Otteson Shapiro, a nationally recognized leader in financial and insurance law, is pleased to announce that Joel Harder has joined the firm as an attorney in its financial services and corporate practice.

Harder’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and a broad range of business transactions. He will advise financial institutions, corporations and other business clients as they navigate growth opportunities, acquisitions, succession planning, governance matters and other complex transactions.
“Joel’s experience as a trusted counselor to governors, members of congress, other elected officials, business leaders and nonprofit executives gives him the ability to see both the legal dimensions of a matter and the broader business considerations that accompany important decisions,” said Christian Otteson, partner and director of Otteson Shapiro’s financial services practice. “Our clients will benefit from the depth and breadth of his experience working across multiple sectors.”

Before joining Otteson Shapiro, Harder founded and led Capitol Culture, a civic-leadership organization serving elected officials in Oklahoma, and authored When Leaders Matter, a book on leadership in an environment of heightened expectations and scrutiny. He also served as a Governor-appointed board member of the Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Social Workers. His background across government, nonprofit and organizational leadership roles in Oklahoma and Washington, D.C., has shaped an approach to legal counsel that accounts for the operational, financial and stakeholder realities behind every transaction.

Harder earned his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Oklahoma City University School of Law, where he was a Sumners Scholar and received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Corporate Law. He also holds an MSW from Baylor University and an EdD from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.