Employment Attorneys in Nashville

June 14, 2026

An employment attorney in Nashville helps workers and employers navigate the overlap of federal and state workplace law, an area where the facts are documented in personnel files, emails, and pay records rather than displayed on a website. Nashville is Tennessee’s largest city, with a population of roughly 715,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and a diverse economy spanning healthcare, music and entertainment, hospitality, logistics, and state government. That mix produces a steady volume of disputes over discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, unpaid wages, and family and medical leave, and it keeps a defined group of employment-focused firms active in Davidson County.

Employment law in Nashville sits on a federal foundation. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) governing minimum wage and overtime, and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) are enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Labor. Tennessee layers its own statutes on top, including the Tennessee Human Rights Act, which mirrors many federal anti-discrimination protections, and the Tennessee Public Protection Act (the state whistleblower statute). Tennessee is an at-will employment state, meaning an employer can generally end the relationship for any reason that is not unlawful, so much employment litigation turns on whether a termination crossed into a prohibited category such as discrimination or retaliation.

The regulatory framework for the attorneys themselves is distinct from the trades. Tennessee lawyers are licensed by the Tennessee Supreme Court through the Board of Law Examiners, and professional discipline is administered by the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR). Anyone evaluating a Nashville employment lawyer can confirm the attorney’s license status and disciplinary history through the BPR at tbpr.org. Many employment firms position themselves on one side of the relationship: plaintiff-side or employee-side firms represent workers, while management-side firms advise and defend employers. Some firms handle both. Understanding which side a firm typically represents is one of the first things a prospective client should clarify.

Procedure and deadlines matter as much as the underlying claim. Most discrimination and harassment claims require filing a charge with the EEOC or the Tennessee Human Rights Commission before a lawsuit can proceed, and those administrative deadlines are short, often 180 or 300 days from the adverse action depending on the claim. Fee structures vary: many employee-side firms work on contingency for discrimination and wage cases, while management-side and advisory work is typically billed hourly. Tennessee’s consumer protection framework, administered by the Division of Consumer Affairs under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), governs deceptive business practices generally, though employment disputes themselves run through the EEOC, the courts, and the agencies above. Because this article is informational and not legal advice, anyone facing a workplace dispute should consult a licensed attorney about the specific facts and deadlines that apply to their situation.

Top Employment Attorney Providers in Nashville

1. Rickard Masker, PLC

Address: 810 Dominican Drive, Suite 314, Nashville, TN 37228
Phone: (615) 200-0241
Website: https://www.maskerfirm.com
Services: wrongful termination, workplace discrimination (race, sex, age, disability, national origin, religion, LGBTQ status), sexual harassment, workplace retaliation, FMLA claims, wage and hour violations, hostile work environment, pregnancy discrimination, severance agreement review, whistleblower claims
Description: Rickard Masker, PLC is an employee-side employment law firm in Nashville that describes itself as a law firm for employees, with attorneys Curt Masker and Caraline Rickard. The firm focuses exclusively on representing workers rather than employers, handling discrimination, harassment, retaliation, FMLA, and wage and hour matters across Middle Tennessee, and it states that it serves Davidson County and the surrounding counties on a contingency basis for many case types. The attorneys are affiliated with the Tennessee Employment Lawyers Association (TENNELA) and the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA). Prospective clients should note that the firm has publicly indicated it is not accepting new matters or consultations at this time, a status worth confirming directly before relying on it.

2. Heather M. Collins Civil Rights Law (HMC Civil Rights)

Address: 302 Peachtree Street, Nashville, TN 37210
Phone: (615) 724-1996
Website: https://hmccivilrights.com
Services: employment discrimination (race, sex, pregnancy, disability, age, religion, national origin, LGBT status), sexual harassment, hostile work environment, wrongful termination, retaliation, FMLA-related claims, Title IX and sexual assault matters
Description: HMC Civil Rights is an employee-side firm led by attorney Heather M. Collins, who has spent more than two decades litigating employment matters in Tennessee state and federal courts. The firm states that it is devoted to representing workers, not employers, and emphasizes trial experience, noting it has tried employment cases in both state and federal court. Alongside Collins, the firm lists attorneys Ashley Shoemaker and Lucia Izzolo, and it describes more than 45 years of combined legal experience in employment and civil rights litigation. The firm identifies its service area as Nashville, Columbia, Franklin, Murfreesboro, and throughout Tennessee, focusing on discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims for individual workers.

