Boston Law Collaborative, LLC

What Boston Law Collaborative, LLC does

Boston Law Collaborative, LLC is a multidisciplinary, privately held law firm founded in 2003 and based in Newton, Massachusetts, with 11 employees. The firm specializes in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), including mediation, arbitration, and collaborative law, for three primary client groups: families (collaborative divorce, custody, property), businesses and individuals (commercial, employment, insurance, construction disputes), and universities and non-profits (Title IX adjudication, organizational climate assessment, conflict management training). Its technical differentiator is the integration of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) psychological model into conflict resolution, enabling practitioners to help parties identify internal "parts" driving conflict and access "Self" energy for resolution. Senior practitioners David A. Hoffman (founder, Harvard Law magna cum laude, former clerk for Justice Stephen Breyer) and Audrey J. Lee (Harvard Law, Harvard PON faculty) anchor the firm with 2,000+ cumulative cases mediated or arbitrated.

The firm's revenue model is professional services billed at hourly rates or flat fees for mediation, arbitration, and collaborative law representations, with services delivered both in-person at the Newton office and remotely via Zoom. A separate non-profit arm, the BLC Institute (founded 2016), monetizes training through workshops, seminars, and coaching in mediation skills, implicit bias, and conflict management, offered in-person, virtually, and as in-house organizational programs. Distribution is driven by referral-based, sales-led GTM through Harvard Law School faculty positions, ABA publications (including the December 2025 book "The Art of Impasse-Breaking in Mediation"), speaking engagements, and long-standing institutional partnerships with Harvard PON, the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, IFS Institute, and Australia's Fair Work Commission. The customer base is a mix of individual families, one-off enterprise matters (e.g., a $250M Hancock-CNA Reinsurance arbitration), and recurring institutional clients (e.g., a major New England University, a large non-profit with 210 managed claims). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

Name

Boston Law Collaborative, LLC

Legal name

Boston Law Collaborative, LLC

Website

https://blc.law

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Boston Law Collaborative is a 11-person Newton, MA law firm specializing in alternative dispute resolution—mediation, arbitration, and collaborative law—for families, businesses, universities, and non-profits, with an in-house training arm (BLC Institute) and featured Internal Family Systems methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative Dispute Resolution / Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411), All Other Legal Services (541199)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

Keywords

• Alternative dispute resolution
• Collaborative law
• Mediation services
• Arbitration services
• Conflict resolution training

Headquarters

HQ city

Newton, Massachusetts

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services (Mediation, Arbitration, Collaborative Law): Professional legal and dispute resolution services billed at hourly rates or flat fees for mediation sessions, arbitration proceedings, and collaborative law representation for families, businesses, and institutions
2. Training and Education Programs: BLC Institute provides workshops, seminars, and training programs on mediation skills, implicit bias, and conflict management. Programs are offered in various formats including in-person, virtual via Zoom, and open enrollment or in-house for organizations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Boston Law Collaborative is a multidisciplinary law firm that delivers alternative dispute resolution services — including mediation, arbitration, and collaborative law — for families, businesses, and institutions, complemented by traditional legal advice and representation. Through its BLC Institute, the firm also sells structured training programs in mediation skills, conflict management, and implicit bias, delivered in person, on-site, and virtually via Zoom. Services are organized around three client segments: families, businesses and individuals, and universities/non-profits.

Product overview

Boston Law Collaborative, LLC is a multidisciplinary law firm offering a comprehensive suite of conflict resolution and legal services. The core offerings include Collaborative Law, Mediation/Arbitration, Legal Advice and Representation, and an Alternative Dispute Resolution Panel. The firm also operates the BLC Institute, which provides professional training programs in mediation skills, conflict management, and implicit bias. Services are delivered through specialized teams for families, businesses, and universities/non-profits, with the BLC Institute functioning as the educational arm providing workshops and coaching facilitation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BLC Institute: A non-profit dedicated to providing education and training in all areas of dispute resolution, including mediation skills, conflict management, and implicit bias workshops.

