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Attorney, Labor and Employment Law

Quarles & Brady LLP

A Southwest Florida native, Alexis Barkis works as a management-side employment lawyer at Quarles & Brady LLP, counseling businesses in labor and employment law and representing employers in workplace-related litigation. She also performs pro bono work assisting families seeking asylum in the United States. To handle her busy schedule, Barkis follows some advice she was given in law school.

“A mentor of mine once told me to be ‘like a duck.’ That might seem like an odd analogy, but the idea is to stay calm, cool and unruffled on the surface while paddling like crazy underneath,” she says. “I think this is particularly important in my profession, as it is essential to remain composed and portray confidence to clients, colleagues and opposing counsel, when behind the scenes you may be working frantically to navigate through a difficult matter.”

Outside the courtroom, Barkis serves on the board of directors of Fun Time Early Childhood Academy, a nonprofit preschool that provides safe, quality care for children of low-income working parents, and as a board officer for HR Collier, an organization for human resources professionals. She is also active in the local bar associations, including the Lee County Association for Women Lawyers.