Rich Harper advises and litigates on behalf of some of the world's most sophisticated technology, media, and entertainment companies. He leads litigation teams in business tort and breach of contract disputes, ranging from trade secret litigation to business defamation claims for clients such as PepsiCo and Formula 1 Racing. Within the business tort field, Rich has built a leading national practice in fiduciary duty and securities litigation, having represented the company and/or directors of Liberty Media, NASCAR, Starz, and Charter Communications.

With a proven track record of success managing complex risk issues, Rich is a trusted advisor to management teams and directors, aligning business and legal strategies to achieve success in high-stakes commercial litigation. As co-chair of the firm’s Artificial Intelligence practice group, he helps clients navigate emerging AI-related litigation and regulations. In 2024, he will be teaching a seminar on Artificial Intelligence and the Law at Florida State University Law School. He also advises clients on ESG, joint ventures, and other corporate structuring issues.

In addition to leading the AI group, Rich serves as the Partner-in-Charge of Baker Botts' New York office. He previously served as the New York office's Litigation Department Chair and Hiring Partner, as well as on the firm's Executive Committee. For over a decade, Rich has also served as part of the faculty for the Intensive Trial Practice Workshop at the University of Chicago Law School.

Rich has extensive experience representing directors and corporations in high-stakes fiduciary duty and securities litigation arising from major corporate transactions. His practice includes defending directors of prominent companies such as Expedia Group in litigation stemming from their $2.6 billion acquisition of Liberty Expedia, NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation directors in connection with their $2 billion merger, and Liberty Broadband Corporation and Charter Communications directors regarding Liberty Broadband's $5 billion investment as part of the Charter-Time Warner Cable merger. He has also represented Barnes & Noble's special committee in fiduciary duty and securities litigation arising from the company's sale to Elliott Advisors, and Starz directors in connection with fiduciary duty and appraisal litigation related to its $4.4 billion acquisition by Lionsgate.

His commercial litigation practice encompasses complex business tort matters including trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition, and breach of contract claims. Representative matters include defending Mastercard Incorporated against misappropriation of trade secret and unfair competition claims asserted by Linkable Networks Inc., and representing PepsiCo against trade secret, patent, and breach of contract claims seeking over $130 million in damages brought by ScentSational Corp. He has also handled fraudulent transfer and breach of fiduciary duty claims for Ascent Capital Group and its directors, defended Lyft against tortious interference claims by Jersey City taxicab owners, and represented Pramer S.C.A., a South American cable programming company, through a two-week jury trial and appeal involving fraud, fiduciary duty, and breach of contract claims.