Key Takeaways
- • Strategic Hire: Steve Olenick joins Norton Rose Fulbright as US Head of Sports Capital and Transactions and New York Head of Private Equity, arriving from Mintz where he chaired the sports and entertainment practice.
- • Expansion Momentum: Olenick becomes the firm's sixteenth lateral partner with a transactions focus hired in 2026, demonstrating sustained growth in Norton Rose Fulbright's US transactions practice.
- • Market Positioning: The hire strengthens the firm's competitive position in the intersection of institutional capital and sports, a sector experiencing growing investor interest and deal activity.
- • Broad Expertise: Olenick advises private equity sponsors on complex transactions, handles acquisitions and financings across multiple sectors, and represents ultra-high-net-worth individuals on business ventures, endorsements, and sponsorship arrangements.
- • Sector Context: The addition follows the recent hire of John Boelter, a Chicago M&A partner with sports industry experience, signaling Norton Rose Fulbright's deliberate strategy to build sports-focused transactional capabilities.
Summary
Norton Rose Fulbright announced in August 2026 that Steve Olenick has joined its New York office in dual roles as US Head of Sports Capital and Transactions and New York Head of Private Equity. A partner in the corporate, M&A and securities practice, Olenick brings substantial experience advising private equity sponsors on complex transactions and is recognized as one of the market's most active lawyers in sports deals.
Olenick's lateral move comes from Mintz, where he chaired the firm's sports and entertainment practice. His expertise spans acquisitions, financings, and strategic investments across multiple sectors, with particular strength in sports-related transactions. Beyond institutional capital work, he regularly represents athletes, celebrities, and other ultra-high-net-worth individuals on business ventures, endorsements, and sponsorship arrangements—a dual capability that differentiates his practice.
The hire reflects Norton Rose Fulbright's strategic commitment to the fast-growing intersection of institutional capital and sports. According to Global and US Managing Partner Jeff Cody, "Steve is known for providing trusted counsel and sound commercial judgment on high-profile matters, bringing exactly the kind of perspective our clients seek in today's active capital environment." Cody noted that Olenick's sports expertise strengthens the firm's position in what he characterized as "one of the most dynamic corners of the market at a time of growing investor interest and deal activity."
Olenick's arrival marks the sixteenth lateral partner with a transactions focus that Norton Rose Fulbright has recruited in 2026, underscoring aggressive expansion in its US business group. The firm added John Boelter, a Chicago-based M&A partner with sports industry experience, the previous month, demonstrating a deliberate pattern of building sports transactional capabilities across multiple offices.
Olenick's lateral move comes from Mintz, where he chaired the firm's sports and entertainment practice. His expertise spans acquisitions, financings, and strategic investments across multiple sectors, with particular strength in sports-related transactions. Beyond institutional capital work, he regularly represents athletes, celebrities, and other ultra-high-net-worth individuals on business ventures, endorsements, and sponsorship arrangements—a dual capability that differentiates his practice.
The hire reflects Norton Rose Fulbright's strategic commitment to the fast-growing intersection of institutional capital and sports. According to Global and US Managing Partner Jeff Cody, "Steve is known for providing trusted counsel and sound commercial judgment on high-profile matters, bringing exactly the kind of perspective our clients seek in today's active capital environment." Cody noted that Olenick's sports expertise strengthens the firm's position in what he characterized as "one of the most dynamic corners of the market at a time of growing investor interest and deal activity."
Olenick's arrival marks the sixteenth lateral partner with a transactions focus that Norton Rose Fulbright has recruited in 2026, underscoring aggressive expansion in its US business group. The firm added John Boelter, a Chicago-based M&A partner with sports industry experience, the previous month, demonstrating a deliberate pattern of building sports transactional capabilities across multiple offices.
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