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Tom Benson settles trust dispute, ending legal challenges to Pelicans and Saints ownership succession

Today the New Orleans Pelicans officially announced terms of settlement have been agreed to between Tom Benson and his estranged heirs. Exact terms will remain confidential. This is the final case involving the ownership dispute.

The ownership dispute began last January when Benson sought to restructure his succession plan to allow his wife, Gayle Benson, to succeed him as owner. To do so Tom Benson planned to remove shares of the Saints and Pelicans from a trust established for his grandchildren.

His heirs, including hand-picked successor Rita Benson, filed multiple lawsuits to prevent the shares from being removed.