Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP

What Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP does

Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP is a North Carolina-based business law firm founded in 1897 in Greensboro and now operating from four offices in Greensboro, Raleigh, Wilmington, and Charlotte. The firm is organized as a limited liability partnership with 123 attorneys and provides full-service legal counsel to businesses, non-profits, trade associations, government entities, and high-net-worth individuals, with primary practice areas in corporate and business law, real estate, litigation, white-collar defense, labor and employment (18-attorney team), media and communications, M&A, securities, class action defense, trusts and estates, utilities and telecom, construction litigation, not-for-profits, music industry law, and land use and zoning.

The firm generates revenue through traditional professional services pricing: hourly billing, contingency fees, flat fees, and hybrid arrangements across its practice areas, with no publicly disclosed pricing. It pursues a relationship-driven, enterprise-focused go-to-market built on attorney business development, client referrals, peer recognition (rankings in Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, Business North Carolina Legal Elite, North Carolina Super Lawyers, and U.S. News Best Law Firms), and thought leadership through publications such as Capital Dispatch and CLE programming. Disclosed matters include representation of Concord Hospitality and Whitman Peterson in a $112.5M hotel transaction, E.W. Scripps in its ION Media acquisition, Quincy Media in a $925M transaction, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in a regional hospital purchase.

The firm operates standard legal technology infrastructure for research, document management, and litigation support, with no proprietary technology products or AI-native service capabilities disclosed. Its competitive position rests on sustained peer recognition, deep North Carolina Business Court experience (involvement in 116 of the 1,000+ published opinions on the NC Business Court Opinions page), and a four-office footprint aligned with the state's principal economic markets, most recently extended to Charlotte in July 2025.

Name

Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP

Legal name

Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP

Website

https://brookspierce.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Brooks Pierce is a 123-attorney North Carolina business law firm founded in 1897, operating from four offices (Greensboro, Raleigh, Wilmington, Charlotte) and providing full-service corporate, litigation, real estate, and regulatory counsel to enterprises, non-profits, and individuals across the state.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

Keywords

• Business legal services
• Corporate law counsel
• Commercial litigation
• Real estate law
• Mergers and acquisitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Greensboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Traditional law firm providing comprehensive legal services to businesses, non-profits, trade associations, and individuals. Services include corporate transactions, litigation, real estate, labor & employment, media/communications, and regulatory compliance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP is a North Carolina-based business law firm providing comprehensive legal counsel through distinct practice areas including corporate transactions, commercial litigation, real estate, labor and employment, mergers and acquisitions, securities, white collar defense, media and communications regulation, trusts and estates, and utilities/telecom. The firm serves privately-held and publicly traded companies, financial institutions, non-profits, trade associations, and government entities across North Carolina from four offices (Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, and Wilmington).

Product overview

Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP is a North Carolina law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services through distinct practice areas rather than a unified software product. The firm's core offerings span corporate/business law, real estate, litigation, white collar defense, labor & employment, media & communications, mergers & acquisitions, securities, class action defense, trusts & estates, utilities & telecom regulation, construction litigation, not-for-profits, music law, and land use & zoning. The practice areas operate as separate service lines under a unified firm structure, each with specialized attorneys serving clients throughout North Carolina from offices in Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, and Wilmington.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate & Business Law

Quantifiable outcome

• $112.5 million hotel transaction for Concord Hospitality and Whitman Peterson
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan, LLP: Long-established Raleigh-based business law firm with a comparable attorney headcount and similar practice mix spanning corporate, litigation, employment, and real estate serving North Carolina enterprise clients. Most direct analog to Brooks Pierce on geography, size, and full-service business law positioning.
• Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A. Charlotte-based business law firm comparable in size and breadth, with strong corporate, litigation, and banking practices serving the same NC corporate and financial-services client base Brooks Pierce targets. Direct competitor for Charlotte-headquartered Fortune-class clients.
• Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP: Charlotte-headquartered full-service business law firm with overlapping corporate, M&A, healthcare, and litigation practices serving Carolinas enterprise clients. Competes head-to-head with Brooks Pierce for the same regional corporate accounts.
• Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP: Raleigh-based business and litigation boutique of similar scale focused on complex corporate, securities, and IP matters for North Carolina growth and public companies. Direct overlap on M&A, securities, and Business Court litigation.
• Moore & Van Allen PLLC: Charlotte-based business law firm with strong banking, corporate, and litigation practices serving financial institutions and large NC-headquartered corporations. Comparable size and explicitly competing for the same Charlotte corporate accounts.

Broad incumbents

• Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP: Transatlantic firm with North Carolina origins (legacy Womble Carlyle) and continuing significant Charlotte presence. Larger and more diversified than Brooks Pierce, but directly competes for NC corporate, real estate, and litigation work.
• McGuireWoods LLP: Large AmLaw firm with deep Southeast footprint and Charlotte/Raleigh presence. Competes for NC-based Fortune-class corporate work on a broader, multi-jurisdictional scale than Brooks Pierce can offer.
• Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP: Southeastern AmLaw firm with major Charlotte and Raleigh offices, providing corporate, litigation, financial services, and regulatory practices competing for the same NC enterprise clients. Significantly larger platform than Brooks Pierce.
• Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP: Large full-service firm with a significant Charlotte office focused on banking/finance, energy, and corporate work for the same Charlotte corporate HQ client base Brooks Pierce targets with its new office. National scale gives it a competitive advantage on multi-state matters.
• K&L Gates LLP: Global law firm with an established Charlotte office serving financial institutions, energy, and corporate clients across NC. Competes with Brooks Pierce for enterprise and financial-services mandates requiring multi-jurisdictional reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brooks-pierce
• Xx.com/brookspiercelaw
• Facebookfacebook.com/brookspiercelaw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP