Peter Bynoe
*Peter Bynoe was born on March 20, 1951. He is a Black attorney and businessman.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Peter Charles Bernard Bynoe's father, Victor C. Bynoe, emigrated from Barbados at age 13 and became a successful attorney; he represented Boston Celtics player Bill Russell. He also had an Uncle, John Bynoe, who was active in civil rights and was the regional civil rights director for the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Bynoe attended William Lloyd Garrison Elementary School and graduated from Boston Latin School in 1968. He credits his parents for instilling high standards and expecting him to achieve in school. He also loved sports, growing up as a regular Boston Celtics and Boston Red Sox fan. Although both teams had Black players, racial relations in Boston at that time were still tense, and Black fans like Bynoe were hesitant to attend the games.
Bynoe's entire post-secondary education was at Harvard University. He received his bachelor's degree in 1972, his master's degree, an M.B.A. in 1976, and his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. In late November 1987, he married Linda Jean Walker, vice president of the fixed-income division of Morgan Stanley in New York. He was formerly the only African American equity partner in the Chicago office of DLA Piper.
In 1989, he and his business partner Bertram Lee were the first African Americans to buy a controlling interest in a National Basketball Association (NBA) team when they purchased a 37.5% share of the Denver Nuggets basketball team. Bynoe is among the most influential minority figures in sports law and management. He kept the Chicago White Sox from leaving Chicago by developing a New Comiskey Park (now known as U.S. Cellular Field).
He has become a negotiator for professional sports teams' venues. In addition, he was involved in the development of the 1996 and 2012 Summer Olympics. Bynoe serves on several boards of directors.
