Jacob M. Harper

Jacob M. Harper defends businesses in consumer class actions and complex trials and appeals in a wide range of matters, including unfair competition, false advertising, food labeling, ADA, privacy, and shareholder disputes.

Consumer Class Actions
Jacob has special expertise in defending food and beverage industry clients from mislabeling claims and other class actions. He has defeated dozens of claims relating to labeling of antioxidants, country of origin, slack-fill and volume, sodium and sugar content, health claims, organic claims, trans fat content, and other labeling and content issues. Jacob frequently obtains early pre-discovery judgments and dismissals for his clients through case-ending federal preemption, standing, anti-SLAPP, and regulatory theories—a strategy that has led to numerous case-ending and cutting-edge court decisions, including Joseph v. SunRidge Farms, et al., Levin v. Ralphs Grocery Co., Hawkins v. The Kroger Co., Weiss v. The Kroger Co., and Cullen v. Netflix.

Grocer and Retailer Rights
Retailers and food and beverage industry clients also look to Jacob to defend their property rights at brick-and-mortar retail locations. He has obtained dozens of restraining orders and injunctions to exclude solicitors, political protestors, petitioning groups, and other trespassers from retailers' properties in California, many which resulted in groundbreaking pro-retailer Constitutional decisions. Ralphs Grocery Co. v. Victory Consultants, Inc., 17 Cal. App. 5th 245 (Cal. Ct. App. 2017), established petitioning groups are responsible for the malfeasance of their independent contractor solicitors, while Ralphs Grocery Co. v. Missionary Church of the Disciples of Jesus Christ, 205 Cal. App. 4th 490 (Cal. Ct. App. 2012), recognized that retailers in California have a constitutional right to protect their private sidewalk areas from unwanted expressive activity.  His successes have led to numerous other published trial and appellate opinions. (Recent examples, with links to court decisions, are listed under Representative Experience.)

Other Complex Trial and Appellate Experience
Drawing on Jacob’s trial and appellate victories, clients—in a wide range of industries from technology, startups, and real estate to leading grocers and retailers—seek his creative and aggressive approach for victories in trials, appeals, and extraordinary writs. Jacob has represented Ralphs Grocery Company, Food-4-Less, Foods Co., Falcon Trading Co., SunRidge Farms, Scribd Inc., and The Kroger Co.

About Jacob
Jacob has been named a Southern California Super Lawyers "Rising Star" since 2016. He was also recently recognized as one of the "Best Lawyers in America" in Food and Beverage Law by Best Lawyers. Jacob is a member of the Culver City Chamber of Commerce's government affairs committee, where he helps the city’s thriving local businesses connect with city government. He is also an active cyclist.