Kramer Rayson -Attorneys At Law

Kramer Rayson is Committed to Providing
Outstanding Legal Services in a Variety of Practice Areas.

Edward G. Phillips

Edward G. Phillips
Partner
800 S. Gay Street, Suite 2500
Knoxville, TN 37929
T (865) 525-5134
F (865) 522-5723
ephillips@kramer-rayson.com

Education
  • University of Tennessee, J.D., 1978
    Graduated with Honors
  • East Tennessee State University, B.A.
    Graduated with Honors
Admitted
  • State Bar of Tennessee
Memberships
  • Knoxville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations
  • ABA Labor and Employment Law Sections
Honors and Achievements
  • Former Chairman of the Labor and Employment Section of the Tennessee Bar Association
  • Member of the Editorial Review Board for the Tennessee Labor Letter
  • Identified as leading employment lawyer in Tennessee Chambers USA, The Client's Guide 2004-2011
  • Listed in the Best Lawyers in America, Labor and Employment Law 1995-2011
  • Listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers, Labor and Employment, 2006-2010
  • Board of Directors, Helen Ross McNabb Center 2004 - 2010
  • Managing Partner, Kramer Rayson 2004 - 2007
  • Fellow, Tennessee Bar Foundation 2004
  • Fellow, Knoxville Bar Foundation 2004

Edward G. Phillips has a wealth of knowledge and trial experience in his practice areas of Litigation and Employment and Labor and heads the Employment and Labor group.  He is a forceful, effective litigator and 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 prompt and lawful 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, Best Lawyers in America, selected Mr. Phillips for inclusion to its list each and every year since 1995, and also selected him as Lawyer of the Year in Labor Law - Management for 2012.  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 2004-2011 for his Employment and Labor law practice.

Mr. Phillips represents management exclusively in all areas of employment and labor relations.  He represents clients before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, in various federal district courts, and in the Tennessee Supreme Court.

In his practice, he focuses on:

  • Litigation avoidance/prospective advice
  • Litigation in all types of employment law cases in state and federal courts
  • Representation of public utilities who have unique issues such as civil service trials or right to privacy issues

He also represents his clients in administrative proceedings before the following:

He has recently reported Sixth Circuit affirmations of summary judgments in:

Mr. Phillips has also been instrumental in developing training programs in many areas of employment relations.

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Representative Matters

Mr. Phillips recently headed a defense team that successfully defended a putative class action with 17 named plaintiffs.  They were alleging race discrimination in termination, racial harassment, racial failure to promote or transfer, and retaliation for complaining about race discrimination.  All 17 plaintiffs' claims were either dismissed on summary judgment or were voluntarily dismissed with prejudice in exchange for waiver of court costs after summary judgment was filed.  One of these summary judgment dismissals was recently affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

In another instance, Mr. Phillips was also lead counsel in defense of a putative class action involving over 300 members alleging race discrimination in failure to hire.  The motion to certify the class was denied.  One plaintiff was dismissed on summary judgment, and the second plaintiff's case was rejected by the jury.

He recently obtained summary judgment defending the president of a major university in a reverse race and gender discrimination case which was affirmed by the 6th Circuit.

Mr. Phillips has defended a municipality in a Fair Labor Standards Act case involving over 70 plaintiffs.  He also defended a putative class action involving up to 80 plaintiffs.

He has recently reported Sixth Circuit affirmations of summary judgment in age discrimination and race discrimination and retaliation, USERRA retaliation, racial harassment, and age, gender and race discrimination claims involving reductions in force.

Of Note

  • Served as a law clerk while in law school for Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Houston Goddard
  • Former managing partner of the firm, 2004-2007
  • Former Chairman of the Labor and Employment Section of the Tennessee Bar Association, 1997
  • Appointed Member of the Editorial Review Board for the Tennessee Labor Letter, 1995-2002
  • Appointed by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee to its Standing Committee on Admissions, which screens applicants for admission the the court's bar, 2000-present
  • Included in Chambers and Partners USA in Tennessee - Employment Law, The Client's Guide, 2004-2011
  • Served on the Board of Directors, Helen Ross McNabb Center, 2004-2010 Board Chair 2008-2009
  • Appointed Fellow of the Tennessee Bar Foundation, 2004
  • Appointed Fellow of the Knoxville Bar Foundation, 2004