Justin D. Burns

Justin D. Burns is a partner of McMoran, O’Connor, Bramley & Burns, P.C.

Justin D. Burns has represented individuals in employment-related matters since he joined the firm in 2008. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Burns was an Associate at Drinker Biddle in Florham Park, New Jersey. Mr. Burns’ practice is dedicated to employment litigation. He primarily represents employees in all aspects of employment law, including discrimination, whistle-blowing/retaliation, sexual harassment, overtime/wage claims, breach of employment contracts, non-compete agreements, severance negotiations and unemployment benefits hearings. Mr. Burns’ clients represent all sectors of the workforce, including private and public employees, senior executives to entry level employees, and employees at Fortune 500 corporations to small local companies. Mr. Burns also represents small businesses in proper termination procedures, restrictive covenant enforcement, responding to harassment and discrimination complaints and wage and hour compliance.

Awards & Results

Mr. Burns has successfully negotiated countless settlements and enhanced severance packages for employees without resorting to litigation. However, in situations where informal negotiations have broken down, Mr. Burns has participated in the trial, mediation and settlement of several multi-million dollar cases on behalf of aggrieved employees. Mr. Burns has trial experience in both New Jersey state and federal courts.

From 2018 through 2021, Mr. Burns was selected by his peers for inclusion as a New Jersey Super Lawyer, Rising Star (Employment Litigation – Plaintiffs), which is an honor given to only 2.5% of attorneys practicing in the State of New Jersey. In 2022 and 2023, Mr. Burns was selected by his peers for inclusion in the list of New Jersey Super Lawyers (Employment Litigation – Plaintiffs). Mr. Burns was also selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2020-2024 editions of Best Lawyers in America (Litigation – Labor and Employment). Mr. Burns has also been recognized by The National Advocates, an invitation only professional organization, as a “Top 40 Under 40” in Employment Law.

In 2018, Mr. Burns earned one of the top 100 reported verdicts nationwide in a Labor and Employment case. Based on Mr. Burns’ success at trial, in 2018, Mr. Burns became a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which is comprised of trial lawyers who were lead counsel in cases that resulted in verdicts of $1,000,000.00 or more. Mr. Burns also became a member of the Best of the Bar for achieving a Top 100 Verdict in 2018 in the State of New Jersey (all types of cases). Fewer than 1% of United States lawyers are members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum or the Best of the Bar.

Following his membership into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum in 2018, Mr. Burns continued to obtain substantial settlements for his clients. He received recognition in 2019 again from Best of the Bar for obtaining a Top 100 Settlement in New Jersey (all types of cases). In 2020, Mr. Burns received recognition from TopVerdict for obtaining a Top 50 Settlement in the United States in a Labor and Employment case, as well as a Top 20 Settlement in New Jersey (all types of cases), which was also the highest reported settlement in the State in 2020 in a wrongful termination action.

Education & Teaching

Mr. Burns is a graduate of Rutgers University, Rutgers Business School, with honors, and Boston University Law School, cum laude. He is a frequent lecturer on employment law for the New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education and the New Jersey Association of Justice.

Mr. Burns is a member of the New Jersey, New York, and American Bar Associations, as well as a member of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the New Jersey Bar Association, the Ocean County Bar Association and the Monmouth County Bar Association.