Texas's 2021 SB 45 expanded sexual harassment liability to every employer, no matter the size. The legal landscape is more favorable to plaintiffs than it has been in decades.
Texas Senate Bill 45 (effective September 2021) ended the federal 15-employee threshold for sexual harassment claims under state law and extended individual supervisor liability. The result: a strong harassment case in Austin now has more avenues — Title VII (federal), Chapter 21 TCHRA (state), and TX Labor Code §21.142 (sexual-harassment-specific).
These ten Austin sexual harassment firms were selected based on published verdicts and settlements, peer rankings (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, Avvo), board certifications, bar association recognition, and client review patterns across Google, Avvo, and Justia. Firms that surfaced consistently across at least two independent sources made the list.
How we picked these 10: We do not accept payment for placement, and we do not write sponsored reviews. More on our methodology → | How to compare firms →
Practice focus: Sexual harassment, hostile work environment, retaliation, discrimination
Austin plaintiff employment boutique with a $2.5M sexual and racial harassment arbitration award and $45M+ recovered overall.
Heavy bench on the harassment-plus-retaliation pattern that most cases follow. Selective intake — they pick provable cases and prepare them hard.
Practice focus: Sexual harassment, gender discrimination, wrongful termination
John F. Melton is board certified in labor and employment law and a Texas Super Lawyer every year since 2011.
Long bench on Title VII and TCHRA sexual harassment matters. Active on cases brought under the post-SB 45 framework.
Practice focus: Sexual harassment, retaliation, discrimination
28+ years representing Texas employees, including Austin, Houston, and San Antonio matters.
Solo practice with personal attention through the case. Long retaliation experience — important because harassment claims usually surface alongside an adverse action.
Practice focus: Sexual harassment, hostile work environment, gender discrimination
Robert J. Wiley is board certified in labor and employment law.
Broader resources than the boutiques. Strong on cases involving multiple harassers, class-action potential, or document-heavy investigations.
Practice focus: Sexual harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination
Board-certified labor and employment specialist focused on employee-side work.
Board certification plus a small-firm model. Direct attorney communication is the norm, not the exception.
Practice focus: Sexual harassment, gender and disability discrimination, retaliation
Austin board-certified labor and employment lawyer.
Heavy retaliation bench. Useful when the firing came shortly after an internal HR complaint about harassment.
Practice focus: Sexual harassment, discrimination, whistleblower, severance
Chris McKinney is board certified in labor and employment law.
Hybrid fee model. Useful when the case is closer to a severance-negotiation posture than a full trial track.
Practice focus: Sexual harassment, discrimination, wage and hour
Both managing partners are board certified in labor and employment law.
Strong with cases that combine harassment with wage or FLSA issues — common in service-industry matters.
Practice focus: Sexual harassment, class actions, wrongful termination
Plaintiff firm with class and collective action experience taking cases nationwide from Austin.
Best fit when the harassment is part of a broader pattern affecting multiple employees. Class-action posture changes settlement leverage.
Practice focus: Sexual harassment, discrimination, hostile work environment
Austin + Dallas employment boutique handling harassment and hostile work environment claims.
Cross-Texas bench. Useful if you have witnesses or co-workers in both metros, or if your employer is headquartered elsewhere in the state.
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Fit your situation, not just the practice area. A sexual harassment firm that does mostly executive-level matters is a different fit from one that does mostly hourly-worker matters. Call the firm and ask: "What does a typical client look like for you? What does a typical case look like?" If the answer is your situation, you are in the right place.
Ask who actually handles the case. Many firms market on the senior partner and route the day-to-day work to a junior associate. That is not automatically bad — junior associates can be excellent — but you should know who you are working with. Ask: "Who will I be talking to day-to-day? How often does the senior partner sit in?"
Compare quotes side by side. If the case is contingency, the percentages are usually within a narrow band. If the case is hourly, the rate and the retainer can swing thousands of dollars. Most Austin firms on this list offer a free consultation. Use two of them.
