Sexually harassed at work in Memphis? You have a 180–300 day window.
Federal law (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act) and the Tennessee Human Rights Act both prohibit sexual harassment at work, but the protections only kick in if your employer has 15 or more employees (Title VII) or 8 or more (THRA). You typically have 180 days to file with the Tennessee Human Rights Commission and 300 days to file with the EEOC. Miss those windows and most of your claim disappears. The right Memphis employment lawyer will look at your facts, your evidence (texts, emails, witness names, performance history), and your employer's size, and tell you in the first call whether you have a case worth pursuing.
These 10 Memphis firms cover sexual harassment for everyday clients, professionals, and businesses across the Tennessee bench. Every firm on the list was cross-referenced against Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers®, Avvo, Justia, and Maryland or Tennessee bar resources before being included.
How we picked these 10: We reviewed published verdicts and settlements, peer rankings (Best Lawyers®, Super Lawyers, Avvo), client review patterns, and bar-association recognition. Firms that appeared consistently across independent sources made the list. We do not accept payment for placement, and we do not write sponsored reviews. More on our methodology →
Practice focus: Workplace sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation
Memphis employment plaintiffs' firm with a dedicated sexual-harassment practice; handles Title VII, THRA, and common-law tort claims arising from workplace conduct.
Practice focus: Workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, federal employee rights
Kristy L. Bennett — Three Best Rated® Top 3 Employment Lawyers in Memphis (multi-year) and listed in Best Lawyers in America®; firm focuses on complex employment cases.
Practice focus: Sexual harassment, discrimination, executive employment
Memphis employee-side employment firm; represents employees, executives, and entrepreneurs in harassment, discrimination, and wage cases.
Practice focus: Sexual harassment, retaliation, discrimination, whistleblower
Founded by Myra Hamilton; takes employment violations including sexual harassment, retaliation against whistleblowers, and unpaid-wages cases.
Practice focus: Sexual harassment, hostile environment, discrimination
Memphis employment-law firm representing victims of unwanted touching, pressure for sex, and gender-based degrading workplace conduct; has handled both employee and employer sides.
Practice focus: Employment litigation, sexual harassment, civil rights
Memphis litigation firm with an active employment practice; counsel for sexual-harassment and Title VII matters in federal court.
Practice focus: Employment civil rights, harassment, retaliation
Regional trial firm with a Memphis office; takes high-stakes sexual harassment and retaliation cases on a contingency or hybrid basis.
Practice focus: Employment counseling and litigation, harassment defense and plaintiff work
Long-established Memphis firm; employment group is recognized by Best Lawyers® and Super Lawyers and handles select sexual-harassment matters.
Practice focus: Workplace harassment, discrimination, civil rights
Memphis civil-rights and employment lawyer recognized in Mid-South Super Lawyers; speaks and writes regularly on workplace harassment and retaliation law.
Practice focus: Workplace harassment, retaliation, wage and hour
National plaintiffs' firm with a Memphis office that takes sexual-harassment and retaliation matters on contingency.
One short form. Free initial call with a vetted Memphis firm. No obligation, and we never sell your information.
First call: 30–60 minutes, usually free. The lawyer asks about your job, the harasser, the conduct, what you reported and to whom, when, and what happened after. If the case is viable, the firm files an EEOC or THRC charge — those are administrative prerequisites and run 4–10 months. After a "right-to-sue" letter, the lawsuit is filed in federal or state court. Most viable Memphis sexual-harassment cases either settle within 12–18 months or go to trial in 18–30.
Most Memphis sexual harassment lawyers work on contingency — typically 33–40% of the recovery if you win, often with no fee at all if you lose. Some take cases on a hybrid (reduced contingency plus capped hourly) if the case is unusually strong on liability but lower on damages. Initial consultations are almost always free. If a case has to be filed in federal court, costs (filing fees, depositions, experts) are usually advanced by the firm and recouped from any recovery.
The legal directories you find on Google list thousands of Memphis firms. Most are competent. A few are problematic. The patterns to walk away from:
Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can guarantee a result. If a firm promises a specific recovery, a dismissal, a specific custody schedule, or a specific tax outcome, walk away.
The disappearing partner. You meet a senior partner at intake and then never speak to them again. Your case is handled by an unsupervised junior or a paralegal. Ask in writing who will be your day-to-day attorney.
Pressure to sign immediately. Reputable Memphis 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 sign of a volume mill, not a craftsperson's practice.
No verifiable track record. The firm should be able to point to verdicts, settlements, peer rankings, or bar-association recognition. "We've helped thousands of clients" is marketing copy. Specific numbers, named cases, and third-party rankings are evidence.
Vague fee terms. "Don't worry about cost" is a red flag. Every legitimate Memphis lawyer will give you a written engagement letter with the fee structure, what's covered, what triggers extra charges, and what happens if you fire them.
Most Memphis sexual harassment firms on this list offer a free initial consultation. Use it. Bring a list of questions and write down the answers. Compare across at least two firms before you sign.
Memphis is its own market. The procedure, the courts, and the strategy are city- and state-specific in ways that matter to your outcome.
Local courthouses matter. The Shelby County Probate Court and Shelby County Circuit Court are the day-to-day venues for most sexual harassment work; the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee handles federal-question cases. Each has its own judges, calendars, and procedures that shape how matters move.
Filing deadlines are strict. Notice windows, statutes of limitations, and pre-suit certifications vary by case type and are unforgiving. A missed deadline often means a lost case — full stop.
Local procedure rules matter. Each court has its own forms, motion practice, and judge preferences. The right Memphis firm will know not just the law but the unwritten rules of the courthouse you'll be in.
Local juries vary. Verdict patterns vary by venue, and a trial-capable firm uses venue strategically when it can.
Two main types: (1) quid pro quo — when a job benefit (promotion, hours, employment itself) is tied to sexual conduct; and (2) hostile work environment — when severe or pervasive sex-based conduct alters the conditions of your work. Isolated rude comments usually do not qualify; a pattern of conduct, a single severe assault, or a tangible job consequence does.
Generally 180 days from the harassing conduct with the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, or 300 days with the EEOC. Sexual assault may have separate, longer civil and criminal timelines.
Usually yes — and the timing of your report matters. Title VII gives employers an affirmative defense if they have an anti-harassment policy and a complaint procedure that you unreasonably failed to use. A lawyer will help you document the report properly.
Retaliation is illegal under both federal and Tennessee law. If you are fired, demoted, or otherwise punished after reporting, the retaliation claim is often stronger than the underlying harassment claim and adds substantial damages.
Back pay, front pay (lost future earnings), compensatory damages (emotional distress), punitive damages, and attorney's fees. Title VII caps combined compensatory and punitive damages based on employer size — from $50,000 (small) to $300,000 (large). Tennessee state-law claims may allow additional recovery.
Texts, emails, voicemails, dates and times of incidents, names of witnesses, contemporaneous notes you wrote at the time, and your own employment record. A good lawyer will tell you in the first call whether your evidence is enough.
A filed lawsuit is generally public, but most cases settle and most settlements are confidential. EEOC charges are not public. If anonymity matters, raise it with the lawyer at the first meeting.
Title VII does not cover you, but the Tennessee Human Rights Act covers employers with 8+ employees in many circumstances. State common-law claims (assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress) may apply even to smaller employers.
Tell us about your situation and we'll match you with vetted sexual harassment attorneys in Memphis. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Request Free Consultation →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 or final order in the last three years? The answer tells you most of what you need to know. — The LawFirmSquare team