3. Cole Law Group, PC

Address: 1648 Westgate Circle, Suite 301, Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone: (615) 490-6020
Website: https://www.colelawgrouppc.com
Services: discrimination, sexual harassment, hostile work environment, wrongful termination, retaliation, non-compete agreements, USERRA military service rights, disability accommodation, employment contract disputes
Description: Cole Law Group, PC is a litigation firm founded in 2012 by attorney Todd G. Cole, based in Brentwood in the Nashville metro and serving clients throughout Tennessee, including Davidson County. Unlike strictly plaintiff-side or management-side practices, the firm represents both employees and employers in employment matters, which gives it a vantage point on both sides of disputes over discrimination, retaliation, non-compete agreements, and accommodation. The firm’s employment team includes attorneys Todd G. Cole, Andy Goldstein, Alyssa Castronovo, Madeleine Lamb Karstens, Leen Heresh, and R. Duane Frizell. Cole came to law after a decade in business and technology, and the firm describes itself as litigators who take on complex employment and civil cases across Tennessee’s trial and appellate courts.

Frequently Asked Questions About Employment Attorneys in Nashville

Q: How do I verify that a Nashville employment attorney is properly licensed?

Tennessee attorneys are licensed by the Tennessee Supreme Court through the Board of Law Examiners, and discipline is handled by the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR). You can confirm an attorney’s license status, the date of admission, and any public disciplinary history through the BPR at tbpr.org before hiring. Confirming the license is a basic step that applies to any lawyer practicing in Nashville.

Q: What is the difference between an employee-side and a management-side employment lawyer in Nashville?

Employee-side, or plaintiff-side, firms represent workers in claims against employers, such as discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and unpaid wages. Management-side firms advise and defend employers, drafting policies, responding to charges, and litigating on the company’s behalf. Some Nashville firms handle both. Asking a firm which side it typically represents helps confirm that its interests align with yours before you share confidential details.

Q: Does Tennessee’s at-will rule mean I can be fired for any reason in Nashville?

Tennessee is an at-will employment state, so an employer can generally end employment for any reason that is not unlawful, and an employee can leave for any reason. The key limits are the unlawful categories: an employer cannot fire someone because of a protected characteristic such as race, sex, age, disability, religion, or national origin, in retaliation for protected activity, or in violation of the Tennessee Public Protection Act (the whistleblower statute) or an employment contract. Whether a termination falls into one of those exceptions is a fact-specific question for an attorney.

Q: How long do I have to file a workplace discrimination claim in Nashville?

Most discrimination and harassment claims require filing a charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Tennessee Human Rights Commission before a lawsuit can proceed, and the deadline is generally 180 or 300 days from the adverse action depending on the claim and the agencies involved. These windows are short and missing them can bar a claim entirely, so consulting an employment attorney quickly after an adverse action is important. The exact deadline for any individual case should be confirmed with a lawyer.

Q: Which federal and state laws govern employment disputes in Nashville?

Federal statutes include Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for wage and overtime issues, and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), enforced by the EEOC and the U.S. Department of Labor. Tennessee adds the Tennessee Human Rights Act and the Tennessee Public Protection Act, the state whistleblower law. An employment attorney can identify which statutes apply to a given set of facts.

Q: How do employment attorneys in Nashville typically charge for their services?

Fee structures vary by the type of work and the side represented. Many employee-side firms handle discrimination and wage cases on a contingency basis, meaning the fee comes from any recovery, while advisory work, contract review, and management-side defense are usually billed hourly. Some matters involve a flat fee or a hybrid arrangement. Ask each firm to explain its fee structure and any costs in writing during the initial consultation so the terms are clear before you proceed.