Bay Area Business, Land Use & Real Estate Law

Greg founded Harper Law in 1984, after his efforts to negotiate the purchase of the artists’ warehouse where he lived very quickly made him an expert in housing, contracts, limited equity housing cooperatives, nonprofit formation, easement disputes and small business law. (A tenant of the building was a small business that went on to hire Greg as their ongoing counsel.) The die was cast. The son of a small business owner, Greg was particularly struck by how limited legal resources were for small businesses. He’s proud to have established a firm that has served smaller clients and local businesses for the past three decades. Greg now divides his time between the practice, his family, and fly fishing. He holds a BS and BA from the University of Urbana-Champaign in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science with a minor in Math and Statistics. He earned his JD from the University of California, San Francisco School of Law (formerly UC Hastings).

Shona has been a lawyer at Harper & Armstrong since 2011 and a partner since 2016. A veteran of corporate firms, Shona prefers the varied and more personalized work she does now. She began her career at a boutique law firm practicing land use, real estate, and environmental law in San Francisco, worked for five years as a staff attorney at the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeal, practiced at Morrison & Foerster, and worked in-house at a solar energy development company, but she always hoped one day to “hang out a shingle” and operate her own firm. When she met Greg Harper at what was then known as Harper & Associates, she found a legal home. Now, as the managing partner, she relishes work that is rewarding and valuable. Shona explains: “Clear property and contract rights are the cornerstone of democracy and a functioning economic system!” A parent and active member of her Oakland public school community, Shona also enjoys spending time in the wilderness. 2023 was her third year as a timer and rest stop volunteer for the Yukon Quest dog sled race. Shona holds an AB in History of Science from Harvard College and a JD from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law.

Katherine is a sharp, thorough, and strategic lawyer, with experience in litigation, contracts, and entity formation. She enjoys representing individuals and working through complex issues to make a difference for her clients, particularly if they find themselves in litigation. Balancing the constraints of a case with the many different ways a case can be resolved is a challenge Kathryn relishes. She’s also been involved in nonprofit formation and looks forward to working with more nonprofit clients. When she’s not in the courtroom, Kathryn can be found out on the ski slopes. She holds a BA in English from Brown University and a JD from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. She has worked with Harper & Armstrong since 2018.

Melanie practices land use and environmental law, commercial litigation, real estate litigation, contracts, and incorporation. A member of the Harper & Armstrong team since 2016, Melanie is especially interested in negotiating different stakeholder interests. When she’s not researching and writing legal documents, she pitches in to support her Berkeley public school community, and enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, and getting outdoors. Melanie holds a BA in religious studies and a BS in journalism from Boston University, an MTS from Harvard Divinity School and a JD from University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings).

A member of the Harper & Armstrong team since 2016, Mariko is the anchor of the firm. As both paralegal and business manager, she handles the billing and other internal operating systems, while also supporting attorneys with everything from drafting to filing pleadings to workflow. She’s the staff member most likely to run up to your car window with a clipboard for a “drive-by” signature. Outside of the office, Mariko spends her time reading, backpacking and traveling the world. She holds an ABA Paralegal Certification from San Francisco State and a BA from Sarah Lawrence College.