Towson Employment Lawyer

Employment Lawyer Towson, MD

If you are dealing with a problem at work, whether it involves discrimination, unpaid wages, retaliation for speaking up, or a termination that doesn’t sit right, you need an attorney who understands what Maryland law actually requires from employers.

Our Towson, MD employment lawyer at Eric Siegel Law has spent more than 30 years representing employees in workplace disputes across Maryland, the District of Columbia, and beyond. We handle cases involving discrimination, harassment, whistleblower retaliation, wage theft, wrongful termination, and civil rights violations. If your employer has broken the law, we’re here to make them answer for it. Reach out to our firm to discuss your situation.

Why Choose Eric Siegel Law for Employment Law Cases in Towson, MD?

Decades of Employment Litigation Experience

Eric L. Siegel, the firm’s founder, has more than 30 years of courtroom and litigation experience in federal and state employment matters. He started his career as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, enforcing the very protections he now invokes on behalf of his clients. That federal background gives him a perspective most employment attorneys simply do not have.

Eric earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 1989 and holds a B.A. from Tufts University. He is licensed in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and New York, and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the Fourth and Fifth Circuits, and multiple U.S. District Courts. He holds a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating, was named to Best Lawyers in 2023, earned a 10.0 Avvo Rating, and was selected for TopVerdict.com’s Top 100 Jury Verdicts in Labor & Employment in 2022.

Our team also includes Andrew Schroeder, Senior Counsel, who brings over 20 years of employment litigation practice. Andrew’s work spans retaliation, discrimination, harassment, and whistleblower cases in industries ranging from banking and pharmaceuticals to government contracting and healthcare. He earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and has litigated before the Department of Labor, EEOC, and the Merit Systems Protection Board. And James E. Miller, also Senior Counsel, focuses on wage and hour disputes, discrimination, and retaliation claims. James served as an employment lawyer for the U.S. Army before joining the firm, and earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Maryland Carey School of Law.

Together, our attorneys cover the full scope of employment litigation that employees in Towson and Baltimore County face.

Clients Know What to Expect

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“I cannot recommend Eric Siegel highly enough. He is experienced and humble, while being an outstanding Attorney. He was truthful, selfless, relentless, thoughtful, thorough, trustworthy, extremely committed, consistent, and well prepared. His exceptional legal expertise, dedication and attention to detail made a significant difference in my case. Eric was responsive and incredibly sensitive to the challenges and the context I had experienced, and he took the time to listen, to understand the history, the industry, and the client. I cannot say enough about Eric and his determination and skill that caused a positive outcome. I strongly recommend Eric, and on a scale from 1 to 5 I rate him a 10.” – Lou Hutchinson

Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.

Types of Employment Law Cases We Handle in Towson

Workplace disputes come in many forms. Some involve a single incident. Others reflect patterns of unlawful behavior that went unchecked for months or years. Our employment attorneys in Towson, MD handle a broad range of cases for employees across Baltimore County and surrounding areas.

• Workplace discrimination. We represent employees who’ve been discriminated against based on race, sex, age, disability, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or marital status. Maryland’s Fair Employment Practices Act provides protections that in some cases go beyond federal law.
• Retaliation. If you reported discrimination, unsafe conditions, or illegal activity and your employer punished you for it, that retaliation is illegal. We handle cases where employees were fired, demoted, reassigned, or subjected to a hostile environment after speaking up.
• Wage and hour violations. Employers in Towson and across Maryland owe workers proper pay for every hour worked, including overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate for hours beyond 40 per week. We pursue claims for unpaid wages and stolen overtime.
• Wrongful termination. Maryland is an at-will state, but that doesn’t mean your employer can fire you for any reason. Terminations that violate anti-discrimination statutes, breach employment contracts, or punish you for exercising legal rights are actionable.
• Whistleblower claims. Employees who report fraud, safety violations, or other illegal conduct are protected under state and federal law. Our firm has particular depth in whistleblower retaliation and False Claims Act cases.
• Harassment. A hostile work environment based on a protected characteristic such as race, sex, disability, or others violates Maryland and federal law. We help employees who have been subjected to workplace harassment take legal action.

