Fired for the wrong reason in St. Louis? Missouri is at-will, but federal civil rights laws, the Missouri civil rights act, and public-policy exceptions still apply.
Top 10 Wrongful Termination Lawyers in St. Louis
Missouri is an at-will employment state, meaning an employer can fire you for any reason or no reason, unless the reason violates a federal or state law, a written contract, or a recognized public-policy exception. Wrongful-termination claims in St. Louis typically arise under Title VII (race, sex, religion, national origin), the ADA (disability), the ADEA (age 40+), the FMLA (medical leave retaliation), the Missouri Human Rights Act (R.S.Mo. Chapter 213), or a Missouri public-policy tort. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri handles federal employment trials; the St. Louis City Circuit Court (22nd Judicial Circuit) and St. Louis County Circuit Court (21st Judicial Circuit) handles state-law claims. EEOC deadline: 300 days. MHRA deadline: 180 days. The 10 firms below have verifiable Missouri bar standing and active plaintiff-side practice.
Updated September 30, 202514 min readEditorially independent
How we picked these 10: We cross-referenced Super Lawyers Missouri, Best Lawyers, Avvo, Justia, Martindale-Hubbell, and the Missouri State Bar. Firms had to appear in at least two independent peer rankings, have verifiable Missouri bar standing, and an active wrongful termination practice. More on our methodology →
1
Sedey Harper Westhoff PC
St. Louis, MOFounded 1980sSmall (St. Louis)
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, FMLA, FLSA
St. Louis plaintiff-only employment law firm. Over 40 years of combined employment-law experience; multiple Missouri Super Lawyers listings. Represents individuals only, never employers or insurance companies.
Fee structure
Contingency or hybrid
Free consultation
Yes
Why they made the list: Right pick when you want a plaintiff-only St. Louis employment specialist with deep MHRA and Title VII experience.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation
Founded in 2000 to represent employees in wrongful termination and discrimination matters. Recognized in Missouri Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers for employment litigation.
Fee structure
Contingency or hybrid
Free consultation
Yes
Why they made the list: Right pick when you want a senior solo-style attorney with two decades of focused plaintiff-side practice.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, retaliation, discrimination, harassment, civil litigation
St. Louis trial attorneys representing employees throughout Missouri and Illinois. Active in federal and state trial courts; routinely tries jury and bench trials.
Fee structure
Contingency, hybrid, or hourly
Free consultation
Yes
Why they made the list: Right pick when your case is likely to be tried rather than settled. They actually try cases.
St. Louis, MOFounded 2010sSolo / Small (St. Louis)
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, employment discrimination, severance review
St. Louis plaintiff-side attorney Doug Ponder focuses on wrongful-termination litigation. Has tried over forty cases through trial, mediation, and appeal.
Fee structure
Contingency or hybrid
Free consultation
Yes
Why they made the list: Right pick when you want a senior solo attorney with a trial-tested record handling your case directly.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation
One of the largest plaintiff-side employment firms in the country, with Missouri reach. Free consultations; no-fee guarantee on accepted contingency cases.
Fee structure
Contingency
Free consultation
Yes
Why they made the list: Right pick when your claim is strong, you cannot afford hourly fees, and you want a firm built for plaintiff volume.
What to expect from a St. Louis wrongful termination engagement
First step: free consultation, where the lawyer evaluates whether your firing fits one of the legal exceptions to at-will employment. If yes, the firm files an EEOC charge or state-agency charge within the controlling deadline. The agency investigates for 180+ days, then issues a right-to-sue letter. Your lawyer files in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri or St. Louis City Circuit Court (22nd Judicial Circuit) and St. Louis County Circuit Court (21st Judicial Circuit) within 90 days of the right-to-sue. Discovery runs 6-12 months. Mediation typically occurs around month 9-15. Trial, if needed, runs at month 24-36.
What does a St. Louis wrongful termination lawyer cost?
Most St. Louis plaintiff-side wrongful-termination lawyers offer free initial consultations. Fee structure is usually contingency (33% pre-suit, 40% if litigated) or hybrid (reduced hourly plus contingency upside). Title VII has a fee-shifting provision that can require a losing defendant to pay your attorney fees on top of damages. Out-of-pocket costs (filing fees, depositions, experts) range from a few hundred dollars for early-settled matters to $25,000+ for trial. Severance review is typically billed at $300-$600 per hour or as a flat $500-$2,000 fee.
How to choose between these 10 firms
All ten firms above are competent practitioners. The right pick depends on the shape of your matter, not on which firm has the biggest billboard. The patterns we see:
Pick a boutique when your case is narrow in scope, you want a senior attorney doing the actual work, and you are willing to trade brand recognition for senior attention. Boutiques typically have lower overhead and run senior-led from start to finish. The risk: if the firm gets conflicted out or busy, your case may stall.
Pick a mid-size firm when your matter has multiple moving parts, or when you need a steady team with a bench behind it. Mid-size firms in St. Louis are the natural fit for most wrongful termination matters with any complexity.
Pick a large firm when the matter is genuinely large in dollars at stake, complex in legal issues, multi-jurisdictional, or institutionally sensitive. Large firms charge accordingly but bring depth across practice areas. The risk: junior attorneys do most of the day-to-day work unless you push for senior involvement.
What is specific about wrongful termination in St. Louis
St. Louis is its own market. The procedure, the courts, and the strategy are city- and state-specific.
