Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP
Discrimination, wrongful termination, and whistleblower cases for employees
Free ConsultationOften contingency📍 Albuquerque
Fired, harassed, or shorted on pay in Albuquerque? New Mexico is an at-will state, which means an employer can usually let you go without giving a reason — but not for an illegal one. The New Mexico Human Rights Act (NMSA §28-1-7) bars firing, harassment, or retaliation based on race, sex, age, disability, religion, and more. You start by filing a charge with the New Mexico Human Rights Bureau or the EEOC, generally within 300 days of what happened. Most Albuquerque employment lawyers take wrongful-termination and discrimination cases on contingency — you pay nothing unless they recover money — or charge $250–$450 an hour to review a severance offer or an employment contract. Federal claims are heard at the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico downtown on Lomas Boulevard.
Updated April 22, 2026
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New Mexico follows the at-will rule, so most employees can be fired at any time for any reason that is not illegal. The big exceptions are the ones worth knowing: you cannot be fired because of a protected characteristic, in retaliation for reporting harassment or a safety problem, for taking legally protected leave, or in a way that breaks a written contract or your employer's own promises. If one of those fits your situation, you may have a real claim even in an at-will state.
The path usually starts with an administrative charge, not a lawsuit. Discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims under the New Mexico Human Rights Act go to the New Mexico Human Rights Bureau, and you can cross-file the same charge with the EEOC. The deadline matters: you generally have 300 days from the last discriminatory act to file. After the agency issues a right-to-sue or an order of non-determination, you can take the case to court. Unpaid-wage and overtime claims run on a different track under the New Mexico Minimum Wage Act and federal law, with their own deadlines.
On cost, most Albuquerque employment lawyers who represent workers take strong cases on contingency, meaning their fee comes out of any settlement or verdict and you owe little up front. For advice work — reviewing a severance agreement, negotiating an exit, or drafting a contract — expect $250–$450 an hour. A good lawyer will tell you early and honestly whether the facts support a claim, because employment cases turn heavily on documentation: emails, write-ups, pay records, and the timeline of who knew what and when.