Tennessee Employment Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Tennessee employment attorneys who handle THRA discrimination, wage, retaliation, and wrongful-termination claims for workers across Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Clarksville.

Free to use — no fee unless you win
Matched with a Tennessee attorney in 24 hours
30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free Tennessee employment case review

A Tennessee attorney will take a look. Or call 1-833-WELEGAL.

How we match your Tennessee employment case

When you submit a Tennessee employment matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A employment matter needs someone who handles employment work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Tennessee law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Tennessee who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with an employment claim in Tennessee

Day 0
Something happens at work.
A firing, demotion, missed pay, harassment, retaliation. Write down dates, names and what was said, and save emails and pay stubs before access disappears.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A Tennessee employment attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Weeks 1–4
Your attorney builds the record.
Personnel file, pay records, texts, witness accounts, the handbook. Employers keep meticulous files; you need one too.
Months 1–3
Demand, or an agency charge.
Many Tennessee employment claims start with a demand letter or a charge with the state agency or the EEOC. Your attorney picks the route that protects your deadlines.
Within 180 days
Suit is filed if it has to be.
Tennessee gives 180 days for this step. Missing it can end the claim before it starts.
Resolution
Settlement or judgment.
You pay nothing along the way. The fee — typically 33% — comes only out of what’s recovered. If nothing is recovered, you owe nothing.

State Anti-Discrimination Statute: THRA
Tennessee Human Rights Act (THRA), Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-101 et seq. Protected: race, creed, color, religion, sex, age 40+, national origin. Disability covered by Tennessee Disability Act (§ 8-50-103). Sexual orientation and gender identity covered federally (Bostock).
Deadline to File Charge: 180 days
180 days to file with the Tennessee Human Rights Commission (THRC). Work-share with EEOC. 1-year SOL for direct lawsuit.
At-Will Doctrine: At-will state
At-will state with public-policy exception (Stein v. Davidson Hotel Co.) and Tennessee Public Protection Act (TPPA, § 50-1-304) — broader whistleblower protection. Workers' comp retaliation under Clanton v. Cain-Sloan Co.
Non-Compete Enforceability: Reasonableness test
Reasonableness test on time, geography, scope, and protectable interest. TN courts permit blue-pencil reformation.
Minimum Wage & Overtime: $7.25
TN minimum wage tracks federal $7.25/hour. Overtime under federal FLSA only. Tennessee Wage Regulation Act (§ 50-2-101).
Typical attorney fee: 33%
33%–40% contingency — no fee unless you win

The Tennessee Human Rights Act (THRA, Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-101 et seq.) prohibits employment discrimination based on race, creed, color, religion, sex, age (40+), and national origin at employers with 8+ employees. The Tennessee Disability Act (Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-50-103) covers disability separately. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not statutorily protected at state level but covered federally under Title VII per Bostock. Charges are filed with the Tennessee Human Rights Commission (THRC) within 180 days. TN is at-will with a public-policy exception (Stein v. Davidson Hotel Co.) and the Tennessee Public Protection Act (TPPA, Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-1-304) provides broader whistleblower protections. Non-competes evaluated under reasonableness; TN courts permit blue-pencil reformation. Tennessee minimum wage tracks federal $7.25/hour. Tennessee has no state paid sick or family leave.

Exhibit B

When to call an employment attorney in Tennessee

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

Exhibit C

Employment cases we take in Tennessee

Which one is closest to yours?

Race and national-origin discrimination

THRA and Title VII. Memphis logistics (FedEx), Nashville healthcare and music industry, and Knoxville/Chattanooga manufacturing workforces.

Sound like yours? A Tennessee attorney reviews it free — no fee unless they win.

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do Tennessee employment attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

Tennessee · Employment

Recovery$100,000

Attorney fee · 33%− $33,000

Case costs (advanced by firm)repaid at the end

To you$67,000

Due today$0

Try a different recovery$100,000

$5,000$3,000,000

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Most Tennessee employment attorneys work on contingency: the fee is a share of what they recover, and nothing if they don’t.

