Labor Relations Attorney in Memphis
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June 15, 2026
A labor relations attorney in Memphis practices traditional labor law, the field that governs the collective relationship between employers and labor unions, which differs from the individual-employee work that occupies most general employment lawyers. Rather than handling a single worker’s discrimination or wrongful termination claim, a labor relations attorney operates at the collective level: union organizing campaigns and representation elections, negotiation and administration of collective bargaining agreements, grievance arbitration, and the unfair labor practice charges and proceedings that run through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Memphis is Tennessee’s second-largest city, with a population of roughly 619,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and its economy anchored in logistics and distribution, manufacturing, healthcare, and a large public sector creates exactly the kind of workforces where union representation questions and collective bargaining arise.
Traditional labor law rests primarily on federal statute. The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), administered by the NLRB, governs most private-sector union relationships, protecting employees’ right to organize and bargain collectively while defining unfair labor practices by both employers and unions. Related federal laws include the Labor Management Relations Act (the Taft-Hartley Act) and the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (the Landrum-Griffin Act), and certain transportation and rail workers fall instead under the Railway Labor Act administered by the National Mediation Board. Tennessee is a right-to-work state under Tennessee Code Annotated 50-1-201 and following sections, and in 2022 voters added a right-to-work guarantee to the Tennessee Constitution. Right-to-work means an employee cannot be required to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment, a rule that shapes union membership and dues collection while the underlying right to organize and the bargaining process remain governed by federal law.
The NLRB conducts its work through regional and subregional offices, and Memphis hosts a subregional office that processes representation petitions and unfair labor practice charges for the surrounding area. Labor relations attorneys generally work on one side of the table. Management-side lawyers advise and represent employers in union avoidance and responses to organizing campaigns, in collective bargaining, in grievance and arbitration proceedings, and in defending unfair labor practice charges before the NLRB. Union-side lawyers represent labor organizations and their members in the same forums from the opposite perspective. In Memphis, the firms with sustained traditional labor practices include national labor and employment firms with local offices and long-established Memphis firms with dedicated labor groups. Confirming which side a firm represents is an essential first step, since a firm that defends employers will not represent a union, and the reverse.
The attorneys are regulated separately from the employers and unions they serve. 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 Memphis labor relations lawyer can confirm the attorney’s license status and any disciplinary history through the BPR at tbpr.org. Tennessee’s broader consumer protection framework operates under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), administered by the Division of Consumer Affairs, though labor relations disputes themselves proceed through the NLRB, arbitration, and the federal courts. This article is informational and not legal advice; anyone facing a labor relations question should consult a licensed attorney about the specific facts and deadlines that apply.
Top Labor Relations Attorney Providers in Memphis
1. Littler Mendelson, P.C.
Address: 40 South Main, Suite 2500, Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 795-6695
Website: https://www.littler.com
Services: traditional labor counseling, union organizing response, NLRB representation and elections, collective bargaining negotiations, grievance and arbitration proceedings, unfair labor practice matters, union-related counseling for manufacturing, healthcare, and service-sector employers
Description: Littler Mendelson, P.C. is a national labor and employment firm that describes itself as the largest such firm representing management, and its Memphis office is led by office managing shareholder Tanja L. Thompson, who serves as a co-chair of the firm’s national Traditional Labor Law Practice. The firm’s stated focus is labor and employment law exclusively, and its Memphis attorneys have particular experience advising manufacturing, healthcare, and service-sector clients on union-related matters, NLRB proceedings, and the broader range of labor relations issues. Memphis-based labor and employment attorney Paul Prather practices in state and federal employment litigation as well as administrative proceedings before the NLRB. The firm represents employers and management.
2. Burch, Porter & Johnson, PLLC
Address: 130 North Court Avenue, Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 524-5000
Website: https://www.bpjlaw.com
Services: union avoidance, negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, labor arbitrations and mediations, defense of NLRB charges, grievance handling, management-side labor litigation
Description: Burch, Porter & Johnson, PLLC is a long-established Memphis firm whose labor and employment practice represents management and employers, with what the firm describes as extensive experience representing management in litigation. Its traditional labor work covers union avoidance, negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, labor arbitrations and mediations, and the defense of unfair labor practice charges before the National Labor Relations Board. The firm’s labor and employment attorneys include Jef Feibelman, Tannera George Gibson, Jennifer S. Hagerman, Carl I. Jacobson, Lisa A. Krupicka, Melissa A. Maravich, Cherylann M. Pasha, and Sarah E. Stuart. The firm works from its downtown Memphis office on North Court Avenue and represents employers.
