Atty. David A. Hoffman
David A. Hoffman is a mediator, arbitrator, attorney, and founding member of Boston Law Collaborative, LLC.
Profile Summary
About David A. Hoffman at a glance
David A. Hoffman is a family law and adr attorney based in Newton, Massachusetts, practicing at Boston Law Collaborative LLC. Educated at Harvard University (J.D., 1985). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Arbitration (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Collaborative Law: Civil (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Collaborative Law: Family Law (2026). Serands clients in Newton, MA and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- David A. Hoffman is a mediator, arbitrator, attorney, and founding member of Boston Law Collaborative, LLC. David is listed in the book “The Best Lawyers in America” in five categories (Mediation, Arbitration, Collaborative Law – Civil, Collaborative Law - Family, and Family Law Mediation)
- He was named Boston's "Lawyer of the Year" in Collaborative Law in 2014, in Mediation for 2016, in Arbitration in 2018, and again in Mediation for 2020
- He has been named a Massachusetts ‘Super Lawyer’ each year since the listing began
- David teaches three courses at Harvard Law School, where he is the John H. Watson Jr. Lecturer on Law: Mediation
- Diversity and Dispute Resolution
- and Legal Profession: Collaborative Law As mediator and arbitrator, he has handled more than 1,000 cases involving family, business, employment, and other disputes
- David’s cases range from divorces to complex litigation matters involving Fortune 500 companies
- David is past chair of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, and currently co-chairs the Section’s Collaborative Law Committee
- He is a Distinguished Fellow in the International Academy of Mediators
- He is also past chair of the Boston Bar Association’s ADR Committee and past president of the New England chapter of the Association of Conflict Resolution
- David has received a number of awards for his dispute resolution work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Civil Trial Mediators and the D’Alemberte-Raven Award from the American Bar Association’s Section of Dispute Resolution
- David has published three books – “Bringing Peace into the Room: How the Personal Qualities of the Mediator Impact the Process of Conflict Resolution” (Jossey Bass 2003, with co-editor Daniel Bowling)
- “Massachusetts Alternative Dispute Resolution” (Butterworth Legal Publishers 1994, with co-author David Matz)
- and “Mediation: A Practice Guide for Mediators, Lawyers, and Other Professionals” (Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education 2013)
- He has also published more than 75 articles / book chapters on law and dispute resolution
- David’s firm, Boston Law Collaborative, is the winner of two national awards – the ABA’s Lawyer as Problem Solver Award, and the Law Firm Award for Excellence in ADR from the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution
- Prior to founding Boston Law Collaborative, David was a litigation partner at the Boston firm Hill & Barlow, where he practiced for 17 years
- David is a graduate of Princeton University (A.B. 1970, summa cum laude), Cornell University (M.A. 1974, American Studies), and Harvard Law School (J.D. 1984, magna cum laude), where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review
- David lives in a cohousing community in Acton, Massachusetts, with his wife Leslie Warner
- He has three adult children and an adolescent cat
Practice Areas Explained
David A. Hoffman's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases David A. Hoffman handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Family law attorneys handle divorce, child custody, child support, adoption, prenups, and protective orders. Find verified family lawyers near you.
David A. Hoffman is one of 187,066 family law attorneys indexed nationally. Browse family law attorneys in Massachusetts →
Mediators and arbitrators for civil, commercial, family, and employment dispute resolution.
David A. Hoffman is one of 73,906 adr attorneys indexed nationally. Browse adr attorneys in Massachusetts →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Massachusetts
Practicing law in Massachusetts. Legal matters in Massachusetts are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Newton are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Massachusetts state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Massachusetts brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Massachusetts courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Massachusetts attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Newton or all attorneys in Massachusetts.
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