Missouri Human Rights Act (R.S.Mo. Chapter 213) covers employers with 6+ employees, lower than Title VII's 15. Missouri Commission on Human Rights (MCHR) investigates state-law charges; the EEOC St. Louis District Office investigates federal charges. U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri handles most federal employment trials. The 22nd Judicial Circuit (St. Louis City) and 21st Judicial Circuit (St. Louis County) handle MHRA and public-policy claims filed in state court. Missouri's 2017 MHRA amendments raised the proof standard (now requires showing protected status was the "motivating factor") and tightened damages caps. Older online sources are often wrong.
The local courthouse matters. Federal and state judges in St. Louis have published procedures and calendaring preferences a local lawyer knows by heart.
Filing deadlines are strict. 180 days for the MCHR (state). 300 days for the EEOC (federal). 90 days to file in court after the right-to-sue. A missed deadline almost always means a lost claim.
Red flags to watch for when picking a wrongful termination lawyer in St. Louis
Most firms in St. Louis are competent. A few are problematic. The patterns to avoid:
Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can guarantee a result. If a firm promises a specific recovery, dismissal, custody outcome, or settlement number, walk away. Ethics rules in every U.S. state prohibit guarantees.
The disappearing partner. You meet a senior partner at intake, then never speak to them again. The case is handled by an unsupervised junior or a paralegal. Ask in writing who will be your day-to-day attorney, how often you will hear from them, and what happens when they are unavailable.
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 sign of a volume mill rather than a careful practice.
No verifiable track record. The firm should be able to point to verdicts, settlements, peer rankings, or bar association recognition. Specific numbers, named cases, and third-party rankings are evidence.
Vague fee terms. "Do not worry about cost" is a red flag. Every legitimate St. Louis 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.
10 questions to ask in your free consultation
Most firms on this list offer a free or low-cost initial consultation. Use it. Bring a list of questions and write down the answers. Compare across at least two firms before you sign.
Who, specifically, will handle my case day to day? Get a name. Get an email. Get their bar number so you can verify their standing.
How many matters like mine have you handled in the last three years? You want a number, not a brochure line.
How many of those went to trial or were litigated to judgment? Settlement skill is important. Trial skill is what gives you leverage to settle well.
What is your fee, and what does it cover? Get the answer in writing before you sign anything.
What case expenses am I responsible for, and when? Out-of-pocket costs (filing fees, deposition costs, expert witnesses) surprise people. Ask now.
What is the realistic range of outcomes for a case like mine? A good lawyer will give you a range. A bad one will promise the high end.
How long will it take? Honest estimate, with the assumptions stated.
How and how often will I hear from you? Email-only? Calls? Monthly updates? Set the expectation now.
What happens if I want to change lawyers later? Rules allow it; the fee is sorted between firms. Make sure you understand the mechanics.
What is the worst-case outcome for my case? A lawyer who refuses to discuss downside risk is selling you something.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I sue for being fired in Missouri?
Only if your firing violated a specific law. Missouri is an at-will state, so most firings are legal even if they feel unfair. You can sue if your firing was based on a protected characteristic (race, sex, religion, national origin, age 40+, disability, pregnancy), in retaliation for protected activity (filing an EEOC charge, taking FMLA leave, reporting illegal conduct, jury duty), in breach of a written employment contract, or in violation of a recognized Missouri public-policy exception.
What are the EEOC deadlines?
EEOC charge: 300 days from the firing in deferral states. State agency charge (Missouri Commission on Human Rights / NC Civil Rights Division): 180 days under state law. Federal lawsuit after right-to-sue: 90 days. A missed deadline almost always means a lost claim, call a lawyer early.
What damages can I recover?
Back pay (lost wages from the firing date forward), front pay (future lost wages if reinstatement is impractical), compensatory damages (emotional distress), punitive damages (in egregious discrimination cases), and attorney fees. Title VII caps compensatory + punitive damages based on employer size ($50K to $300K).
How long does a wrongful termination case in St. Louis take?
EEOC or state-agency investigation: 6 to 18 months. If filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri or St. Louis City Circuit Court (22nd Judicial Circuit) and St. Louis County Circuit Court (21st Judicial Circuit) after right-to-sue: 18 to 36 months to trial or settlement. Most cases settle in mediation between months 9 and 18.
What does a St. Louis wrongful termination lawyer cost?
Most plaintiff-side employment lawyers in St. Louis work on contingency (33% pre-suit, 40% if litigated), hybrid (reduced hourly plus contingency), or hourly with a litigation budget. Title VII has a fee-shifting provision that can require a losing defendant to pay your attorney fees on top of damages. Initial consultations are typically free.
Should I sign the severance my employer offered?
Not without review. Severance agreements typically require you to waive all claims. Once signed, you generally cannot sue for the firing. A plaintiff-side employment lawyer can review the severance in 1-2 hours and advise whether to sign, negotiate, or reject, often for a flat fee of $500-$2,000.
What is a public-policy wrongful discharge claim?
Both Missouri and North Carolina courts recognize a tort claim for firing in violation of clear public policy. Examples: firing for filing a workers' comp claim, refusing to commit a crime, reporting illegal employer conduct (whistleblowing), or exercising a statutory right. The claim must be tied to a specific statute or constitutional provision.
Do I have to file with the EEOC before suing?
For Title VII, ADA, ADEA, and most federal discrimination claims, yes. You must file an EEOC charge and receive a right-to-sue letter before filing in federal court. For state-law claims and public-policy tort, you can typically file directly in state court, subject to the controlling statute of limitations.
One last thing. Choosing a lawyer is personal. Read the reviews. Call two or three firms before you sign. Ask each one: How many wrongful termination matters like mine have you handled in the last three years, and how many went to trial? The answer tells you what kind of lawyer you are actually hiring. — The LawFirmSquare team