With great sadness, Brooks Pierce announces the passing of John Ormand, our partner and friend. John joined our firm in 1987, the year he graduated from law school. He was with Brooks Pierce for all of his career. “I’ve never known a more determined person,” said Reid Phillips. “He was that way in his litigation practice and he was equally resourceful, tenacious, and courageous in his long fight against cancer. Everyone admired him.”
Jeff Oleynik, who joined our firm the same year as John, and litigated many cases with him, added, “In addition to all those qualities, which made John a great litigator, he also had the "X" factor, a phrase coined by Hugh Humphrey when he interviewed John to work at Brooks Pierce. The "X" factor was Hugh's way of describing a young lawyer who was not only smart and focused, but also positive and enthusiastic, exuding those intangible qualities which made it evident that the person was destined to be not just a successful attorney, but also a great law partner and friend.”
John was an accomplished trial lawyer who successfully litigated many types of business disputes during his more than three decades with the firm. He was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Labor & Employment (2021-2023) and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (2023). Benchmark Litigation recognized him as a Litigation Star for General Commercial (2019); Personal Injury (2015-2017); and Labor and Employment (2015-2023). He was recognized by North Carolina Super Lawyers from 2013 to 2023. John was a member of the American Bar Association, North Carolina Bar Association and Wake County Bar Association.
John’s community service included nearly twenty years of coaching youth soccer. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed fishing, hiking and photographing nature. He especially liked bicycle riding and scuba diving. Bike rides of 100 miles on the weekend were not unusual for John. He completed more than 500 scuba dives to the wrecks and ledges off the North Carolina coast.
John graduated magna cum laude from Wake Forest University in 1984. In 1987, he was awarded his law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law with honors.
Please join us in our condolences to John’s family and all who loved him.