Alex Harper

Alexander F. Harper is Senior Trial Counsel at Arias Sanguinetti Trial Lawyers, based in the firm’s Northern California office. His practice includes wrongful death, sexual assault, civil rights, catastrophic personal injury, premises liability, product liability, transportation and trucking litigation, and other complex civil matters. Dual-licensed in California and Texas, Alex has handled more than 4,000 matters throughout his career and has served as first-chair trial counsel in more than 60 jury and bench trials.

Alex’s career has placed him on nearly every side of a courtroom. He has worked as a prosecutor, criminal defense attorney, civil defense attorney, and trial lawyer representing individuals, businesses, insurers, and major corporations. That breadth of experience has given him a practical understanding of how opposing parties evaluate cases, how complex matters develop from investigation through trial, and how to work effectively with experts in areas including forensic science, toxicology, accident reconstruction, medical causation, and safety compliance.

His commitment to representing individuals developed through his criminal trial work. After beginning his career without a clear sense of which area of law he wanted to pursue, Alex joined a District Attorney’s Office and quickly found himself trying case after case. He realized that what drew him to law was being in court, meeting people, and advocating in matters where the outcome had immediate consequences for someone’s life.

Two cases remind Alex of his professional responsibility. He tried a sexual abuse case, securing a conviction meant helping ensure his clients could feel safe again. Later, he represented a client in a criminal defense case that he described as some of the hardest work he has ever put into a case. For that client, he secured an acquittal, allowing them to return home to their children and preventing them to be left without parents. For Alex, the common thread between those experiences was protecting people who were harmed and wrongfully accused.

Alex also served more than two decades in the United States Navy, ultimately retiring as a Lieutenant Commander and receiving the Bronze Star Medal. He developed expertise in both warfare logistics, with a military career that included assignments across East Asia and the Middle East, followed by a recall to active duty in Southwest Asia. While deployed, he organized a charitable effort that resulted in hundreds of boxes of pencils, notebooks, backpacks, and other school supplies being sent to children. Today, he is also a VA-accredited attorney and is able to assist veterans with benefits claims.

He earned his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law after receiving his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley. His legal education began only weeks before the September 11 attacks, and much of his time in law school was spent balancing his studies with significant Navy Reserve responsibilities related to the military response that followed.

Outside of work, motorcycles are a major part of Alex’s life. He is an accomplished long-distance rider who has twice completed the Iron Butt Rally and has ridden through all 48 contiguous states in just 10 days. He also enjoys traveling, exploring places beyond traditional tourist destinations, attending conventions and Renaissance fairs, visiting national parks with his daughters, and pursuing unconventional interests that reflect his naturally adventurous and curious personality.

Contact him at alexander@aswtlawyers.com