Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz partner Ed Herlihy represented the PGA Tour in its stunning merger deal with Saudi Arabia-backed rival LIV Golf and the European DP World Tour.
Herlihy has had a leading role at the PGA Tour. He’s poised to stay in his spot as the policy board chairman of the non-profit PGA Tour Inc, according to a press release announcing the deal.
Wachtell partners Jacob Kling and David Anders also represented the PGA Tour.
The merger has many details yet to be finalized, but it will see the PGA Tour appoint a majority of board members to a new, unnamed organization financially backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
PIF was not represented by outside counsel during the lead-up to Tuesday’s announcement, a spokesman for the fund said in an email. The DP Tour did not immediately respond to a question about its legal advisors on the deal.
The deal will also end litigation between the three golf organizations.
The PGA Tour and LIV golf had been embroiled in an antitrust lawsuit in federal court in Northern California.
Both sides had fought discovery in that case. The PGA Tour won a ruling that PIF as well as its governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan were both subject to discovery and depositions in the US, a ruling that had until recently been on pause pending an appeal.
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