Overview
Mr. Harper is a partner and litigation lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP, where he focuses his practice in the areas of construction, real property litigation, commercial litigation, and condominium law. Mr. Harper is Board Certified in Construction Law by The Florida Bar and has served on the Construction Law Certification Grade Review Panel for The Florida Bar. He is the former vice chair of Foley’s Construction Practice.
Mr. Harper was a federal judicial intern for the Hon. Elizabeth A. Kovachevich, and also a federal bankruptcy intern for the Hon. Alexander L. Paskay. He was a member and assistant editor of the Stetson Law Review.
Education
Mr. Harper received his J.D. degree, cum laude, in 1996 from Stetson University College of Law and his B.S. degree in Finance from the University of Florida in 1993.
Affiliations and Professional Memberships
Mr. Harper is the chair of the American Bar Association’s Single Family Residential Committee and the former vice chair of Foley’s Construction Practice. He is a member of The Florida Bar, the Hillsborough County Bar Association and a former director of the 7:24 Foundation, Inc. He is a former director and secretary of the Pediatric Cancer Foundation, Inc. and a former director of the Boca Grande Pass Enhancement Fund, Inc. He has served as a member of the Hillsborough County Judicial Liaison Committee. Mr. Harper previously served on the Personnel Committee at his church, South Tampa Fellowship.
Reported Decisions
Mr. Harper’s work has resulted in several published decisions, including:
- Warke v. Lennar Homes, LLC, 2018 LEXIS 2314 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2018);
- Busch v. Lennar Homes, LLC, 219 So. 3d 93 (Fla. 5th DCA 2017);
- CMH Homes, Inc. v. LSFC Co., 118 So. 3d 964 (Fla. 1st DCA 2013);
- American Community Networks, LLC v. Len Paradise, LLC, 115 So. 3d 372 (Fla. 5th DCA 2013);
- United States v. Durniak, 2013 LEXIS 92006 (M.D. Fla. 2013);
- Posen Construction v. Lee County, 921 F. Supp. 2d 1350 (M.D. Fla. 2013);
- Vila & Son Landscaping Corp. v. Posen Construction, Inc., 99 So. 3d 563 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2012);
- Way Bail Bond, Inc. v. Safety Nat’l Cas. Corp., 94 So. 3d 589 (Fla. 1st DCA 2012);
- CRW Systems v. Sarasota County, 15 So. 3d 585 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2009);
- Fireline Restoration, Inc. v. BSR Electrical, Inc., 8 SO. 3d 361 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2009);
- Accela, Inc. v. Sarasota County, 993 So. 2d 1035 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2008);
- Harrell v. Farm Credit of Northwest Florida, 2006 LEXIS 99867 (M.D. Fla. 2006);
- Accela, Inc. v. Sarasota County, 901 So. 2d 237 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2005);
- State Constr. & Engineering Corp. v. Condotte Am. Inc., 368 F. Supp. 2d 1296 (S.D. Fla. 2005);
- Assad v. Bekhit, 892 So. 2d 1021 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2004); and
- J. Sourini Painting v. Johnson Paints, 809 So. 2d 95 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2002).
Recognition
Mr. Harper was previously selected as a Legal Elite™ by Florida Trend magazine and as an Up & Comer by the Tampa Bay Business Journal and was recognized by the Gulf Coast Business Review in 2010 as “Forty Under 40.” He was also selected for inclusion in the 2009 Florida Super Lawyers® list for his construction law work.
Admissions
Mr. Harper is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Publications and Presentations
Mr. Harper has written and spoken extensively on a variety of legal topics. His work includes:
- Co-author, “The Impact of Bankruptcy,” Florida Construction Law and Practice
- Author, "Florida’s New Energy Code Requirements: Can Florida Construction Industry Benefit Despite Rising Costs?" Southeastern Construction Law/Courtroom, October 2007
- Co-author and lecturer for National Business Institute: "FDCPA Compliance for the Florida Practitioner"
- Lecturer for Sterling Educational Services, LLC: "Business Litigation: from pre-filing concerns through closing arguments and trial"
- Co-author and lecturer for National Business Institute: "Construction Payment Remedies in Florida"
- Co-author and lecturer for Lorman Education Services: "Construction Litigation in Florida"