Firings that cross the line under Michigan and federal law.
Michigan is an at-will state, but at-will is not a free pass. A Detroit employer cannot fire you because of your race, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, height, weight, or marital status, or in retaliation for taking FMLA leave, filing a workers' compensation claim, reporting illegal conduct, or refusing to commit a crime. The 10 Detroit firms below pursue those firings against private and public employers across Michigan.
Most fired Detroit employees do not have a wrongful termination case. At-will means a Michigan employer can let you go for a bad reason, a stupid reason, or no reason at all. The exceptions are the categories carved out by federal law (Title VII, ADEA, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, USERRA), the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA), the Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act, and Michigan common-law public policy. The firms on this list spend their week sorting which firings fit one of those exceptions and which do not.
Every firm below represents employees, not employers, in these matters. We weighted Best Lawyers and Michigan Super Lawyers selections, Avvo and Justia ratings, NELA membership, Detroit Bar Association recognition, and verified Wayne County Circuit and U.S. District Court (Eastern District of Michigan) appearance history. Fees in this market are mostly hybrid (a modest retainer for the EEOC or Michigan Department of Civil Rights charge phase, then contingency on any recovery), with several firms working pure contingency on strong cases. Initial calls are free.
How we picked these 10: We cross-checked published verdicts, Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers selections, Avvo and Justia ratings, peer reviews, and bar association recognition. Firms that appeared consistently across at least two 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: Wrongful termination, civil rights, employment discrimination, whistleblower
One of Michigan’s largest and most experienced employee-side employment and civil rights firms. Founded by Michael Pitt, Peggy Pitt, Cary McGehee, and Stuart Dowty. Eleven lawyers exclusively representing employees and civil rights plaintiffs. Phone: 248-398-9800.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, FLSA
Long-running Southfield plaintiff firm with a dedicated employment litigation group. Handles single-plaintiff terminations and FLSA collective actions across Michigan and federally. Phone: 800-783-0989.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation
Boutique employee-side firm. Barry Fagan and Jennifer McManus both selected to Michigan Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America for labor and employment. Direct attorney contact from intake forward. Phone: 248-542-6300.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, retaliation
Bingham Farms boutique focused entirely on employee-side workplace claims in metro Detroit. Phone: 248-633-8916.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, ELCRA discrimination, FMLA, public-sector employment
Downtown Detroit labor and employment firm. Long bench in ELCRA discrimination, FMLA interference, and public-sector terminations. Phone: 313-566-4787.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, discrimination, civil rights, FMLA
Founder Eric Stempien selected to Michigan Super Lawyers (top 5 percent). Twenty-plus years representing Detroit-area workers. Free consults and contingency on most matters.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, FMLA, retaliation, discrimination
Southfield plaintiff firm with employment, personal injury, and SSDI lanes. Handles wrongful termination across metro Detroit and downriver communities.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, civil rights, whistleblower, retaliation
Founder Jonathan Marko named to Michigan Super Lawyers (2012–2024) and a National Law Journal Trailblazer in employment and plaintiff law. Chairs the Civil Rights Section of the Detroit Bar Association. Track record of seven and eight-figure verdicts.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, employment discrimination, civil rights, federal employee rights
Founder Shereef Akeel named Top 100 Trial Lawyer by ATLA and Michigan Lawyer of the Year by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Strong federal-employee and civil-rights bench. Phone: 248-918-4542.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, public-sector employment, whistleblower, ELCRA
James K. Fett named a Top Ten Outstanding Attorney by Michigan Lawyers Weekly and a Michigan Super Lawyer. Decades of public-employee and Greeley public-policy work across Michigan.
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Request Free Consultation →Detroit wrongful termination firms structure fees one of three ways. Pure contingency: 33 to 40 percent of the recovery if the case settles before suit, 40 percent if a state or federal lawsuit is filed, nothing if you lose. Hybrid: $275 to $425 per hour during the EEOC or Michigan Department of Civil Rights charge phase, then contingency from the lawsuit forward. Pure hourly: $325 to $525 per hour billed against a $5,000 to $15,000 retainer, used most often for executive-level severance and non-compete disputes.
Federal civil rights statutes (Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA) and Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act both allow fee-shifting — a prevailing employee can recover reasonable attorney’s fees from the employer in addition to damages. In smaller-damages cases the fee award is often the bulk of the recovery, and the firms below structure engagement letters around that. Out-of-pocket costs (depositions, mediators, expert witnesses, filing fees) run $3,500 to $30,000 depending on how far the case travels.
Pre-charge consultation: 60 to 90 minutes. Bring your termination letter, performance reviews, the employee handbook, anything in writing from the employer, dates of key events, witness names, and your version of the timeline. The lawyer triages it against the statutory exceptions and quotes you a likely path.
EEOC or MDCR charge: File within 300 days of the termination for federal claims. Michigan Department of Civil Rights charges can be filed within 180 days under state law. Most metro Detroit firms dual-file at both agencies as a matter of course.
Investigation or mediation: 6 to 18 months at the agency. Many cases resolve here through EEOC or MDCR mediation, which is free and confidential.
Lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit or E.D. Michigan: 12 to 30 months to summary judgment or trial. Most cases settle at or before the dispositive-motion stage.
