PRESS RELEASE: Justice Law Collaborative and Yaeger Law Announce Merger
Attorney Laura Yaeger Named Partner;
Expands Firm’s Female-Powered Focus on Social Justice and Legislative Reform
(January 21, 2025) – Justice Law Collaborative (JLC) and Yaeger Law today announced an intent to merge. The entity will continue to operate as Justice Law Collaborative and will be helmed by four partners: Paula Bliss, Kimberly Dougherty, Kelly Guagenty, and Laura Yaeger.
Co-founded by Dougherty and Bliss in 2021, Justice Law Collaborative was designed to fill a void in trauma-informed litigation and laser-focused legal advocacy for social justice. In the span of just a few short years, Justice Law Collaborative has gained visibility for hundreds of legal victories against high-profile entities harboring physical and sexual abusers and tackling egregious harm caused by medical malpractice and corporate greed. Most recently, JLC has sounded the alarm around alleged consumer fraud and breach of warranty associated with reproductive rights, specifically those associated with the sale of a genetic test called preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A), used during the IVF process.
Additionally, the firm has advocated to bring swift and lasting changes across state legislatures to create pathways for greater consumer justice. In the last few years, the firm has expanded its professional footprint with additional lawyers, a full-time social worker, and legal support staff, further enhancing its abilities. The consistent advocacy and community engagement of firm partners led to Justice Law Collaborative’s selection as a Best Women-Led Law Firm (2024) and receipt of Empowering Women (2024) honors from Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. The firm was also ranked a 2025 Best Law Firm by Best Lawyers®.
The merger with Yaeger Law, which amassed significant traction by representing individuals injured by defective medical devices and harmful pharmaceuticals, adds reputable bench strength and an award-winning team of legal professionals including Laura Yaeger and American Association for Justice (AAJ) Paralegal of the Year, Mr. Adrian Martin.
“Our clients choose to work with us given our experience, legal capabilities, trauma-informed approach, and the depth of our bench,” shared JLC co-founder Paula Bliss. “We don’t dream of being the biggest law firm, but we pride ourselves on being the best at what we do. Our strategic professional collaborations and the merger with Yaeger Law will ensure the consistent delivery of superior legal advocacy, efficiency, and results that positively impact lives. We’re delighted to welcome our new team members and look forward to introducing the ‘new’ Justice Law Collaborative.”
Laura Yaeger, who has been named to Justice Law Collaborative’s partnership, has represented thousands of individuals in multiple mass torts, including Paragard, Fen-Phen, Biomet Hip, Stryker Rejuvenate Hip, Transvaginal Mesh, Essure, Risperdal/Invega, GranuFlo, Tylenol and Infuse. Her legal talents have led to consistent appointment to leadership positions in mass torts litigation along with a slew of honors and recognition from legal industry organizations.
“The decision to merge our female-led practices came after years of collaborating with Laura and her team on both litigation and across numerous committees organized through the AAJ,” shared Dougherty. “Laura’s integrity, limitless ability to effectuate positive change through legal advocacy, and her commitment to her clients matched the culture and focus of our firm. Together, we recognized the synergy and opportunity to expand our ability to make lasting change while pursuing justice for our clients.”
Attorney Yaeger started Yaeger Law in 2017 with a vision to deliver justice and accountability to those injured or harmed while providing the best client experience at every stage of the litigation. Yaeger has aggressively advocated for thousands of clients and designed her firm to leverage state-of-the-art technology, creating a highly efficient and productive legal practice to maximize case value for its clients. Throughout her years of legal service, Yaeger has defined herself as a connector, strong communicator, and natural leader. She is a past chair of AAJ’s Women’s Lawyer Caucus; co-founder and past chair of the AAJ’s LGBT Caucus, and in July 2024, announced an active campaign to become the next AAJ Parliamentarian. Like the co-founders of Justice Law Collaborative, Laura has been honored with several awards including the AAJ Harry Philo Award (2021) for her outstanding contributions to the civil justice system.
“One of the parallels that emerged between our two firms was our shared vision for collaboration,” said Yaeger. “There exists a natural fit as each of the firm founders places high value on authentic, long-term relationships with clients and industry colleagues, a shared focus on transparent collaboration, and a desire to practice law with profound integrity. I am energized by the alignment of our shared vision and look forward to fully integrating our teams.”
Along with Laura, Justice Law Collaborative welcomes paralegal Adrian Martin, who was awarded the AAJ 2024 Paralegal of the Year Award. He brings 20 years of personal injury, mass tort injury, and product liability law experience to the firm, and has dedicated his career to providing superior case and client management strategy. In his role as paralegal, Adrian oversees client intake through final settlement distribution. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Adrian is an active volunteer, supporting applicants navigating the complex citizenship process.
Justice Law Collaborative is approaching 2025 with an intent to address wrongdoings in both the reproductive rights and the so-called “troubled teen industry.” Fortunately, the nation gained stronger legal footing with the December passage of the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, which implements best practices regarding the health, safety, care, treatment, and appropriate placement of youth in youth residential programs. These programs had previously been largely unregulated and unsupervised, leading to ongoing reports of sexual and physical abuse and in some cases, death of residents. Additionally, Justice Law Collaborative co-founder Paula Bliss is leading efforts to expose consumer fraud specifically around the advertising and sale of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A), a genetic test promoted and sold to individuals pursuing fertility treatments through the IVF process.
About Justice Law Collaborative
Justice Law Collaborative (JLC) embodies the highest level of professional, trauma-informed legal expertise associated with social justice and advocacy. The firm, led by attorneys with extensive experience in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, wrongful death, medical malpractice, reproductive rights, sexual assault and abuse, and personal injury cases, has represented athletes abused by Olympic coach Larry Nassar, teenagers tormented by hostile, uncertified schools parading as therapy-based programs for troubled teens, and has represented consumers and patients harmed by corporate greed and negligence, specifically the pharmaceutical, reproductive medicine, and tobacco industries. Additionally, JLC is at the forefront of legislative reform, spearheading efforts to modify statutes of limitations and enact new laws to protect the innocent and to provide proper financial and judicial remedies to victims. The firm was ranked a 2025 Best Law Firm by Best Lawyers®, and firm partners have been named to Massachusetts Super Lawyer® and Best Lawyers® lists for multiple, consecutive years. More information about the firm and its far-reaching results can be found at: www.justicelawcollaborative.com.
Media contact: Wendy Agudelo (wendy@imageprofessors.com)