Firings that cross the line under Tennessee and federal law.
Tennessee is an at-will state, but at-will is not absolute. A Memphis employer cannot fire you because of your race, sex, age (40+), religion, national origin, disability, or pregnancy, or in retaliation for filing a workers' comp claim, reporting illegal conduct, taking FMLA, or refusing to commit a crime. The 10 Memphis firms below pursue those firings against private and public employers across Shelby County and West Tennessee.
Most fired Memphis employees do not have a wrongful termination case. At-will means a Tennessee employer can let you go for a bad reason, a stupid reason, or no reason at all. The exceptions are federal civil rights law (Title VII, ADEA, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, USERRA), the Tennessee Human Rights Act (THRA), the Tennessee Disability Act, the Tennessee Public Protection Act (whistleblower), and the Clanton common-law public-policy tort. The firms below 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 Mid-South Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers selections, NELA membership, Memphis Bar Association recognition, and verified Shelby County Circuit / Chancery Court and U.S. District Court (Western District of Tennessee) appearance history. Fees are mostly hybrid (a small retainer through the EEOC or Tennessee Human Rights Commission charge phase, then contingency on litigation), with several firms working pure contingency on strong cases. Consultations 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, discrimination, retaliation, FMLA, FLSA
Memphis’ oldest dedicated plaintiff-side employment firm. Donald Donati selected to Mid-South Super Lawyers 2006–2025. Represents employees only — no employer-side work. 50+ years of combined experience. Phone: 901-278-1004.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, wage theft
Boutique advocating for workers in West Tennessee and northern Mississippi. Strong track record on discrimination, harassment, wage theft, and wrongful termination matters for individuals.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, federal employee rights, EEOC, ADA, FMLA
Founder Myra Hamilton is a nationally recognized employment discrimination and workplace rights lawyer. Represents both federal agency employees and private-sector workers on discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, EEOC investigations, ADA accommodations, FMLA, and workplace due process.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, discrimination, FMLA, severance review
Founder Alan G. Crone recognized in Best Lawyers in America for Employment Law — Individuals, Commercial Litigation, and Labor & Employment Litigation. The Crone Law Firm has merged with Barrett & Farahany, expanding its plaintiff-side employment practice across Tennessee, Missouri, and Arkansas.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, wage theft, discrimination, whistleblower retaliation
Memphis employee-side boutique focused on unfair compensation, discrimination (age, gender, race, religion), and retaliation for whistleblowing. Works toward full settlements plus attorney’s fees when statutorily available.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, discrimination, FLSA, retaliation
The largest plaintiff firm in the country. Files more labor and employment cases than any other US firm. Memphis office handles wrongful termination, discrimination, and FLSA collective actions across West Tennessee.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, employment law, family law, civil litigation
Multi-practice Memphis firm with a dedicated employment lane in addition to its family-law practice. Useful when wrongful termination overlaps with a related dispute (divorce, custody, civil litigation). Phone: 901-910-1784.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, workplace discrimination, employment contracts
Memphis boutique focused on employment law for individuals. Handles workplace discrimination, employment contract disputes, and wrongful termination matters across Shelby County and West Tennessee.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, labor & employment, discrimination
Tennessee firm with labor and employment attorneys averaging 25 to 34 years of experience. Handles discrimination under Title VII and the THRA. Mixed plaintiff and management practice; ask at intake which side they will represent on your matter.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, EEOC, Title VII discrimination
Memphis employment discrimination boutique. Patrick Brooks represents employees in EEOC charges, Title VII race, sex, age, disability, and pregnancy discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination matters.
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Request Free Consultation →Memphis 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: $250 to $400 per hour during the EEOC or Tennessee Human Rights Commission charge phase, then contingency. Pure hourly: $300 to $475 per hour billed against a $5,000 to $12,500 retainer, used mostly for executive severance and non-compete disputes.
Federal civil rights statutes and the Tennessee Human Rights Act both allow fee-shifting — a prevailing employee can recover 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 Memphis firms structure engagement letters around that. Out-of-pocket costs (depositions, mediators, expert witnesses) run $3,000 to $25,000 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, witness names, and your version of the timeline. The lawyer triages it against the statutory exceptions.
