The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP announced today that Travis Kearbey, a leading employment law attorney in St. Louis, has joined the firm as a partner in the Labor, Employment & Benefits Practice Group.
Kearbey was most recently the leader of an Am Law 200 firm’s Employment and Labor Group and was one of 35 attorneys named last month to Missouri Lawyers “Power List” of the most powerful employment attorneys in the state, the third straight year he has made the list.
He is particularly experienced in the areas of litigation, business transactions, employment law counseling and labor law, representing clients in industries such as higher education, manufacturing, hospitality, professional services and various nonprofit sectors.
Kearbey has handled jury trials in federal and state courts on discrimination, retaliation and whistleblower claims, has litigated restrictive-covenant disputes in federal and state courts, and has represented clients before numerous state and federal administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, the Illinois Department of Human Rights and other fair employment practices agencies across the nation.
“Quarles is nationally recognized as a leading firm in employment and labor law,” said Kearbey. “I am beyond excited to be part of the Quarles culture of success, which includes an admirable record of progress in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion. I am honored to join an incredibly deep bench of attorneys in the areas of employment and higher education and to have the opportunity to partner with seasoned attorneys across the firm’s full-service platform that will help me take my practice to the next level.”
In addition to disputes-related employment matters, Kearbey has significant experience representing clients with respect to employment and labor law issues arising in the context of mergers and acquisitions, including the negotiating of executive employment and severance agreements, handling employment-related due diligence, negotiating employment-related reps, warranties and covenants, and advising on post-closing integration matters, all in the context of M&A transactions. Kearbey previously served as a leader of an Am Law 100 global firm’s Labor & Employment deal team.
Additionally, his practice includes more than 15 years of experience representing education-sector clients in matters including Title IX investigations and hearings; disputes concerning tenure, academic freedom and disciplinary matters; and negotiating executive agreements for university leaders.
Kearbey has been named to Best Lawyers in America (Employment Law – Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment) each year since 2020, a Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyers “Rising Star” each year since 2012 and a Benchmark Litigation “Labor & Employment Star” each year since 2020. He earned his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and his B.S. from Missouri State University.
“Travis is a highly respected advisor and leader who will be a valuable addition as our team continues to expand to meet the growing needs of our clients, especially in St. Louis,” said Sean Scullen, national co-chair of the Quarles Labor, Employment & Benefits Practice Group. “He brings tremendous breadth in both the type of labor and employment matters he handles and the range of clients he represents. Equally important, he shares our commitment to building partnerships with clients designed to help them achieve long-term success.”
