Jen Smith departs Latham & Watkins for Norton Rose Fulbright to enhance its private equity and corporate capabilities
Norton Rose Fulbright – Jen Smith
Austin, TX, Sept. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright today announced that Jen Smith has joined its Austin office as a partner in the corporate, M&A and securities group, expanding the firm’s national corporate and private equity platform in one of the country’s fastest-growing markets. Jen is a sought-after adviser for sponsors, portfolio companies and emerging growth businesses, guiding them from early-stage financings to exit.
With a Chambers USA-recognized practice that spans corporate, M&A and venture capital matters, Jen frequently advises clients through platform acquisitions, take-private transactions, public offerings and cross-border sales. She is deeply embedded in the Austin legal and business community, having helped Latham & Watkins open its office there in 2021.
“Jen is exactly the kind of lawyer we seek to attract to the firm: entrepreneurial by nature, admired in the market and committed to client service,” said Jeff Cody, Norton Rose Fulbright’s Global and US Managing Partner. “Her deal acumen and practical judgment on complex matters reinforce our position as a destination for sophisticated transactional work.”
Ranked in Texas: Corporate/M&A by Chambers USA since 2021, clients commend Jen as “a great partner and advocate,” “a magnificent resource and go-to person for all corporate matters” and a lawyer who “provides practical advice and is a problem-solver.” She has also been recognized as one of the “Top Women in Dealmaking” by The Deal, a “Texas Trailblazer” by Texas Lawyer and one of The Best Lawyers in America for mergers and acquisitions law.
Jen joins an Austin office of more than 70 lawyers that ranks among the five largest law firm offices in the market. Energage and the Austin American-Statesman have awarded the office “Top Workplaces” recognition for four consecutive years. In the most recent rankings, Norton Rose Fulbright was the only law firm included in the category of large employers, ranking ninth among the 55 companies listed.
“While many other law firms have entered this market in recent years, we have maintained a significant presence in Austin these past 50 years, and like Jen, we have many ties within the Austin business and legal community,” said Gina Shishima, Norton Rose Fulbright’s Vice Chair, United States. “Jen’s arrival further elevates our corporate team, deepening the exceptional talent we offer clients throughout Texas, nationwide and globally.”
Jen is the ninth M&A partner and the fourteenth lateral partner overall to join Norton Rose Fulbright’s US transactions-focused business group in 2026. Her addition further expands a global corporate practice of more than 400 partners and 700 other deal lawyers handling some of the world’s largest transactions.
“Norton Rose Fulbright has long been one of the defining legal platforms in Texas, and the strength of its Austin office has always stood out to me,” Jen said. “That local footprint, coupled with the firm’s broader capabilities, allows me to support clients through every stage of a matter and connect them with the resources they need to achieve their commercial objectives.”
Licensed in Texas, Jen earned her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Ohio State University.
Norton Rose Fulbright
Norton Rose Fulbright provides a full scope of legal services to the world’s preeminent corporations and financial institutions. The global law firm has more than 3,000 lawyers advising clients across locations in the United States, Europe, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. With its global business principles of quality, unity and integrity, Norton Rose Fulbright is recognized for its client service in key industries, including financial institutions; energy, infrastructure and resources; technology; transport; life sciences and healthcare; and consumer markets. For more information, visit nortonrosefulbright.com.
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- Norton Rose Fulbright – Jen Smith
CONTACT: Dan McKenna Norton Rose Fulbright [email protected]
