Barbara A. Darkes

Profile

Barb joined the firm in 2000 after serving as counsel to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. She assists clients with day-to-day business and operating advice, and litigates in state courts, administrative proceedings, arbitrations and mediations.

Barb’s practice areas include:
Automotive Dealer – compliance, consumer and franchise concerns
Alcoholic Beverage and Liquor License – licensing, compliance and acquisitions for liquor licensees and related parties
Transportation – regulatory and compliance
Professional licensing proceedings with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs

What does Barb do for clients?
Barb’s entire legal career has focused on regulatory and compliance matters, and with her background as counsel to PennDOT prior to joining McNees, she is a perfect fit to counsel clients with their compliance and regulatory concerns and provide representation in matters involving administrative agencies. Her approach to her practice is preventative and efficient, spending as much time as possible counseling clients to avoid enforcement actions or litigation. When an enforcement action or litigation cannot be avoided, Barb has the knowledge and resources needed to defend clients and see them through the challenge.

What do Clients have to say about Barb?
In late 2006, I was looking for legal counsel with local expertise in transportation law to represent my organization. I found that and a whole lot more when I met Barbara. I would describe Barbara as someone who is, encouraging, uplifting, influential, inspiring, loving, and caring. In short, Barb is an amazing person who has found unique ways to help me become a more effective leader and a better person – (husband, father, sibling, son, and friend). Barb has played an instrumental part in helping me fulfill my purpose in life. She continues to work with me, helping me develop the skills and techniques to be a strong, compassionate, and successful leader.

You can quickly tell that Barbara truly cares about her clients. I’ve found that I can reach out to her at almost any given time and within moments Barb will respond. Let me take a moment to unpack this. Typically, when you are reaching out to your attorney it’s because there’s something urgent that you need to address. We live in a litigious society and getting expert legal advice in a timely manner is critically important to almost everyone. She has also helped my company navigate through legal matters which have resulted in business opportunities and business growth. I always enjoy working with her. She is easy to talk to, always providing an ear to bend and providing honest feedback which has always played a role in my decision making. – Michael Heim, Vice President and General Manager PA Operations, Motor Vehicle Software Corporation, t/a Vitu

I met Barb 20 years ago when she joined the team that represents #1 Cochran through McNees Wallace & Nurick. From the start, Barb has been such a pleasure to work with. She is extremely attentive, detail oriented and incredibly knowledgeable with the automotive legal standards. I would highly recommend Barb for legal representation not only within the automotive industry but quite frankly any business and/or individual. Barb is an asset to us and has certainly contributed to the continued success of our organization. – Dianne Pampena, Director of Finance, #1 Cochran

What does Barb do in her free time?
Connecting with family and friends
Spending time with her dog
Yoga and meditation
Walking/Hiking/Being in nature
Reading