Robert Harper is a nationally recognized expert in cross-cultural negotiation with Tribal governments, specializing in reducing legal, regulatory, and project-delivery risk for large-scale infrastructure projects. He advises executives, project sponsors, and financiers on complex agreements and partnerships that sit at the intersection of Tribal sovereignty, federal and state regulation, and capital-intensive development.
With more than 25 years of experience in government and Tribal affairs, Robert has led negotiations and strategic consultations involving land, natural resources, rights-of-way, energy, environmental compliance, and major infrastructure development. His work focuses on the most challenging Tribal consultation issues in the United States—where missteps can delay projects, escalate costs, or derail financing.
Robert has negotiated directly with senior leadership across the U.S. Department of the Interior and its bureaus, including BIA, BLM, BOR, USFWS, and NPS, as well as with FERC, FHWA, FAA, USDA, DOC, and state agencies nationwide. He has advised major project proponents and industry organizations across the energy, utilities, power transmission, telecommunications, and transportation sectors, including AASHTO, ASCE, Western Power Pool, Southwest Power Pool, IRWA, AAPL, and WESTA/WESTEC.
In addition to his advisory work, Robert has taught undergraduate and graduate courses and served as faculty for the Moolin Foundation’s invitational certificate program for Large-Scale Infrastructure Project Managers. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications on negotiation, alternative dispute resolution, infrastructure development, Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) integration, and project risk management.
Robert holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Montana School of Law, Master’s degrees in Communication Studies and Geography, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He has advanced certifications in negotiation and mediation from Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation and the Center for Collaborative Solutions, along with graduate certificates in Natural Resources Conflict Resolution and Federal Indian Law. He is a recipient of the John Marshall Legal Writing Award for his work on property rights and public access.
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