Mary Sameera Van Houten Harper

Mary Sameera Van Houten Harper

  • Counsel
  • Washington, DC
she / her / hers

OVERVIEW

Experience

Mary’s focus lays in complex litigation, with an emphasis in the human rights, immigration, consumer protection, and antitrust fields. She has litigated numerous class action matters in state and federal courts across the nation, from claim development to settlement, and is committed to representing plaintiffs in groundbreaking challenges in pursuit of social good.

Before joining Hausfeld, Mary represented clients in trial and appeal in defense of immigrants’ rights. For example, Mary helped settle a class action against unlawful immigration raids; led a novel multi-claimant challenge to an unlawful asylum ban; and successfully enjoined harmful immigration regulations. While serving as an immigration public defender at Brooklyn Defender Services, Mary also litigated dozens of habeas corpus petitions, securing noncitizens’ release from detention due to civil or constitutional violations.

Mary first gained experience at a global law firm in Washington, D.C., where she served as counsel in a large-scale data breach class action and a variety of international trade and commercial litigation matters. She also clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She earned her J.D. from Stanford Law School, where she was a Senior Editor for the Stanford Law Review.

Clients

Mary represents a range of consumers, businesses, and state attorneys general in cases challenging corporate wrongdoing.

 

Experience