3. Law Offices of Cary Schwimmer
Address: 1661 International Place Drive, Suite 400, Memphis, TN 38120
Phone: (901) 753-5537
Website: https://www.schwimmerfirm.com
Services: NLRB charges and litigation, collective bargaining negotiations, strikes and concerted activity guidance, injunctions, labor contract administration and interpretation, management-side labor relations counseling
Description: The Law Offices of Cary Schwimmer is a Memphis firm that represents employers, physicians, and executives, with founder Cary Schwimmer practicing labor relations and employment law on a national basis for more than forty years. The firm’s traditional labor services include handling NLRB charges and litigation, collective bargaining negotiations, guidance on strikes and protected concerted activity, injunctions, and the administration and interpretation of labor contracts. Schwimmer’s background includes service as management chairperson of a subcommittee within the American Bar Association’s labor and employment section. The firm represents management and employers exclusively from its office on International Place Drive in East Memphis.
Frequently Asked Questions About Labor Relations Attorneys in Memphis
Q: How is a labor relations attorney different from an employment attorney in Memphis?
A labor relations attorney practices traditional labor law, which governs the collective relationship between employers and labor unions: union organizing and elections, collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, and unfair labor practice proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board. An employment attorney more typically handles individual-employee matters such as discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and wage claims. While the fields overlap and many firms practice both, the labor relations side centers on unions, bargaining, and the NLRB rather than a single worker’s claim.
Q: What does Tennessee’s right-to-work status mean for Memphis workplaces?
Right-to-work means an employee cannot be required to join a union or to pay union dues or fees as a condition of getting or keeping a job. Tennessee’s right-to-work rule appears in Tennessee Code Annotated 50-1-201 and following sections, and voters added a right-to-work provision to the Tennessee Constitution in 2022. The rule affects union membership and dues collection, but it does not eliminate the federally protected right of employees to organize or the duty to bargain in good faith, which are governed by the National Labor Relations Act.
Q: Where are NLRB matters for Memphis employers handled?
The National Labor Relations Board conducts its work through regional and subregional offices, and Memphis hosts a subregional office that processes representation petitions and unfair labor practice charges for the surrounding area. Representation elections and unfair labor practice charges for private employers typically run through the NLRB rather than a state agency, because federal law occupies most of this field. A labor relations attorney can advise on procedures and deadlines within the NLRB process.
Q: What is collective bargaining?
Collective bargaining is the process by which an employer and a union that represents a group of employees negotiate the terms and conditions of employment, such as wages, hours, benefits, and grievance procedures, and reduce them to a written collective bargaining agreement. Under the National Labor Relations Act, both sides have a duty to bargain in good faith over mandatory subjects. Labor relations attorneys advise and represent employers or unions in preparing for bargaining, conducting negotiations, and interpreting and administering the resulting agreement.
Q: How do I verify that a Memphis labor relations attorney is properly licensed?
Tennessee attorneys are licensed by the Tennessee Supreme Court through the Board of Law Examiners, and discipline is administered by the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR). You can confirm an attorney’s license status, admission date, and any public disciplinary history through the BPR at tbpr.org before hiring. Because many labor relations lawyers practice within larger firms’ labor and employment groups, it is also reasonable to ask about the individual attorney’s specific experience with collective bargaining, NLRB proceedings, and arbitration.
Q: Does a labor relations attorney represent the company or the union?
Most labor relations attorneys work on one side. Management-side lawyers advise and represent employers in union avoidance, collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, and the defense of unfair labor practice charges, while union-side lawyers represent labor organizations and their members in the same forums. A firm that regularly defends employers will not represent a union against an employer, and the reverse is also true. The Memphis firms with the deepest traditional labor practices are largely management-side, so a union or its members may need to confirm a firm’s orientation before engaging it. Clarifying which side a firm represents at the outset ensures its interests align with yours.