Justin Outling focuses his practice on business litigation and white-collar criminal defense. He helps businesses and professionals in a variety of industries, and has successfully brought and defended lawsuits in a wide range of matters. Justin also serves as the firm’s Director of Diversity & Inclusion.
Justin has successfully defended clients in a wide range of matters, including breach of contract, unfair competition and trade practices, fraud, shareholder disputes, and commercial financing.
Prior to joining Brooks Pierce, Justin practiced law at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, LLP in New York City, where he represented financial institutions and multi-national corporations in securities and other complex litigation, as well as in criminal and regulatory matters.
Justin’s experience includes representing companies in governmental inquiries and investigations, involving hedge funds with exposure to the Bernard Madoff fraud, “repo” trading of securities, insider trading, and possible criminal liability arising from a mining accident that resulted in the deaths of over a dozen people.
Justin represents health care organizations on a variety of issues. His experience includes representing a hospital in breach of contract action involving a joint venture for an ambulatory surgical center.
Continuing his work with the firm’s established Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Justin is responsible for originating, leading and supervising all of Brooks Pierce’s diversity and inclusion efforts.
Selected for Benchmark Litigation's "Under 40 Hot List" (2020)
University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) Alumni Award for Professional Achievement (2019)
North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) Citizen Lawyer Award (2019)
Selected for Black Business Ink Magazine's "40 Under 40 Most Influential African Americans in the Piedmont" (2019)
Selected by his peers for inclusion in Business North Carolina's "Legal Elite" in Litigation (2021) and in the Young Guns category (2018)
Listed on Greensboro News & Record's Top 20 People of Influence in Greensboro (2017)
Triad Business Journal, "40 Under 40" Award (2016)
Guilford County Association of Black Lawyers, Outstanding Young Lawyer Award (2016)
Pro Bono Publico Award, Legal Aid Society of New York (for outstanding representation of domestic workers in human trafficking civil suit for unpaid wages)
Board of Directors, Carolina State Bank (2019-present)
Co-Chair (2018-present), Member (2013-present), Board of Visitors, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Board of Directors, Elsewhere (living art museum) (2016-2018)
Board of Directors, Hospice Foundation of Greater Greensboro (2016-2019)
Board of Directors, Greensboro Downtown Parks, Inc. (2016-present)
Greensboro City Council, District Three (2015-present)
Board of Trustees, Triad Stage (2015-2018)
Piedmont Triad Water Authority (2015-2016)
Member, Greensboro Fun Fourth Festival Advisory Board (2015-2016)
Council Member, Antitrust & Complex Business Disputes Law Section, North Carolina Bar Association (2014-2015)
Chairman, Minimum Housing Standards Commission, City of Greensboro (2014-2015)
Council Member, Action Greensboro synerG (Co-chair, Professional & Leadership Development Committee) (2014-2015)
Member, Steering Committee, Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, Future Fund (2014-2015)
Board of Directors, UNCG Alumni Association (2013-2015) (Chairman of Legislative Advocacy Committee, 2014-2015)
Member, Greensboro Bar Association (2013-present)
Member, Chief Justice Joseph Branch Inn of Court (2013-2016)
Panelist, Diversity & Inclusion Panel, North Carolina Bar Association Antitrust & Complex Business Disputes Law Section Continuing Legal Education program, Feb. 4, 2021
Co-presenter (with Natalie Sanders), "Black Lives Matter. Diversity & Inclusion Matter. What Does It All Mean for the Legal Profession?" The Mediation Center, Jan. 29, 2021
Speaker, Shabbat Starts Here, Temple Emanuel, Greensboro, NC, March 8, 2019
Speaker, Arch MI Black Professionals Employee Resource Group Black History Month Event, Greensboro, NC, February 7, 2019
Panelist, Leadership Greensboro's Economic Development Day Panel, Greensboro, NC, January 15, 2019
Speaker, Young Professional Educators Academy Welcome Reception, Greensboro, NC, January 10, 2019
Keynote Speaker, UNCG Commencement, December 7, 2018
Speaker, "Making Greensboro," Greensboro Bar Associaton Luncheon, November 15, 2018
Moderator, “Lifting As We Climb: Inclusion & Diversity,” UNC-Greensboro, November 8, 2018
Speaker, PLANIT GSO kick-off event, October 5, 2018
Panelist, " Minority Enterprise Development Week Legal Panel," MED Week, September 26, 2018.
Panelist, Affordable Housing Panel, First Bank Financial Education series, Greensboro, NC, June 2018
"Recent Developments in Insider Trading Law," presentation with David Smyth at the UNC School of Law Festival of Legal Learning, February 8, 2013
My favorite virtue: Integrity
My occupation if I weren't a lawyer: Sociologist
My favorite prose author: Isabel Wilkerson
My favorite activity away from work: Enjoying downtown Greensboro with my wife and two kiddos
My heroes in real life: My mother and my colleague, Henry Frye, both of whom embody the motto of “service above self”
