Charles J. Harder is an American lawyer who practices entertainment law, intellectual property, and business litigation. His law firm, Harder LLP, based in Los Angeles with an office in New York City. ^[undefined]

Harder is known for representing Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Bollea) the Bollea v. Gawker case, which resulted in a $140 million jury verdict in March 2016, which led to Gawker filing for bankruptcy later that year. ^{[undefined] [undefined]}

From 2009 to 2016, Harder represented numerous celebrities in cases over Misappropriation of their names and likeness, ^[undefined] including Sandra Bullock, ^[undefined] George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, ^[undefined] Jude Law, ^[undefined] Mandy Moore, ^[undefined] Liam Neeson, ^[undefined] Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon. ^{[undefined] [undefined]}

Harder is a graduate of Loyola Law School and UC Santa Cruz. ^[undefined] He received his Bachelor's from Santa Cruz in 1991 and his J.D. from Loyola Law in 1996. ^[undefined]

Charles is licensed to practice in California, New York, and Washington D.C.

After completing law school, Harder served as law clerk to U.S.

District Judge A. Andrew Hauk.

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He also became a name partner in the Los Angeles-based firm of Harder Mirell & Abrams LLP.

Harder was the attorney of Hulk Hogan in the Bollea v. Gawker case, which resulted in a $140 million jury verdict in March 2016, which led to Gawker filing for bankruptcy later that year. ^{[undefined] [undefined]} It was later revealed that billionaire Peter Thiel financed the litigation. ^[undefined] Harder is perhaps best known for representing Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Bollea)

He is also known for representing inventor and business person Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai against Gawker, pursuant to which Gawker and its successor removed three allegedly defamatory articles about him, and Gawker paid him $750,000 in damages. ^[undefined] Dr. Ayyadurai also sued the blog Techdirt. ^[undefined] The actions against both Gawker and Techdirt were over Dr. Ayyadurai's claims to be the inventor of email (which Dr. Ayyadurai has documented but Techdirt denies). ^{[undefined] [undefined]} Harder briefly represented Harvey Weinstein in a threat of suit against The New York Times , ^[undefined] and represented Jared Kushner in connection with a Vanity Fair article covering the 2017 Special Counsel investigation. ^[undefined]

In 2017, Harder represented First Lady Melania Trump in a defamation case against the Daily Mail which resulted in a $2.9 million settlement payment to Mrs. Trump, and a public retraction and apology by the Daily Mail to her. ^[undefined] He also represented the President in legal demand letters sent to political consultant/media executive Steve Bannon and author Michael Wolff. ^[undefined] In February 2018, Harder filed a multi-million dollar privacy lawsuit in Wisconsin state court, alleging the secret recording of his clients in a bedroom. ^[undefined]

In 2017, Harder received the California Lawyer of the Year Award (CLAY Award) in Media by California Lawyer magazine. ^[undefined]

Also in 2017, he was listed in the Top 100 “Power Lawyers” in America by The Hollywood Reporter, ^[undefined] the Top 100 Lawyers in California by the Daily Journal newspaper, ^[undefined] and listed as a “Super Lawyer” by Thompson Reuters. ^[undefined]

Harder serves as Editor and Co-Author of Entertainment Law & Litigation (2011-18 LexisNexis) (Matthew Bender) a law treatise. ^[undefined] Harder also wrote “Privacy, The First Amendment, and Hulk Hogan’s $140.1 Million Jury Verdict”, 43 Rutgers Comp. & Tech. Law Journal 1 (2017) ^[undefined] and Hulk Hogan’s Lead Lawyer Explains How His Team Beat “Arrogant,” “Defiant” Gawker, The Hollywood Reporter, April 5, 2016.

In 1989, at the age of 19, he rode a bicycle across the United States.