Main Office Location

Boston MA Office

Areas of Practice

+ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Defense
+ Commercial and Business Litigation
+ Construction Litigation
+ Employment and Labor

All Office Locations

Boston MA | Partner

Grace has twenty-five years of trial and litigation experience and concentrates her practice in the areas of product liability, construction law—including personal injury, construction defect, and contractual—OSHA, commercial litigation, employment litigation, premises liability and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) cases. Grace has obtained successful outcomes on behalf of her clients in both state and Federal Court bench and jury trials. Grace is a continual lecturer for various legal education programs on the topics of OSHA, risk transfer and indemnity issues, defending traumatic brain injury cases, complex regional pain syndrome, best discovery practices, and deposition techniques. She has authored several legal articles and has provided expert commentaries for Lexis on issues such as indemnity, premises liability and collateral estoppel. Further, Grace was a Legal Writing and Research Instructor for Boston University School of Law’s first year J.D. program from 2003 to 2006.

Noteworthy Accomplishments, Honors & Awards

  • In 2022, Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association awarded Grace with its “Defense Lawyer of the Year.“
  • In 2020, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly awarded Grace with its “Circle of Excellence.”  In 2013, it also selected Grace as one of the “Top Women of the Law.”
  • Elected by her peers to The Best Lawyers in America© Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants guide (2023)
  • Elected by her peers to The Best Lawyers in America© Product Liability Litigation Defense guide (2020-2023)
  • Elected by her peers to The Best Lawyers in America© Construction Law guide (2020-2023)
  • Elected by her peers to The Best Lawyers in America© Insurance Law guide (2019-2020)
  • Selected to the Massachusetts Super Lawyers magazine list in Construction Litigation (2020)
  • Construction Lawyers Society of America (CLSA), Fellow (2018-2019)
  • In a case of first impression, Grace successfully argued on behalf of a general contractor before the Massachusetts Appeals Court that the intentional failure to have a waiver of subrogation clause in all of its subcontracts, which the general contract required, was not a material breach of the general contract, thereby resulting in the dismissal of the case. The case is reported at North American Specialty Ins. Co. v. Payton Construction Corp., 80 Mass. App. Ct. 367 (2011), rev. denied 461 Mass. 1102 (2011).
  • She obtained a successful outcome on behalf of a California graduate school after a two week trial in the United States District Court of Massachusetts in which the plaintiff claimed breach of contract, promissory estoppel and violation of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A.
  • After 6 days of evidentiary hearing in United States District Court of Massachusetts, she obtained the enforcement of a favorable settlement on behalf of a construction diving company in a multi-party maritime construction case, in which the plaintiff claimed that due to his traumatic brain injury, he was not competent to enter into the settlement.
  • Grace has obtained defense verdicts in jury trials in both the Superior Court and state District Court on behalf of several national retailers in claims involving head injuries and other injuries.
  • For every year starting 2005 through 2012, Grace was recognized by Boston Magazine as a “Super Lawyer Rising Star,” a distinction given to fewer than 2.5% of lawyers in Massachusetts.

Featured Blogs, Resources & News

  • Massachusetts
  • New York
  • United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
  • United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
  • Massachusetts Bar Association, Immediate Past-President (2022-Present), President (2022-2023), President Elect (2021-2022), Vice President (2020-2021), Treasurer (2019-2020), Secretary (2018-2019), Attorney Well-Being Committee (Co-Chair, 2020-2022), Executive Management Board (2017-present), Finance Committee (2017-2022), Volunteer Recognition Committee, Chair (2011-present),  House of Delegates (2016-2018),  Litigation Section Council (2006–2008), Business Section Council (2004–2005), and New Lawyer Section Council (2002–2003)
  • Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct, Member, one of three attorney members appointed by Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Trial Court (2023-present)
  • Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association, President (2016–2017), President-Elect (2015-2016), Secretary (2014-2015), Treasurer (2013-2014), Board of Directors (2010–2020)
  • ALFA International, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors (2022-Present), Construction Law Practice Group (Chair 2018-2021); Steering Committee Member 2010–present), Product Liability and Complex Tort Practice Group (Steering Committee Member 2014–present), Women’s Initiative Practice Group (Chair 2014–2015; Steering Committee Member 2008–present), Board Member (2015–2018)
  • Massachusetts Associated General Contractors, Safety Committee Member (2003–2021)
  • Defense Research Institute, SLDO Membership Committee (2020-2021), Massachusetts State Representative (2017-2020), Construction Law Steering Committee Member (2009–2022)
  • Board of Bar Overseers (BBO), Bar Counsel Search Committee (2018-2019)
  • Boston Bar Association, New Lawyers Section- Past Co-Chair (2002–2004), Task Force on Pro Bono and New Lawyers (2002–2003)
  • Downtown Women’s Club, Past Co-Director (2007–2009), Past Executive Committee Member (2002–2010)
  • B.A., cum laude — University of Rochester
  • J.D., cum laude — Boston University School of Law
  • “Nuclear Verdicts: What The $#!& Is Going On?”, ALFA International 2022 Product Liability & Complex Torts Practice Group Seminar, June 2, 2022
  • “Science Doesn’t Sell Itself; It Needs a Story,” ALFA International 2022 International Client Seminar, March 5, 2022
  • “Combating Incidents of Bias in the Workplace and Courtroom,” Conference Co-Chair, Massachusetts Bar Association, February 2, 2022
  • “Best Principles on Public Speaking and Working with Media,” Massachusetts Bar Association, December 14, 2021
  • “Unique Perspectives on Public Service,” Program Chair, Massachusetts Bar Association’s Leadership Academy 2019-20 Class, December 16, 2019
  • “True Grit and a Grittier You” Panelist, ALFA International  Women’s Initiative Program, October 23, 2019
  • ALFA International Product Liability & Complex Torts Practice Group Seminar, September 26, 2019
  • New England Region of Society of Construction Law’s Breakfast Panel, July 25, 2019