Brooks Pierce is pleased to announce that partner Justin Outling has been named the firm’s first Director of Diversity & Inclusion. Outling will remain a partner and continue to practice law.
Continuing his work with the firm’s established Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Outling will be responsible for originating, leading and supervising all of Brooks Pierce’s diversity and inclusion efforts. He will also review the firm’s programs, policies and actions to ensure they support these initiatives.
“Brooks Pierce has long been dedicated to improving diversity and inclusion efforts, not just in our firm but in the wider communities we serve,” said Reid Phillips, the firm’s managing partner. “We are glad that Justin has agreed to take on this additional responsibility and focus more of his time, and the firm’s resources, on making sure our initiatives have a real and lasting impact.”
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. He has received numerous awards and recognition including being honored with the North Carolina Bar Association’s 2019 Citizen Lawyer Award, being selected for Black Business Ink Magazine’s “40 Under 40 Most Influential African Americans in the Piedmont” in 2019 and being listed on the Greensboro News & Record’s “Top 20 People of Influence in Greensboro” in 2017. Outling was selected by his peers for inclusion in Business North Carolina's “Legal Elite” in the Young Guns category in 2018 and selected for Benchmark Litigation’s “Under 40 Hot List” earlier this year.
He is very active in the Triad community. He serves on the Greensboro City Council, representing District 3. Outling also co-chairs the board of visitors for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, his alma mater, and has held leadership roles with Greensboro Downtown Parks Inc., Hospice Foundation of Greater Greensboro and Triad Stage among other organizations.
“I am both honored and humbled to be named Brooks Pierce’s first director of diversity & inclusion,” Outling said. “While the firm has been committed to these initiatives for years, it is exciting to have the opportunity to elevate these efforts moving forward.”
