Steig Olson has garnered significant recognition in the legal field, notably being featured by Law360 as a Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar. With a profound belief in the law as a powerful tool for protecting individuals, Olson's career has been driven by his deep-seated sense of justice. He once articulated this passion by saying, "I always saw the law as a sort of force to protect people, and as I grew up and developed my own conceptions of justice and what was important, that was the aspect that appealed to me."
Initially focused exclusively on plaintiff-side work, Olson's legal practice has evolved over the years. Despite this broadening of scope, he remains committed to advocating for the "little guy," aiming to combat the misuse of power through the legal system. His dedication to protecting individuals from abuse is a hallmark of his career.
Throughout his career, Steig has not only made significant legal strides but has also embodied the principle of using the law as a means to uphold justice and protect the vulnerable. His contributions have earned him numerous accolades. He was ranked in New York Antitrust: Mainly Plaintiff by Chambers USA from 2019 to 2024, praised as “fantastic, whip-smart and an incredible writer.” Law360 named him a “Rising Star in the field of competition law,” he was recognized as a Next Generation Leading Lawyer by Legal 500, and he was named one of the 500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers in 2025 by Lawdragon.
Steig’s uniquely versatile practice focuses on antitrust and competition law, representing both corporate plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes antitrust and other complex commercial litigation, including class actions. He also represents plaintiffs in “opt-out” actions and claimants before regulatory bodies addressing competition-related issues. The breadth of his practice affords him a perspective that benefits his clients regardless of which side of the “v.” they are on.
Steig Olson's legal career is further distinguished by his clerkships with Judge Barrington D. Parker, Jr., on the Second Circuit, and former Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker on the Northern District of California. His scholarship on complex litigation matters has been cited by the Third and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals, underscoring his influence and expertise in the field.
- Served as lead trial counsel in Pacific Steel Group v. Commercial Metals Company, et al., an antitrust case in the Northern District of California, securing a $110 million jury verdict (pre-trebling) on behalf of rebar furnish and install contractor Pacific Steel Group, who was blocked by Commercial Metals Company from entering the rebar manufacturing industry in California.
- Represents The Home Depot in an antitrust lawsuit against Visa and MasterCard concerning allegedly unlawful practices that caused The Home Depot and other U.S. merchants to pay inflated fees when they accept credit and debit cards.
- Lead counsel for United Parcel Service, Inc. in matters before the Postal Regulatory Commission involving competition in parcel delivery markets.
- Represents IQVIA (formerly IMS Health), a leading provider of information, services, and technology in the health care field, in trade secrets and antitrust litigation against Veeva Systems.
- Represents The City of Philadelphia in multiple antitrust actions, including in a case against the Wall Street Banks that allegedly worked together to suppress the London Interbank Offered Rate which was a pricing term in derivatives contracts between municipal entities and the banks.
- Served as one of the Court-appointed Lead Counsel in In re Credit Default Swaps Antitrust Litigation, representing a proposed class of investors in credit default swaps, alleging that the major dealer banks, and standard-setting and data entities they control, conspired to prevent the development of competition from exchanges and clearinghouses in this market. The defendants agreed to pay over $1.86 billion to settle the case, which is one of the largest antitrust class actions in history.
- Served as one of the principal lawyers in the ISDAfix Antitrust Litigation, where Quinn Emanuel served as one of the court-appointed Lead Counsel class of investors in interest rate derivatives who were allegedly harmed when the defendant banks conspired to manipulate the “ISDAfix” reference rate, a key interest rate benchmark. In approving settlements totaling over $500 million, Judge Furman of the S.D.N.Y noted that the ISDAfix proceeding was “the most complicated case” he ever faced, and that he could “not really imagine” how much more complicated “it would have been if I didn’t have counsel who had done as admirable a job in briefing it and arguing it.” Quinn Emanuel’s work on the case resulted in our being awarded the American Antirust Institute’s “Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement in Private Law Practice” award for 2018.
- Represented Gilead Sciences, Inc. in defending antitrust claims alleging that Gilead unlawfully refused to deal with companies seeking to develop generic drugs. On September 29, 2015, Steig and other members of the team obtained dismissal of all claims against Gilead in an antitrust suit brought by a generic pharmaceutical manufacturer in the District of Minnesota.
- Harvard Law School
(J.D., magna cum laude, 2001) - Vassar College
(B.A., Philosophy, 1997)
- The State Bar of New York
- Hausfeld LLP:
- Partner, 2008-2011
- Partner, 2008-2011
- Cohen Milstein Hausfeld & Toll, PLLC:
- Associate, 2003-2008
- Associate, 2003-2008
- Law Clerk to the Honorable Barrington D. Parker Jr.:
- United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2002-2003
- United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2002-2003
- Law Clerk to the Honorable Vaughn R. Walker:
- United States District Court for the Northern District of California
- Recognized by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers, 2025
- Ranked in Who’s Who Legal: Competition 2024
- Ranked in New York in Antitrust: Mainly Plaintiff by Chambers USA, 2019-2024 and quoted as "fantastic, whip-smart and an incredible writer."
- Awarded the “Titan Of The Plaintiffs Bar: Quinn Emanuel's Steig D. Olson” by Law360, 2024
- Selected to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers guide for Antitrust Litigation, Complex Commercial Litigation, 2020, 2023, 2024, 2025
- Ranked by Legal 500 USA, Antitrust: Civil Litigation/Class Actions: Plaintiff “Leading Lawyer”, “Recommended Lawyers”, 2023, 2024
- Ranked by Who’s Who Legal: Thought Leader – Competition – Plaintiff, 2023
- Ranked by Who’s Who Legal: Competition USA (New York), 2021, 2023
- Named a New York Metro Super Lawyer in Antitrust Litigation, Business Litigation, and Civil Rights by Super Lawyers, 2019
- Named by Legal 500 as one of the Next Generation of Leading Lawyers for Civil Litigation and Class Actions, 2017
- Named a New York Metro Rising Stars by Super Lawyers, 2012, 2013, and 2014
- Named a Rising Star in the field of competition law by legal journal Law360, 2013