Almost all Austin sexual harassment cases are taken on contingency: 33% pre-suit, 40% if a lawsuit is filed. You owe nothing up front and nothing if you lose. Title VII compensatory and punitive damages are capped at $50,000-$300,000 based on employer size; back pay, front pay, and attorney fees sit on top of the cap. Texas Chapter 21 (TCHRA) carries similar caps; TX Labor Code §21.142 (post-SB 45) has separate provisions.
EEOC charge: 300 days from the last act of harassment for federal claims; 180 days for state TWC charges. Right-to-sue typically issues 6-12 months after filing. Federal sexual harassment lawsuits in the Western District of Texas: 12-30 months to settlement; 24-36 months to trial.
Federal claims go to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division. State claims (TCHRA, §21.142) go to Travis County District Court. The Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division processes state administrative charges in parallel with EEOC.
The first hundred Google results for "sexual harassment lawyer Austin" include thousands of firms. Most are competent. A handful are problems. The patterns to walk away from:
Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can guarantee a result. If a firm promises a specific recovery or dismissal, leave.
The vanishing partner. You meet a senior name at intake, then never speak to them again. Ask in writing who handles your case from day to day.
Pressure to sign immediately. Reputable firms give you the retainer in writing, time to read it, and the option to take it home. High-pressure intake is almost always a volume mill.
No verifiable track record. The firm should be able to point to published verdicts, settlements, peer rankings, or bar association recognition. "We have helped thousands of clients" is marketing. Specific cases, numbers, and third-party rankings are evidence.
Vague fee terms. Every legitimate Austin lawyer will give you a written engagement letter with the fee structure, what is covered, what triggers extra charges, and what happens if you fire them. If the firm cannot put that in writing, walk away.
We will connect you with vetted sexual harassment attorneys in Austin. No fee to use this service.
Most Austin sexual harassment firms on this list offer a free initial consultation. Use it. Bring a list of questions, write down the answers, and compare across two firms before you sign.
Two main categories: quid pro quo (a tangible benefit conditioned on sexual conduct — promotion, raise, retention) and hostile work environment (unwelcome conduct severe or pervasive enough to alter the conditions of employment). Texas SB 45 (2021) lowered the threshold for state claims and extended liability to individual supervisors.
300 days from the last act of harassment to file an EEOC charge; 180 days for a Texas Workforce Commission charge. State-law claims under TX Labor Code §21.142 may have different deadlines — talk to a lawyer quickly, do not assume the longest deadline applies to you.
Strongly preferred but not strictly required. Reporting through the employer's complaint process strengthens your case (it eliminates the Faragher-Ellerth defense for the employer) and triggers retaliation protections. Document the report in writing and keep your own copy.
Unwelcome conduct based on a protected characteristic (sex, race, religion, etc.) that is severe or pervasive enough to alter the conditions of employment. A single very severe incident can qualify; a pattern of less severe incidents can also qualify.
Texas Senate Bill 45 (effective September 1, 2021) created TX Labor Code §21.142, which applies sexual harassment liability to every employer with even one employee — not just employers of 15 or more. It also extends individual liability to supervisors and managers. The result: more cases in Texas now have a viable path under state law that they wouldn't have had pre-2021.
Yes, under a constructive discharge theory — if the harassment was so severe a reasonable person would have felt compelled to resign. Harder to win than a wrongful termination case but provable with the right documentation.
Back pay, front pay, emotional distress, punitive damages, and attorney fees. Federal Title VII compensatory and punitive damages are capped at $50,000-$300,000 based on employer size; back pay and front pay sit on top. State-law claims under Texas Labor Code can supplement the federal recovery.
EEOC charges are confidential. Lawsuits are public record by default. Most cases settle before trial with a confidentiality clause, which keeps the resolution private. If anonymity through litigation matters to you, raise it at intake.
One last thing. Choosing a lawyer is personal. Read the reviews. Call two or three firms before you sign. Ask each one: How many cases like mine have you taken to verdict in the last three years? The answer tells you what you need to know. — The LawFirmSquare team