Justin Outling, Brooks Pierce Photo

Justin N. Outling

Partner and Director of Diversity & Inclusion

Overview

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 myriad of matters. Justin also serves as the firm’s Director of Diversity & Inclusion.

My Practices

  • Justin has successfully defended clients in a variety 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.

Credentials

Clerkships

Law clerk to Judge William L. Osteen, Jr., U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, 2008-2009

Honors & Recognitions

Selected for Benchmark Litigation's "40 & Under Hot List" (2020-2021)

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)

Education

Duke University School of Law, J.D., 2008; Editor, Journal of Gender Law & Policy

University of North Carolina at Greensboro, B.A., 2005, cum laude; Attorney General, Student Excellence Award; Outstanding Political Science Student Award, 2005

Admissions

New York

North Carolina

U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina

Newsroom

News

Speaking Engagements

Professional & Civic

Professional & Civic Activities

Board of Directors, United Way of Greater Greensboro (2023-present)

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)

About Me

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”

  • 34
    34 attorneys named to Business North Carolina's 2024 "Legal Elite" and "Hall of Fame"
  • 117
    117 attorneys with the highest standard of professional and personal excellence
  • 72
    72 of our attorneys are recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 Guide
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