Products and services

• Collaborative Law A voluntary dispute resolution process where parties work together with trained professionals to reach mutually beneficial agreements without litigation, primarily used by families for divorce, custody, and family disputes.
• Mediation and Arbitration (Family) Neutral third-party facilitation and adjudication services to help families resolve disputes such as divorce, custody, and family conflicts through structured negotiation or binding arbitration.
• Mediation and Arbitration (Business) Neutral third-party mediation and arbitration services for businesses and individuals facing commercial, employment, contract, insurance, construction, and personal injury disputes.
• Legal Advice and Representation Traditional legal counsel and litigation services for families and businesses, including settlement representation and family litigation.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution Panel A curated panel of ADR professionals providing mediation, arbitration, and dispute resolution services for businesses and organizations.
• University and Non-Profit Dispute Resolution Services Specialized dispute resolution, investigation, consulting, organizational climate assessment, and training services for educational institutions and non-profit organizations, including Title IX adjudication.
• BLC Institute Training Programs Professional education and training in dispute resolution including mediation skills (basic and advanced), mediation advocacy, conflict management, and Internal Family Systems training, delivered in person, virtually via Zoom, and through on-site in-house programs.
• Implicit Bias Training Interactive workshops on implicit bias for mediators, lawyers, judges, law enforcement, teachers, and other professionals, offered in virtual and in-person formats.
• Coaching and Facilitation Professional coaching and facilitation services for individuals and organizations to enhance conflict resolution skills and interpersonal dynamics.
• Organizational Climate Assessment Assessment services to help institutions evaluate their organizational culture, identify areas of conflict, and develop action plans for improvement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ claims successfully resolved without litigation for a major training institution
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026David Hoffman was the featured speaker at a NAFCM online meeting focusing on the role of community mediation at the intersection of mediation, justice, and community resilience.
• Program on Negotiation (PON) at Harvard Law SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2026BLC's David Hoffman and Audrey Lee serve as faculty for Harvard Mediation Intensive and Advanced Mediation Workshop programs. This is a long-standing educational partnership with Harvard Law School's PON, with multiple sessions delivered including Harvard Advanced Mediation Intensive (April 2026), Advanced Mediation Workshop (July 2021, virtual), and Harvard Mediation Intensive (June 2026).
• American College of Civil Trial MediatorsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2024David Hoffman led a discussion group at the 2024 Retreat Conference on the topic of Reducing Unconscious Bias as an Ethical Mandate for Mediators.
• Australia's Fair Work CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavid Hoffman and Audrey Lee completed a series of interactive ADR programs for Australia's Fair Work Commission, including advanced mediation skills programs for FWC Members, a 2-day negotiation skills program for leaders of national labor unions and employer associations, and co-led a session at the Symposium on Cooperative Workplaces co-sponsored by FWC and Macquarie University.
• Massachusetts Commission Against DiscriminationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLC professionals served as mediators for MCAD, mediating harassment, disability, age, race, and gender discrimination cases. Audrey Lee previously served as mediator for MCAD before joining BLC.
• Harvard Law SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAudrey Lee serves as Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School teaching Mediation and Diversity & Dispute Resolution courses, and serves as faculty for Harvard Mediation Intensive. BLC professionals also serve on advisory boards for Harvard Mediation Program.
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAudrey Lee served as a mediation panel member for EEOC, handling employment discrimination matters.
• Macquarie UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsored Symposium on Cooperative Workplaces with Australia's Fair Work Commission, bringing together academic and practical perspectives on workplace cooperation.
• Internal Family Systems InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavid Hoffman led training programs for the IFS Institute entitled 'The Self-Led Lawyer and Mediator,' designed for lawyers, mediators, and other dispute resolvers, with special guest appearance by Dr. Richard Schwartz, creator of the IFS model.
• MA Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLC affiliate Don Greenstein is affiliated with MOPC, which assists public entities in resolving conflict and facilitating public engagement.
• Brandeis UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLC affiliate Don Greenstein serves as Brandeis University Ombuds, providing neutral dispute resolution services for the university community.
• National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN)minorOthersLoraine M. Della Porta was recently inducted into NADN, a professional association of distinguished neutrals.
• American Bar Association Section of Dispute ResolutioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLC's David Hoffman served as past chair of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution. Loraine Della Porta serves as Co-Chair of the Section's Public Disputes and Consensus Building Committee.
• Massachusetts Collaborative Law CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavid Hoffman is a founding member of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council, a professional organization promoting collaborative law practice.
• Internal Family Systems InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted fall training program 'The Self-Led Lawyer and Mediator' with special guest Dr. Richard Schwartz.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Mediate.com: Mediate.com is a leading online ADR resource and directory connecting consumers and lawyers with mediators across the US. While not a practicing ADR firm, it is an ecosystem participant that influences client referrals to boutique ADR practices like BLC and offers training resources that overlap with BLC Institute offerings.
• National Center for State Courts (NCSC) Institute for Court Management: NCSC provides ADR training, court reform consulting, and ADR program design for state judiciaries, intersecting with BLC Institute's professional development and training programs. While not a direct competitor for mediation cases, NCSC is an ecosystem participant in the ADR training market BLC targets.

Direct peers

• JAMS: JAMS is the largest private ADR provider in the US with a roster of retired judges and prominent attorneys serving as neutrals in mediation, arbitration, and case management. JAMS competes directly with BLC for commercial, employment, and family mediations, but operates a panel-based, multi-office model that BLC's boutique practice is not designed to replicate.
• Judicate West: Judicate West is a private ADR company with a panel of retired judges and attorneys providing mediation, arbitration, and neutral evaluation services, primarily in the western US. While more regional, it competes with BLC for complex commercial and employment mediations and uses a similar neutral-panel model.
• Resolute Systems: Resolute Systems is a national ADR firm offering mediation, arbitration, and special master services through a panel of retired judges and experienced attorneys. It directly competes with BLC's commercial and business ADR practice across multiple US regions, particularly for mid-market commercial and employment disputes.
• American Arbitration Association (AAA): AAA is the oldest and one of the largest ADR organizations in the US, administering arbitration, mediation, and other dispute resolution proceedings across commercial, labor, and consumer matters. Its International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) and broad panel of arbitrators/mediators compete with BLC for institutional and commercial mandates, though AAA operates as an administrator rather than a practicing firm.
• The McCammon Group: The McCammon Group is a dispute resolution firm providing mediation, arbitration, and special master services through a panel of experienced attorneys, primarily serving the Mid-Atlantic and expanding nationally. It is directly comparable to BLC's ADR Panel and commercial mediation practice, with a similar boutique-to-mid-size structure.
• CPR International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution: CPR is a nonprofit ADR organization providing mediation, arbitration, and panel-of-distinguished-neutrals services to corporate counsel and law firms, with a focus on complex commercial disputes. It is directly comparable to BLC's ADR Panel service and competes for high-stakes commercial mediation and arbitration matters.
• National Arbitration and Mediation (NAM): NAM is a national ADR provider with a roster of over 2,500 neutrals offering mediation, arbitration, and case management across all 50 states. It competes with BLC for commercial, insurance, and employment ADR matters, with a panel-driven, technology-enabled delivery model.
• Endispute: Endispute is a Houston-based ADR firm providing mediation and arbitration services across commercial, energy, and insurance disputes. It competes with BLC in the commercial ADR segment and is similarly structured as a private panel-driven ADR provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boston-law-collaborative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boston Law Collaborative, LLC