Match the firm to the legal theory. A pure-discrimination firing (race, sex, age, disability) is well-handled by any firm on this list. An FMLA-interference termination after medical leave is a particular strength at Pitt McGehee, Sommers Schwartz, and Fagan McManus. A whistleblower or Greeley public-policy tort claim under Michigan common law fits Fett Fischer or Marko Law, where the bench has been litigating these for decades. A federal-employee or civil-rights termination belongs at Akeel & Valentine or Pitt McGehee.
Ask two questions before signing. First, has the firm taken a Michigan wrongful termination case to verdict in the last three years? You want a yes with the case name and forum. Second, who at the firm will personally handle your file from intake through trial? In employee-side work the named partner often does the intake and then a junior associate handles the case. Know who you are getting.
Promises a specific outcome at intake. Outcomes in wrongful termination cases vary enormously by facts, judge, and evidence. Detroit cases range from nothing on a weak file to substantial recoveries on a strong one. A firm that quotes a number at intake is selling.
Vague fee terms. The engagement letter should specify hourly rate vs. contingency vs. flat fee, what costs are advanced vs. billed, fee-shifting handling where applicable, and what happens to costs if you lose. “We’ll figure it out” is not an answer.
No conversation about realistic timing. A competent Detroit lawyer tells you in the first call how long a matter like yours usually takes and what could shorten or lengthen it. If you cannot get a straight answer on timing, ask a different firm.
Pressure to sign before reviewing the documents. If a firm pushes you to retain before you have reviewed the engagement letter or asked questions about the strategy, walk away. The good firms on this list are not in a rush.
No clear point of contact. You should know on day one who is handling your file, who their backup is, and how to reach them. Anything else creates problems later.
Most firms on this list offer a free initial call. Use it. Bring this list and write down the answers. Compare across at least two firms before you sign anything.
Wayne County Circuit and E.D. Michigan. Detroit wrongful termination cases generally land in Wayne County Circuit Court (state law claims) or the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (federal claims). The judges, motion practice, and summary judgment patterns differ; experienced metro Detroit employee-side firms know both forums.
Michigan Department of Civil Rights. MDCR runs a parallel charge process to the EEOC out of its Detroit and Lansing offices. Filing periods differ (180 days for ELCRA vs. 300 days for Title VII), as do remedies. A good Detroit lawyer picks the forum strategically and often dual-files.
Greeley public policy tort. Michigan recognizes a common-law cause of action for wrongful discharge in violation of public policy under Suchodolski v. Michigan Consolidated Gas Co.. It covers firings for refusing to commit a crime, exercising a statutory right, or reporting illegal conduct. Several firms on this list specialize in these claims.
Public employees. If you were fired by the State of Michigan, the City of Detroit, Wayne County, Detroit Public Schools Community District, or another public employer, additional procedural rules apply (Loudermill hearings, civil service protections, sovereign immunity). Look for firms with a public-sector employment lane.
Michigan is at-will, so most firings are legal even if unfair. A termination crosses into wrongful territory if it was because of a protected characteristic under the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (race, sex, age, religion, national origin, height, weight, marital status) or federal law (disability, pregnancy, military status, genetic information), in retaliation for protected activity (FMLA, workers’ comp, EEOC charge, whistleblowing), or in violation of Michigan public policy under Suchodolski (firing for refusing to commit a crime, reporting illegal conduct, exercising a statutory right).
Federal Title VII, ADEA, and ADA claims: 300 days from the termination to file an EEOC charge. Michigan Department of Civil Rights charges under ELCRA: 180 days. FMLA: 2 years (3 if willful). Michigan public-policy tort: 3 years. Some claims have shorter contractual or administrative deadlines. Call a lawyer early.
Yes. At-will means the employer does not need a good reason to fire you. It does not mean the employer can fire you for an illegal reason. The federal, ELCRA, and public-policy exceptions all apply to at-will employees in Detroit.
Wide range. Weak cases settle for the cost of defense, often $5,000 to $25,000. Mid-tier cases with documented damages settle in the $40,000 to $175,000 range. Strong cases with clean evidence and high lost-wages exposure can resolve at $200,000 to $850,000 or more. ELCRA and federal statutes also allow fee-shifting, so the attorney’s fee component is separate from your damages.
A signed severance release usually waives most wrongful-termination claims. ADEA (age) claims have a 7-day revocation window after signing under the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act. Other claims typically do not. If you have not signed yet, get the release reviewed before you do — almost every firm on this list will read it for free.
For discrimination claims under federal law, yes — you must exhaust administrative remedies before suing. Most Detroit firms dual-file with both agencies because Michigan is a deferral state. For non-discrimination claims (FMLA, public-policy tort under Suchodolski), you can usually file directly in court.
No. Retaliation for filing a charge or for opposing discrimination is independently illegal under both Michigan ELCRA and federal law. Many cases end with two claims: the original discrimination claim and a retaliation claim for the post-complaint firing. Retaliation claims are often easier to win.
Yes. State of Michigan, City of Detroit, Wayne County, and Detroit Public Schools employees have civil service protections, Loudermill hearing rights, and procedural due process protections that private-sector employees do not. Several firms on this list have a public-sector lane.
One last thing. Choosing a lawyer is personal. Call two or three firms before you sign. Ask each one the same question: How many matters like mine have you handled in the last three years, and what is the realistic range of outcomes? The answer tells you most of what you need to know. — The LawFirmSquare team