Maryland Legal Requirements for Employment Law

Maryland’s primary anti-discrimination statute is the Fair Employment Practices Act, found in Title 20 of the State Government Article. It prohibits employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating against workers based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or disability. That list of protected categories is broader than what federal Title VII covers, Maryland includes marital status, sexual orientation, and gender identity, among others.

The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights enforces these state protections. Employees can file a discrimination complaint with the MCCR within six months of the alleged violation. The MCCR has a work-sharing agreement with the EEOC, so filing with one agency typically preserves your rights under both state and federal law.

Maryland is an at-will employment state. But the exceptions are significant. An employer cannot fire you for discriminatory reasons, for reporting illegal activity, for asserting wage rights, for refusing to commit a crime, or for fulfilling a legal obligation like jury service. The Maryland Department of Labor outlines these exceptions on its website.

On the wage side, Maryland’s minimum wage is $15.00 per hour as of 2025. Overtime must be paid at 1.5 times the regular rate for all hours over 40 in a workweek. Employers who withhold wages without a legitimate dispute can be held liable for up to three times the unpaid amount under the Maryland Wage Payment and Collection Law.

Important Aspects of a Towson Employment Law Case

Identifying the Legal Violation

Not every unfair workplace situation rises to the level of a legal claim. But many do, and the line can be hard to see without an attorney. We evaluate whether your situation involves a violation of a specific statute, a breach of contract, or conduct that offends Maryland public policy. Some clients come to us with clear-cut retaliation. Others bring a collection of incidents that, taken together, form a pattern of discrimination the law prohibits.

Preserving Evidence Early

Employment cases rise and fall on documentation. Emails, performance reviews, text messages from supervisors, pay stubs, company policies, all of it matters. And the sooner you start preserving it, the better. Employers have been known to alter records, delete emails, or suddenly revise personnel files once a complaint surfaces. We advise clients on how to gather evidence safely and legally from the very first consultation.

Understanding the Administrative Process

Most employment discrimination claims require you to file an administrative charge before you can sue in court. In Maryland, that means a complaint with the MCCR, the EEOC, or both. There are strict deadlines of six months for the MCCR, 300 days for the EEOC when a state agency is involved. Missing these deadlines can bar your claim entirely.

Damages Available in Maryland Employment Cases

What you can recover depends on the type of case. Discrimination and retaliation claims can include back pay, front pay, compensatory damages for emotional distress, and in some instances punitive damages. Wage claims can yield up to treble damages plus attorney’s fees. Some claims allow for reinstatement to your former position. Our employment lawyers in Towson will assess the full scope of potential recovery based on the specific facts of your case.

The Reality of At-Will Employment

Many employers in Towson tell workers, “Maryland is an at-will state, so we can fire you whenever we want.” That’s only half the story. At-will employment has real limits. If your termination was connected to your race, age, disability, gender, or to a protected activity like filing a complaint or blowing the whistle, the at-will doctrine does not shield your employer. That is exactly where a wrongful termination claim begins.

Employer Retaliation After a Complaint

Filing a complaint internally or with a government agency should not cost you your job. But it happens. Maryland law and federal statutes like Title VII, the ADA, and the FLSA all prohibit retaliation against employees who assert their rights. If your employer fired you, cut your hours, or made your work life unbearable after you raised a concern, that conduct is separately actionable. We take these cases seriously.

Contact Eric Siegel Law

If you are facing a workplace dispute in Towson, MD, the first step is understanding whether the law protects you and what your options are.

Eric Siegel Law represents employees throughout Towson, Baltimore County, and the greater Maryland area. Contact us to schedule a consultation. We’ll give you an honest assessment of where your case stands and what it would take to move forward.