During the 46th Annual Bankruptcy Institute produced by the North Carolina Bar Association, the NCBA Bankruptcy Section honored Joe Grier with the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award. The purpose of the Lifetime Achievement Award is to recognize a bankruptcy practitioner who has contributed to the betterment of the Bankruptcy Section, the profession, and who has set an aspiring example for those who follow.

During the presentation, Joe’s leadership and mentorship of younger attorneys were highlighted as substantial factors in his selection as the award recipient, as was his service to the community, including to the Mecklenburg County Council for the Boy Scouts of America, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, his church, and the NCBA Bankruptcy Section Council. The Lifetime Achievement Award Committee’s presentation concluded with the observation that Joe “has made a name for himself by persistently and patiently unwinding massive fraudulent enterprises, following the money, and pursuing the culpable to compensate victims, yet he is unflaggingly gracious and kind to his fellow attorneys, judges, and opposing parties.”