Atty. Edward G. Phillips
Edward (“Ward”) Phillips has a wealth of knowledge and trial experience in his practice areas of Labor and Employment Law. Ward represents management exclusively in all areas of employment and labor relations, including state and federal employment litigation and in administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the United States Department of Labor, and the National Labor Relations Board.
Profile Summary
About Edward G. Phillips at a glance
Edward G. Phillips is a employment and litigation attorney based in Knoxville, Tennessee, practicing at Kramer Rayson LLP. Admitted to practice in Tennessee, Tennessee Bar Association. Educated at The University of Tennessee (J.D., 1978) and East Tennessee State University (BA, 1975). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Employment Law - Management (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Labor Law - Management (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Litigation - Labor and Employment (2026). Serands clients in Knoxville, TN and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Edward (“Ward”) Phillips has a wealth of knowledge and trial experience in his practice areas of Labor and Employment Law
- Ward represents management exclusively in all areas of employment and labor relations, including state and federal employment litigation and in administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the United States Department of Labor, and the National Labor Relations Board
- He is a forceful, effective litigator
- Ward has been described by Chambers and Partners USA as, "one of the most talented lawyers in the state with a varied practice of litigation avoidance and successful litigation
- Employment law is his passion, and he gives his clients timely prospective advice (i.e., how to deal with problem employees and structure policies)
- For his Employment and Labor law practice, the prestigious peer-review publication, The Best Lawyers in America, selected Ward for inclusion to its list from 1995 through 2024, and also selected him as Lawyer of the Year Litigation - Labor and Employment, Knoxville for 2024
- Mid-South Super Lawyers, another highly respected publication which uses a multi-phased selection process, including independent research and peer nominations and evaluations, selected him to its list for the years 2006-2010, 2012-2024 for his Employment Litigation Defense
- Ward co-authors an Employment Law column, The Law at Work in the Tennessee Bar Journal
- This column has been cited by federal and state courts on the topic of Employment Law
- See Sadlar v
- Tyson Foods, Inc. (W.D
- Tenn
- May 27, 2022)
- Hardy v
- TPC Southwind (Tenn
- Ct
- App
- July 2, 2015)
- Lindsey v
- Shelby Co. Bd of Educ. (W.D
- Tenn
- Feb. 19, 2019) Ward focuses his practice on: · Litigation avoidance/prospective advice · Litigation in all types of employment law cases in state and federal courts · FLSA – collective actions · Discrimination, retaliation, harassment and whistleblower · Unfair competition and trade secrets · Religious institutions (Diocesan counsel for the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville) · Education Ward has also been instrumental in developing training programs in many areas of employment relations
- Ward has presented the Knoxville Bar Association’s Annual Employment Law Update for over two decades
Practice Areas Explained
Edward G. Phillips's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Edward G. Phillips handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Employment lawyers represent workers in wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, wage & hour disputes, and severance negotiations.
Edward G. Phillips is one of 169,120 employment attorneys indexed nationally. Browse employment attorneys in Tennessee →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
Edward G. Phillips is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in Tennessee →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Tennessee
Practicing law in Tennessee. Legal matters in Tennessee are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Knoxville are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Tennessee state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Tennessee brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Tennessee courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Tennessee attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Knoxville or all attorneys in Tennessee.
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