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2022-23 MBA President Grace V.B. Garcia

Attorney Grace V.B. Garcia has been elected president of the Massachusetts Bar Association for the 2022-23 membership year, which begins today, Sept. 1. During her year leading the statewide bar association, Garcia will emphasize “communication, collaboration and community” as she and her fellow officers promote the important work of the association; encourage better civility within the bar and more engaging and productive conversations with regard to diversity, equity and inclusion; encourage collaboration among the MBA’s sections, practice groups and affinity bar associations; and support the legal community, including outreach to students and other young people interested in the law. Garcia also plans to build upon the MBA’s efforts to increase diversity at the bar and promote well-being in the legal profession.

“As we know, the needs of both our legal community and the community at large continually change,” Garcia said. “The pandemic has highlighted several areas where we can take active steps to better the lives of legal professionals, help those in need of legal services within the commonwealth, and take steps that support and uphold the rule of law. By concentrating on communication, collaboration and our communities, my goal is to not only strengthen the MBA, but make measurable progress in addressing these issues, as well.”

Garcia is a partner at Morrison Mahoney LLP in Boston, where she has 24 years of trial experience and has obtained successful outcomes on behalf of her clients in both state and federal court. She concentrates her practice in defending companies and businesses in product liability, construction, OSHA, commercial litigation, employment litigation, premises liability and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) cases. In 2022, the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association named Garcia its “Lawyer of the Year.” Garcia was inducted into Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly's Top Women of Law Circle of Excellence in 2020, which recognizes women who continue to exemplify professional, civic and mentoring achievements year in and year out in the Massachusetts legal community and beyond. In 2013, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly selected her as one of the “Top Women of Law,” and, in each year from 2019-2023, she was elected by her peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America©.

In addition to serving as MBA president, Garcia is a member of the MBA’s Executive Management Board and Budget & Finance Committee. Garcia was a co-chair of the MBA’s Lawyer Well-Being Committee, which is tasked with implementing the Supreme Judicial Court’s recommendations for making positive changes in attorney well-being. Under Garcia’s leadership, the MBA’s Lawyer Well-Being Committee produced a toolkit for bar associations in Massachusetts, which offers extensive resources for individuals, employers and organizations to help them attain greater success in achieving a healthy, positive and productive balance of work, personal life and wellness. She also worked on many other programs and initiatives that provided the legal community with resources that encouraged, motivated and supported one’s well-being.

Garcia led the MBA’s Law Day initiative in 2019 and 2021, which sent volunteer attorneys and judges to high school history and political science classes around the commonwealth to engage students on the topics of “Free Speech, Free Press, Free Society” and “Advancing the Rule of Law,” respectively. Further, in 2019, Garcia chaired the MBA’s Civics Task Force, which supported iCivics, an organization that helps students become engaged in civics through an interactive digital platform. As chair of the Civics Task Force, Garcia also led the MBA’s Naturalization Disability Waiver Training in partnership with Project Citizenship. Garcia has also chaired the MBA’s Volunteer Recognition Committee since 2011, was a member of the MBA’s COVID Response Task Force, and has previously served on the MBA's Civil Litigation and Business Law section councils. 

Garcia is a past president of the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association. She is also active with ALFA International, where she served as a member of the board, chaired its Construction Law practice group from 2018-2022, and held leadership positions in its Product Liability & Complex Tort and Women’s Initiative practice groups. In addition, Garcia was the state representative for the Defense Research Institute. Further, she is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC).
She is a frequent lecturer on the topics of OSHA, risk transfer and indemnity issues, defending traumatic brain injury cases, best discovery practices, and deposition techniques. A former legal writing and research instructor at Boston University School of Law, Garcia has also authored several legal articles and has provided expert commentaries on issues, such as indemnity, premises liability and collateral estoppel.
A resident of Braintree and a mother of two, Garcia graduated with honors from both the University of Rochester and Boston University School of Law.

The MBA’s leadership team for the 2022-23 year includes President Grace V.B. Garcia, President-elect Damian J. Turco, Vice President Victoria Santoro Mair, Treasurer Michael H. Hayden and Secretary Samuel A. Segal. Martin W. Healy is the MBA’s chief legal counsel and chief operating officer.

Click here to learn more about the 2022-23 officers.