Attorney Germaine Austin, appointed to the ACRB by the Gate City Bar Association, focuses on business litigation, transactional law, and corporate law. He serves as counsel to public and private companies advising them on commercial matters, which include corporate governance, employee benefits, executive compensation, and mergers and acquisitions. Germaine drafts and negotiates contracts, commercial and corporate agreements, and equity incentive plans. He also assists in asset and stock purchase transactions.
Germaine represents clients in federal and state courts and before regulatory agencies, including the United States Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service. He counsels employers regarding corporate duties, taxation, and fiduciary obligations under various statutes, codes, and acts, such as the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). He also facilitates the design, implementation, and administration of employee benefit plans, including employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), 401(k) plans, and profit-sharing plans.
Germaine began his career in the U.S. Army as a Human Resource Sergeant for more than eight years. He gained valuable experience serving clients and his community, protecting assets, and leveraging relationships to achieve results. This continued during his matriculation at North Carolina Central University School of Law where he obtained his Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.).
From 2004 through 2006, he helped Democracy, North Carolina, and Common Cause North Carolina fight to hold elected officials accountable for the decisions they made and fought for the voting rights legislation. In 2010, he served as the National Director of Social Action for the National Black Law Students Association, where he fought to promote and implement various civil rights legislations and issues.
While at North Carolina Central University School of Law, he served as a consultant with the U.S. Small Business Administration. He evaluated company policies and financial and equity statements to draft strategic and operational plans to help small businesses exceed financial and operational goals.