Hardin is an experienced attorney who founded Hardin Law Group, an elite law firm, to fight for the rights of employees. After training as a business lawyer, James has focused his practice on representing employees in employment-related disputes regarding almost every imaginable issue, including cases or issues involving wrongful termination, discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, wage and hour violations, medical leaves, employee benefits, privacy, class actions, and trade secrets. With over 20 years litigation experience since graduating from the prestigious UCLA School of Law in 1999, James has recovered over $110 million in verdicts and settlements, in addition to obtaining many other notable results for clients.

Mr. Harlan's accomplished career in Legal and Regulatory Affairs started in 1975 and continues to provide the telecommunication industry with articulate and knowledgeable advice and guidance. His accomplishments in providing counsel to Fortune 100 companies, national utilities, and telecommunication companies such as GTE and MCI Worldcom, include the negotiation and drafting of complex interconnection, resale, unbundling, and collocation agreements to implement the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, facilitating competitive local exchange carriers' entry into the local market. Mr. Harlan successfully negotiated franchise agreements, right-of-way agreements, dark fiber, swap agreements, leases, licenses, joint construction projects, and other contractual arrangements for the engineering and construction of local and long-distance networks while working for GTE and MCI. During his tenure with MCI, Mr. Harlan served as an Associate Counsel in Law and Public Policy, Litigation/Real Estate and received numerous distinguished awards, including MCI's "MAP Award" for recognition and performance in Law and Public Policy in 1998 and 1999. He helped to develop national and statewide strategies favorable to Franchise and Public Right of Way legislation, including uniform rules and policies regarding franchise issues. He helped to develop and implement statewide rules and regulations for the telecommunications industry in numerous states throughout the U.S. His expertise and recognition in the telecom and real estate law industry provided invitations for him to serve as a panelist and guest speaker on many prominent industry-related committees and associations. Mr. Harlan is also a published author on legal issues regarding his experience with the application and interpretation of the Telecommunication Act of 1996 and various State Telecommunication Acts. His previous State's Legislature employment and his multi-year appointment to the Iowa Department of Agriculture as the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture/Director of Regulatory Division, further speaks to his legal and regulatory experience and accomplishments. After serving full-time active duty in the United States Air Force, Mr. Harlan earned his Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude degree in 1970, his Master of Arts degree in 1971 and his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1974.