Shaun Southworth

Shaun Southworth built Southworth PC on a simple premise: every federal employee deserves a workplace that honors merit, protects civil rights, and lets dedicated public servants thrive. From offices in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., along with co-owner Lydia Taylor, Shaun leads a nationwide practice devoted exclusively to federal‑sector employment law, blending rigorous litigation with mindfulness‑based client care to deliver results and peace of mind in equal measure.

Raised in rural Wyoming and the first in his family to finish college, Shaun rose from a double‑wide trailer to graduate with honors from Duke University School of Law, where faculty awarded him the rarely given “Outstanding Achievement in Labor & Employment Law” distinction. He trained at an Am Law 100 firm, served as senior attorney for a premier employment boutique, and then launched Southworth PC to focus on the clients who need him most—current and former federal employees facing discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, or other jeopardy.

In more than 20,000 hours of practice, Shaun has litigated against nearly every major federal agency, from the Departments of Defense and Justice to the VA and DHS. His victories include large settlements, full reinstatements with back pay, and structural reforms that force agencies to correct systemic failures. A signature win for him involved securing reinstatement and damages for a young Black probationary employee fired after raising race‑discrimination concerns—an outcome that restored her career and advanced workplace equity at her agency.

Clients describe Shaun as “a pit bull in depositions and calm, cool, and collected in the courtroom.” They also cite his candor and compassion: Shaun tells the unvarnished truth about a case’s strengths and risks, then pairs that analysis with a step‑by‑step strategy and mindfulness tools that turn anxiety into clarity. This holistic approach echoes his book Finding Peace at Work and his bi‑weekly Mindful Workplace Podcast, both of which empower federal employees to navigate conflict without losing themselves in the process.

Before law, he taught middle‑school English through Teach For America—an experience that sharpened the empathy, patience, and plain‑language communication he brings to every client interaction.

When you hire Southworth PC, you work directly with a lawyer who is led by Lydia and Shaun, attorneys who believe in the power of the merit system, have mastered many nuances of federal employment law, and commit each day to one goal: defending careers while trying to help clients find peace at work.