Fired for the wrong reason in Texas? At-will isn't a license to discriminate.
Texas is at-will, but employers cannot fire you for an illegal reason — race, sex, age, religion, disability, pregnancy, or national origin (Title VII, ADA, ADEA, TCHRA); retaliation for FMLA, FLSA, OSHA, or whistleblowing; or refusing to commit an illegal act (Sabine Pilot).
These ten Austin wrongful termination 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: Wrongful termination, discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation
Plaintiff employment boutique with $45M+ recovered for workers in under six years.
Harvard- and Columbia-trained partners with a Texas-wide bench and a published $2.5M sexual and racial harassment arbitration award. Heavily case-selective — they pick fights they expect to win.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, wage and hour, discrimination, whistleblower
Texas-wide plaintiff employment practice; both managing partners are board certified in labor and employment law.
Robert Wiley and Colin Walsh are among fewer than 1% of Texas attorneys with the board certification. They handle the full plaintiff stack — Title VII, FLSA, FMLA, ADA, ADEA.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, wage claims
Austin employee-rights firm built around founder John F. Melton, board certified in labor and employment law since 2008.
Melton has been named a Texas Super Lawyer every year since 2011. Strong record on retaliation and civil rights matters that other firms pass on.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, whistleblower, sexual harassment, federal labor act violations
Civil litigation firm with a focused employee-rights practice across the Austin metro.
Smaller bench, but consistently strong client reviews on retaliation cases and an experienced trial partner roster.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, sexual harassment, class and collective actions
Austin-headquartered plaintiff firm taking employment cases across Texas and nationwide.
Class and collective action experience that most boutiques don't carry. A good fit if your firing was part of a larger pattern affecting other employees.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, retaliation, FLSA, discrimination
Multi-state employee-side firm with deep Austin and Dallas benches.
Robert J. Wiley is board certified in labor and employment law. The firm handles a high volume of FLSA wage claims alongside termination matters.
Practice focus: Sexual harassment, wrongful termination, discrimination
Austin board-certified labor and employment specialist with a focused employee-side practice.
Board certification plus a small-firm model means you usually deal with Jeffrey Goldberg directly, not a junior associate.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, retaliation, sexual harassment, discrimination
Texas-wide plaintiff employment lawyer with 28+ years representing fired workers.
Long bench on Title VII retaliation matters. Solo practice means lower volume, more personal attention, slower case throughput.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation
Austin labor and employment specialist certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Board-certified, employee-side only, and known for taking ADA disability discrimination matters that larger firms decline.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, severance review, discrimination
Austin employee-side practice handling wrongful termination and severance negotiation.
Strong fit for white-collar terminations and severance negotiation. Hybrid fee model lets clients choose hourly for advice-only matters.
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Fit your situation, not just the practice area. A wrongful termination 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.
Most Austin wrongful termination firms work on contingency: 33-40% of any recovery, no fee unless they win. Hourly retainer arrangements (rare for plaintiff work) run $300-$500/hour with a $5,000-$15,000 starting retainer. Title VII and TCHRA both include fee-shifting — if you win, the employer pays your attorney fees on top of your damages.
EEOC charge within 300 days of termination. The EEOC typically takes 6-12 months to issue a right-to-sue letter (you can request one after 180 days). Federal lawsuits in the Western District of Texas (Austin Division) usually take 12-24 months from filing to settlement; 24-36 months to trial.
Federal employment claims in Austin go to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division. State claims (TCHRA, Sabine Pilot common law claims) go to Travis County District Court. The Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division handles parallel state administrative charges.
The first hundred Google results for "wrongful termination 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 wrongful termination attorneys in Austin. No fee to use this service.
Most Austin wrongful termination 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.
EEOC charges: 300 days from the date of termination for federal discrimination claims. Texas Workforce Commission charges: 180 days. State common-law claims (like Sabine Pilot) have a separate two-year statute of limitations. Missing these deadlines almost always bars your case permanently.
Firings based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age (40+), disability, pregnancy, or genetic information; retaliation for protected activity (FMLA leave, FLSA wage complaints, OSHA reports, jury duty, military service, EEOC charges); and termination for refusing to perform an illegal act (Sabine Pilot). "Unfair" is not the same as "illegal."
Typical settlements range from $25,000 to $250,000 depending on tenure, lost wages, and evidence strength. Cases with strong documentation, high-earning plaintiffs, or punitive-damage exposure can exceed $1 million. Title VII caps compensatory and punitive damages at $50,000-$300,000 based on employer size.
A Texas common-law cause of action — wrongful discharge for refusing to perform an illegal act. Named for the 1985 Texas Supreme Court case Sabine Pilot Service v. Hauck. It is the main exception to Texas's at-will rule for non-statutory firings.
Possibly. At-will means an employer can fire you for any reason or no reason — but not for an illegal reason. If your firing was based on a protected characteristic or protected activity, at-will status does not shield the employer.
Not without attorney review. Severance agreements almost always include a full release of legal claims. Federal law gives you at least 21 days to consider an age-discrimination release (45 if part of a layoff) and 7 days to revoke after signing. Most Austin employment firms will review a severance agreement on flat fee — typically $500-$1,500.
Yes. Title VII, TCHRA, and Section 1981 all allow emotional distress damages. You will likely need to disclose treatment records or testify about the impact, so think through what you are willing to share before filing.
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