Employment Lawyer

We Defend Employers So They Can Get Back to Business

Legal disputes are more than an annoyance. They have the potential to send a business into bankruptcy. At The Ebbert Law Firm, we help Tennessee employers with legal matters by advising them of their rights and drafting documents with sufficient clarity to protect them from future litigation. We have experience with many different industries and realize that a “one size fits all” approach is rarely in our clients’ best interests. Instead, we listen to you—your goals, your business strategy, and what you see as your greatest legal risks. Contact us today to discuss any legal issue with an experienced employment law attorney.

Attorneys at The Ebbert Law Firm represent Tennessee employers and provide a full range of employment defense services. We also enforce non-compete agreements. We help employers avoid litigated employee disputes by:

• Designing sound employment policies
• Training HR professionals and managers about employment laws
• Conducting sexual and racial harassment training
• Counseling employers about hiring practices
• Counseling employers about disciplining and terminating employees
• Negotiating and preparing employment contracts, non-compete agreements, and severance agreements.

The Ebbert Law Firm defends employers against charges and lawsuits from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Tennessee Human Rights Commission, and employees. We conduct detailed investigations, formulate a defense, and work toward an efficient dispute resolution. We prepare position statements and stand ready to defend our clients against any lawsuits that may be filed.

How Can an Employment Attorney in Knoxville, TN Help Your Company

These are some of the areas in which an attorney from The Ebbert Law Firm represents employers:

• Employment discrimination — Race, national origin, age, gender, pregnancy, disability, religion, and other protected classes;
• Sex and Sexual Preference;
• Sexual harassment;
• Race harassment;
• Fair Labor Standards Act cases involving overtime claims and minimum wage violations;
• Family and Medical Leave Act claims;
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigations and complaints;
• Independent contractor misclassification;
• Enforcing Non-compete agreements;
• Equal Pay Act claims;
• Breach of employment contract cases;
• Hostile work environment claims;
• Retaliation claims;
• Whistleblower claims under the Tennessee Public Protection Act;
• Workers’ compensation retaliation claims; and
• Wrongful termination lawsuits.

Avoiding Litigation

Some entrepreneurs and CEOs see legal services as an unwarranted expense. But our legal services department can help prevent future disputes and strengthen your bottom line. If your company is sued, you can’t avoid court easily—so it is best to get expert legal advice now on how to stay on the right side of the law. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

We can help any Knoxville business client by:

• Training Human Resources professionals about current state and federal employment laws.
• Reviewing employment policies and recommending changes.
• Counseling clients on hiring practices.
• Advising businesses on how to discipline or terminate employees.
• Drafting or revising employee manuals and handbooks.
• Negotiating, drafting, and revising employment contracts, severance agreements, and non-disclosure and non-compete agreements.
• Training employees and managers on sexual and racial harassment, including hostile work environments.
• Performing an internal investigation into misconduct committed by management or other members of your company.

Large companies have their own in-house counsel who are waiting by the phone to take an executive’s call at any hour of the day. But every small or medium-sized company in Tennessee deserves timely, accurate legal advice to help protect employers in order to avoid employment disputes and litigation. Let The Ebbert Law Firm serve as your in-house counsel regarding employment law in Knoxville, TN.

Defending Your Company from Lawsuits and Investigations With Our Employment Lawyers

The Ebbert Law Firm attorneys in Knoxville, TN can also defend employers from lawsuits or investigations from employees, the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).  These lawsuits require a considered approach. Much more is at stake than just money. Many investigations or lawsuits related to racial discrimination or sexual harassment make the news. Your company’s reputation could be tarnished if you do not appropriately respond to complaints or protect employees, even when they are groundless, and you might struggle to hire or retain valuable employees.

Our employment attorney will focus on your safety and interests, protecting your reputation and defending you from any allegation of illegal behavior related to your employment law case such as:

• Employment discrimination on the basis of age, religion, race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, and other protected characteristics. Disappointed job applicants and even current employees could allege discrimination in hiring, termination, promotion, wages, and job training.
• Sexual harassment and hostile work environment claims, including accusations against managers. The #MeToo movement has changed worker expectations and empowered them to speak up about workplace conduct and language they find offensive.
• Retaliation and wrongful termination claims, including whistleblower claims. The media loves a whistleblower, who can sink your company’s reputation.
• EEOC investigations and complaints. Administrative agencies like the EEOC can demand massive amounts of information, and you need to comply to avoid penalties.

We also have deep experience defending companies accused of violating certain workplace labor laws, such as the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which creates minimum wage and overtime regulations, and other employment law cases. Many employers face class action lawsuits related labor and hour laws, due to off-the-clock work, denied overtime, and employee misclassification. This law is very important because workers can seek double damages as a penalty. Violations of hour laws can prove very costly.

Other employers face lawsuits related to the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Equal Pay Act, state workers’ compensation laws, and similar legislation. These laws prohibit retaliation and give employees powerful rights they can enforce in court. We can advise you on how to handle these claims and argue in court that you did not violate federal or state labor laws, or an employee’s rights.

We can also enforce other contracts, such as non-compete agreements, non-disclosure agreements, and employment contracts. Some employees who are terminated for good cause file a lawsuit to show a wrongful termination or unlawful termination to strike back at an employer. Or else they go to work for a former employer or competitor in violation of a prior agreement.

Your Bottom Line Matters to Us

The Ebbert Law Firm avoids padding a bill with unnecessary legal research or document review for all aspects of your employment law case. Instead, we provide a high level of service at an affordable price. Because of our experience as best employment lawyers, we can often solve problems much faster than a lawyer who handles employment issues only on the the department of labor’ side, and we know how to spot problems coming down the road. Having an experienced employment law lawyer on speed dial is one of the best investments a company can make.

We understand the financial pressures that employers face in a tough economic climate. Not only are competitors nipping at your heels, but supply chain bottlenecks and inflation have increased the cost of doing business dramatically. The last thing you need is another unnecessary expense.

We also help our clients think through alternatives to litigation, such as mediation, arbitration, and negotiation. Sometimes it makes more financial sense to settle without admitting liability. The typical employment settlement in Tennessee is $5,000-80,000. If you litigate to a jury trial, then you can multiply that amount by 3 or 4, at least, and that doesn’t include the cost of an appeal.

Of course, there is no reason to settle if you believe the facts are in your favor or have a strong desire to win. Some lawsuits are existential—losing could spell doom for your company. Our law firm is prepared to aggressively defend you in all phases of litigation or in arbitration from your employee or attorneys.

Call Our Knoxville Employment Law Attorney Today

The Ebbert Law Firm has the business and legal knowledge you need to efficiently solve problems. In this challenging business climate, savvy attorneys and business leaders make informed decisions about the investments necessary to help their firms grow. Work with the best employment lawyers in Knoxville, TN! Do not hesitate to call or contact our Knoxville, TN employment lawyers today regarding your employment law case. Any conversation is confidential, and we can get to work immediately on any pressing legal issue. Contact an attorney today!