Wachtell Names New Leaders William Savitt and Andrew Nussbaum

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz has appointed new firm co-chairs, tapping litigator William Savitt and corporate partner Andrew Nussbaum to lead one of the country’s most unique and profitable law firms.

The duo will replace former co-chairs Ed Herlihy and Daniel Neff, who are stepping down after the leading the firm since 2006. They will remain on the firm’s executive committee, the firm confirmed on Tuesday.

Savitt represented Twitter (now X) in its Delaware Chancery Court battle that forced Elon Musk to purchase the social media site for $44 billion. He also has represented Coinbase in a case brought by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. He joined Wachtell in 2000 and also serves as the firm’s co-chair of litigation.

Nussbaum has been a corporate partner at Wachtell for nearly 25 years, after first joining the firm in 1993. This year, he advised Salesforce in affairs including its defense against an activism campaign by Elliott Management and its cooperation agreement with ValueAct Capital. Nussbaum’s recent deals include Denso Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation’s $1 billion investment in part of Coherent Group’s business announced in October, and DISH Network in its all-stock merger with EchoStar Corporation, announced in August.

Herlihy, a Wachtell partner since 1984, is a PGA Tour policy board member who helped negotiate a framework agreement in June with Saudi Arabia-backed rival LIV Golf. Neff joined Wachtell in 1977 and is a highly regarded corporate and securities partner.

Wachtell had long been the most profitable firm in the country, operating out of a single New York City office and billing clients on value-"added terms that are seldom used among elite law firms.

The firm’s 89 partners in 2022 earned about $7.3 million on average, according to Am Law data, which was surpassed only by Kirkland & Ellis.

The American Lawyer first reported the new leaders.

—Mahira Dayal contributed to this report.