Tennessee employment attorneys work on contingency or hybrid arrangements — typically 33%–40% of recovery. THRA, TPPA, and federal employment statutes shift attorney fees to the employer when the worker prevails.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your Tennessee employment compensation can include

A Tennessee employment recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Back Pay

Lost wages and benefits from termination to judgment under THRA and federal law. Uncapped.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

Tennessee employment questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Tennessee attorney will review it for free.

Start free review

File with the Tennessee Human Rights Commission (THRC) within 180 days. THRC has a work-share with the EEOC. Or file directly in court within 1 year.

THRA covers race, creed, color, religion, sex, age (40+), and national origin. Tennessee Disability Act covers disability separately. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not statutorily protected at state level but Title VII covers both per Bostock. Some Tennessee cities (Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville) have local fairness ordinances for city employment.

The TPPA (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-1-304) prohibits retaliatory discharge for refusing to participate in or remain silent about illegal activities. It is one of the broader state whistleblower statutes and provides compensatory damages and attorney fees.

Sometimes. TN applies a reasonableness test on time, geography, scope, and protectable interest. TN courts permit blue-pencil reformation. Healthcare professional non-competes face heightened scrutiny.

TN tracks federal at $7.25/hour. Tipped employees may receive $2.13/hour direct wages if tips bring the total to the full minimum.

No.

Not without legal review. THRA, TPPA, and federal claims often remain valuable.

Employment attorneys by city in Tennessee

Same Tennessee rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.

Other case types in Tennessee

All Tennessee practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysTennessee holds dog owners strictly liable — the owner pays for bites in public places even if it’s the dog’s first offense.

Business Dispute attorneysTennessee enforces reasonable non-competes — and the state Supreme Court has set the modern enforceability factors.

Car Accident attorneysTennessee’s one-year injury filing deadline is one of the shortest in the country — evidence preservation and timely filing matter more here than in most states.

Consumer Protection attorneysThe Tennessee Consumer Protection Act lets consumers recover triple damages plus attorney fees for willful or knowing violations.

Criminal Defense attorneysTennessee’s sentencing ranges and Range I/II/III enhancements make plea positioning critical from arraignment.

Defective Product attorneysTennessee’s Products Liability Act consolidated the old theories — and a ten-year absolute cutoff bars claims over older products.

Family Law attorneysTennessee is an equitable-distribution state — and its 13 grounds for divorce (12 fault-based plus irreconcilable differences) give grounds-selection strategic weight.

Immigration attorneysTennessee has immigration court in Memphis — and growing immigrant populations in Nashville and Knoxville drive case volume.

Lemon Law attorneysThe Tennessee Lemon Law covers new vehicles within 1 year/12,000 miles — narrower than most states, so timing matters.

Medical Malpractice attorneysTennessee’s health-care liability law requires 60-day pre-suit notice and a Certificate of Good Faith before filing.

Personal Injury attorneysA one-year filing deadline is one of the country’s shortest — every Tennessee injury case lives or dies by timing.

Slip and Fall attorneysTennessee premises liability turns on notice and reasonableness — and the natural-accumulation rule limits weather-related claims.

Social Security Disability attorneysTennessee disability hearing offices in Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga process moderate volumes — and Sixth Circuit federal precedent shapes review.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysTennessee workers’ comp runs through the Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims — a system significantly reformed in 2013.

Tennessee Employment Attorneys

How we match your Tennessee employment case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with an employment claim in Tennessee

Something happens at work.

Tell us what happened.

Your attorney builds the record.

Demand, or an agency charge.

Suit is filed if it has to be.

Settlement or judgment.

When to call an employment attorney in Tennessee

Employment cases we take in Tennessee

Race and national-origin discrimination

Sex, pregnancy, and LGBTQ+ discrimination

Age discrimination (40+)

Disability discrimination and accommodation

Religious discrimination and accommodation

Retaliation and whistleblower (TPPA)

Wage and hour (TN + FLSA)

Independent-contractor misclassification

FMLA leave issues

Wrongful termination (public-policy + TPPA)

Hostile work environment

Non-compete defense

How much do Tennessee employment attorneys cost?

What your Tennessee employment compensation can include

Back Pay

Front Pay

Compensatory Damages

Punitive Damages

Liquidated Damages

Attorney Fees and Costs

Tennessee employment questions, answered

Employment attorneys by city in Tennessee

Other case types in Tennessee

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