)
Published Articles
- Protect Your eCommerce Business Like Amazon.com, LinkedIn, August 16, 2015
- Protect Your Software in Five Easy Ways, LinkedIn, March 16, 2015
- U.S. Software Copyright Registration is a Game Changer, Globes English version, April 21, 2015
- U.S. Software Copyright Registration is a Game Changer, Globes IT Magazine (Hebrew) February 12, 2015
- NY Ruling Lets Israeli Cos Seize Assets In New York, Globes English version, April 24, 2014
- NDA’s: How to Avoid The Perils of Overnegotiating, ACC Docket 21, no. 9, October 2003, p. 76
- On the Threshold of Change: Israel’s Television Broadcasting Industry, Israel High-Tech Investor Magazine, Summer 1999, p. 54
- Israel’s Venture Capital Boom, The Charlotte Jewish News, March 1999
- Israeli Business and the Year 2000 Bug, San Diego Jewish Times, March 18, 1999
- 1998: An Exciting Year for Israeli Business, Las Vegas Jewish Reporter, December 25, 1998
- Israel’s Telecommunications Revolution, Palm Beach Jewish Times, November 6, 1998
- The Attorney-Client Privilege in a High-Tech World: Are Wireless Conversations with Your Attorney Protected from Disclosure?, Long Island Magazine, July/August 1997
- Clients Have No Reasonable Expectation of Privacy in Wireless Conversations with Their Attorneys,The Daily Record, June 25, 1997
- Attorney-Client Privilege and Wireless Communications,” New York Law Journal, February 3, 1997
- FTC Cracks Down on Coercive Pricing and Distribution Policies, Long Island Business News, July 29, 1996
- Expanding the European Workplace, Legal Times, International Law Supplement, April 12, 1993
- The Amendment of Directive 71/305 and the Coordination of Procedures for the Award of Public Works Contracts in the Countries of the European Community, Vol. 7 International Construction Law Review 5 (London), 1990 (Co-Author with Hubert Andre-Dumont, Adv.)