David A Hoffman
Boston Law Collaborative, LLC
10 Liberty Square
Law
I have been practicing law since 1985 (for 17 years at Hill & Barlow, and now at Boston Law Collaborative, LLC, which I founded in 2003). I have served as a mediator, arbitrator and professional dispute resolver since 1992, and was a founding member of MCLC in 2000. I am also the co-chair of the Collaborative Law Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution.
In addition to my work at Boston Law Collaborative, I am on the faculty at Harvard Law School, where I currently teach three courses: Collaborative Law and Legal Ethics; Mediation; and Diversity and Dispute Resolution. I have published three books and a number of articles on dispute resolution, which can be accessed on the Boston Law Collaborative website by clicking on my profile page.
Education: J.D., 1984, Harvard Law School (magna cum laude; editor, Harvard Law Review); M.A., 1974, Cornell University (American Studies) (all but dissertation completed toward Ph.D.); B.A., 1970, Princeton University (summa cum laude) (English literature).
Honors: Lifetime Achievement Award from American College of Civil Trial Mediators; Advanced Practitioner, Association for Conflict Resolution; Certified Mediator, Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation; Martindale-Hubbell 'A-V' rating (highest rating); listed in book 'The Best Lawyers in America' (2005 to present); listed as a Massachusetts 'SuperLawyer' in Boston Magazine (2005 to the present); received Community Peacemaker Award in 2005 from Community Dispute Settlement Center; received MCFM's John Fiske Award for excellence in mediation.
All of my current work involves serving as a collaborative attorney, mediator, and arbitrator. I have devoted myself with enthusiasm to those practices since 1991, when I began to shift my practice away from litigation. I see my job as helping clients solve problems and, in most cases, I am able to help them avoid litigation. In the world of law, trial work is somewhat akin to surgery -- the procedure of last resort, when less invasive measures have failed. I have chosen -- after spending 17 years as a litigator, and then mediator/arbitrator, at Hill & Barlow -- to practice in a very different setting. Boston Law Collaborative, LLC is a multidisciplinary practice, devoted to collaborative law and dispute resolution, in which lawyers and mediators work closely with a psychologists and financial professionals to serve the full range of needs that clients typically bring to divorce, family, family-business, employment, and commercial cases. Articles about our practice are available at our web site: www.BostonLawCollaborative.com (click on 'What's New'), and I welcome email inquiries about our work at DHoffman@BostonLawCollaborative.com.
Professional Memberships: Founding Member, Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council, Past chair, American Bar Association, Section of Dispute Resolution (2004-2005), Past president, Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution (New England Chapter), Past chair, Boston Bar Association ADR Committee, Member, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee on Dispute Resolution (1994-2002), Massachusetts Bar Foundation, American Bar Foundation, International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (Member of Ethics Task Force, 2007-2009), Fellow, International Academy of Mediators.
I work with couples and individuals on a wide variety of family law issues: divorce, post-divorce, custody issues, prenuptial agreements, guardianship, and other family law matters. Also, employment and commercial matters handled on a collaborative basis. I also serve as a mediator, arbitrator, case evaluator, parent coordinator, guardian ad Litem, and special master. Although my office is in downtown Boston, I meet with clients in Wellesley, where Boston Law Collaborative has an additional office. Please see practice description at www.BostonLawCollaborative.com.
Mediation and arbitration of family, business, employment, probate, construction, insurance, tort, real estate, intellectual property, partnership, and other disputes. $500/hour for family law client representation and divorce mediation, and $550/hr for other matters, with amount of retainer to be discussed. No charge for initial consultation of half an hour.