EEOC or THRC charge: File within 300 days of the termination for federal claims. Tennessee Human Rights Commission charges can be filed within 180 days under state law. Most Memphis firms dual-file at both agencies.
Investigation or mediation: 6 to 18 months at the agency. Many cases resolve here through EEOC or THRC mediation, which is free and confidential.
Lawsuit in Shelby County or W.D. Tennessee: 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 clean discrimination firing fits any firm on this list. An FMLA-interference termination after medical leave is best handled by Donati Law, Crone Law, or Hamilton Entertainment Employment Law. A Tennessee Public Protection Act whistleblower or Clanton common-law public-policy tort fits Donati or Punchwork. A federal-employee discrimination claim belongs with Hamilton Entertainment Employment Law, where Myra Hamilton specializes in federal-sector matters. A class or collective wage-and-hour-related termination fits Morgan & Morgan.
Two questions to ask before signing. First, has the firm taken a Memphis wrongful termination case to verdict in the last three years? You want a yes with a case name and forum. Second, who at the firm will handle your file from intake through trial? In employee-side work the named partner often does the intake and then a junior associate takes over. Know who is actually on your case.
Promises a specific outcome at intake. Outcomes in wrongful termination cases vary enormously by facts, judge, and evidence. Memphis 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 Memphis 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.
Shelby County Circuit / Chancery and W.D. Tennessee. Memphis wrongful termination cases generally land in Shelby County Circuit Court (state-law claims under THRA or common law), Shelby County Chancery (some equitable matters), or the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Western Division at Memphis (federal claims). Experienced Memphis employee-side firms know all three forums.
Tennessee Human Rights Commission. THRC has a Memphis regional office and runs a parallel charge process to the EEOC. Filing periods differ (180 days for state vs. 300 days for federal). A Memphis lawyer picks the forum strategically and often dual-files.
Tennessee Public Protection Act. T.C.A. § 50-1-304 protects employees from termination for refusing to participate in or for reporting illegal activities. The common-law Clanton public-policy tort covers similar ground. Several firms on this list specialize in pleading and proving these claims.
Public employees. If you were fired by the State of Tennessee, the City of Memphis, Shelby County, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, or another public employer, additional procedural rules apply (administrative appeals, civil service protections, sovereign immunity under the Tennessee Governmental Tort Liability Act). Look for firms with a public-sector employment lane.
Tennessee is at-will, so most firings are legal even if unfair. A termination is wrongful only if it was because of a protected characteristic under federal law or the Tennessee Human Rights Act (race, sex, age 40+, religion, national origin, disability, pregnancy), in retaliation for protected activity (FMLA, workers’ comp, EEOC charge, whistleblowing under the Tennessee Public Protection Act), or in violation of Tennessee public policy under Clanton v. Cain-Sloan Co. (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. Tennessee Human Rights Commission charges under THRA: 180 days. FMLA: 2 years (3 if willful). Tennessee common-law public-policy tort: 1 year. 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, THRA, and public-policy exceptions all apply to at-will employees in Memphis.
Wide range. Weak cases settle for the cost of defense, often $5,000 to $20,000. Mid-tier cases with documented damages settle in the $35,000 to $130,000 range. Strong cases with clean evidence and high lost-wages exposure can resolve at $200,000 to $700,000 or more. Federal statutes allow fee-shifting separately from damages.
A signed severance release usually waives most wrongful-termination claims. ADEA (age) claims have a 7-day revocation window after signing. Other claims typically do not. If you have not signed yet, get the release reviewed before you do — most Memphis firms will read it for free or for a small fee.
For discrimination claims under federal law, yes — you must exhaust administrative remedies before suing. Most Memphis firms dual-file with both agencies because Tennessee is a deferral state. For non-discrimination claims (FMLA, Tennessee Public Protection Act, Clanton tort), you can usually file directly in court.
No. Retaliation for filing a charge or for opposing discrimination is independently illegal under both the Tennessee Human Rights Act and federal law. Many Memphis cases include both an underlying discrimination claim and a retaliation claim for the post-complaint firing. Retaliation claims are often easier to win.
Yes. State of Tennessee, City of Memphis, Shelby County, and Memphis-Shelby County Schools employees have civil service protections, administrative appeal rights, and sovereign immunity considerations under the GTLA that private-sector employees do not. Several Memphis firms 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