Meet Alexis Pheiffer
Alexis is the Founder and Managing Member of the Law Office of Alexis Pheiffer, where she serves as an impartial workplace investigator and a mediator for employment disputes. Alexis has been an attorney for more than 20 years and has resolved hundreds of disputes, ranging from informal complaints and administrative charges to complex state and federal litigation in a variety of subject matter areas.
Alexis began her legal career in Madison, Wisconsin, working in the employment law group of a large national law firm. She moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 2007 and continued in private practice first at a full-service law firm and later at an employment law boutique.
Alexis served as PetSmart’s senior employment attorney from 2010-2017 and headed the employment and litigation teams at Sprouts Farmers Market from 2017-2021. During her time at Sprouts, Alexis managed a wide variety of litigated matters, ranging from wage and hour class actions and harassment and discrimination cases to general liability claims, securities litigation, false advertising, and contract disputes. For most of 2020, Alexis focused on compliance with the myriad COVID-19 laws, regulations, and guidance memoranda promulgated by federal, state, and local agencies, giving her extensive experience in COVID-19 response and litigation. While in-house, Alexis also investigated numerous workplace concerns, ranging from bullying, workplace conduct, and workplace violence to sex harassment, all types of discrimination, retaliation, and wage/hour-related issues. Alexis was named 2020’s Large Public Company In-House Counsel of the year by Arizona Business Magazine.
After participating in hundreds of mediations as an advocate and client, Alexis knew the difference a good mediation could make to counsel and parties involved. Inspired by her experiences, she began dispute resolution training in 2017 and served as a Maricopa County Judge Pro Tem in the Civil Division for six years. As a Judge Pro Tem, Alexis conducted settlement conferences for the Maricopa County Superior Court. She also presided over an alternative dispute resolution option known as the “Short Trial,” which allows participants to present their case to a four-member jury and receive a verdict in one day, and provided courtroom coverages for judges and court commissioners. Alexis is a certified MC3 mediator and an Affiliate Mediator with AAA Mediation.org
Similarly, Alexis learned the power of a well-done impartial workplace investigation by conducting numerous external and internal investigations as well as through her experience selecting external investigators for her in-house clients. Alexis approaches each investigation with neutrality, curiosity, and compassion, and she understand the importance of a prompt and thorough investigative report.
In April 2021, Alexis founded the Law Office of Alexis Pheiffer PLLC so she could focus, full-time, on mediation and workplace investigation.
Alexis grew up in rural central Wisconsin. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and her law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in Minneapolis. Alexis earned a Certificate in Dispute Resolution from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.
In her spare time, Alexis can be found reading, hiking, traveling, baking, painting, crafting, listening to and playing music, cheering on the Green Bay Packers, and enjoying her family.
Experience
Alexis brings over 20 years of practical experience to each engagement. Her experience working in-house with Fortune 500 companies as well as in private legal practice give her a unique and valuable perspective.
Alexis believes a well-run mediation should empower parties to make decisions about resolution of their matters on terms – and on a time frame – that works best for them. Relying on the empathy, experience, and strong problem-solving skills built over her decades-long career, she tailors her approach to each individual case.
When investigating, Alexis relies on her significant in-house experience as well as her employment law subject matter expertise. She focuses on creating a safe space for witnesses and conducting prompt, thorough, impartial investigations in accordance with the Association of Workplace Investigators’ Guiding Principles for Conducting Workplace Investigations
Alexis loves to learn and has taken additional training through groups such as the Association of Workplace Investigators, the American Bar Association, the Wisconsin State Bar, Southern California Mediation Association, State Bar of Arizona, the International Academy of Mediators, Osgoode Hall’s Professional Development Centre (York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada), and the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University. Alexis also completed training in on-line dispute resolution with Susan Guthrie in February 2020.
Alexis’ practice areas include:
- Employment discrimination (Title VII, ACRA, ADA, PDA, FEHA, other federal/state/local laws)
- Sexual and other harassment claims
- Whistleblower, retaliation, violation of public policy and related claims
- Wage and hour (individual and class action claims), including FLSA and California PAGA claims
- Breach of contract, including non-compete and compensation disputes
- FMLA and state/local sick leave claims
- Workplace safety
- Background checks and related negligence claims
- Personal injury
- Consumer litigation/false advertising
- Commercial litigation, including contract disputes and business dissolution
- COVID-19, including regulatory compliance, face covering issues, workplace safety, and employment claims with COVID-19 component
Alexis’ industry experience includes:
- Retail (specialty, grocery, general retail)
- Transportation and distribution
- Restaurant
- Non-Profits
- Manufacturing
- Professional Services
- Financial Services
- Healthcare
- Hospitality
- Insurance
- Aerospace
- Technology
Contact & Scheduling
For mediation scheduling, please contact Sonia Patel Dalton at 949-822-7270 or sp@alexispheiffer.com.
For investigations and all other questions, please contact Alexis directly at 480-463-4681 or ap@alexispheiffer.com.