Kelly Guagenty Named a Top Woman of Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
OCTOBER 8, 2025
Boston, Mass. - (10.8.2025) – Kelly A. Guagenty, a partner at Justice Law Collaborative, LLC (JLC), has been named a 2025 Top Woman of Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. This annual recognition honors women attorneys who have made significant professional strides and demonstrated exceptional accomplishments in the legal field, including pro bono, advocacy, social justice, and business.
Guagenty, who joined Justice Law Collaborative in the fall of 2022, combines her enthusiasm for the law with deep devotion to helping others. She is a dedicated advocate for survivors of sexual assault and other systemic harms, currently representing survivors in high-profile cases against programs in the “troubled teen industry” - therapeutic and wilderness programs that operate in remote locations, sometimes allowing abuse to go unchecked. Kelly has written extensively on the topic (“Standing Up to the Troubled Teen Industry,”) to highlight the serious trauma these programs can cause. Given the breadth of her work and legal expertise in this area, Kelly was named co-chair of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Anti-Human Trafficking Litigation Group in July 2025, to help guide national strategy on behalf of trafficking survivors.
“Kelly has established an impeccable reputation as a fierce advocate and detail-oriented attorney, characteristics she consistently models for our clients and our entire team," said Kim Dougherty, partner and co-founder of Justice Law Collaborative. ”We are so proud of Kelly and are equally as delighted that our respected colleagues, too, see the impact she is making in all areas of law.”
Similar to her four law partners at JLC, Guagenty is an engaged champion for legislative change. She has advocated at the Massachusetts State House to extend the statute of limitations for survivors of institutional abuse, and encourages reform for laws related to the archaic charitable cap. To help build greater awareness around these various issues, Kelly has become a go-to resource for media as well as a sought-after speaker on how to bring forth multi-plaintiff abuse cases and trauma-informed communication and litigation techniques. Later this month, Kelly will serve as a featured speaker at the Metrowest Conference for Women on “How to Use AI to Ignite Your Superpowers.”
“I’m deeply honored to receive such meaningful recognition,” shared Guagenty. “Years ago, Paula Bliss and Kim Dougherty took me under their wings and showed me how to navigate the toughest challenges with integrity. I will be forever grateful for their guidance, encouragement, example, and friendship. Congratulations to all of the inspirational women whose contributions were recognized this year.”
The Top Women of Law event celebrates the achievements of exceptional women lawyers who are pioneers, educators, trailblazers, and role models. Kelly and all of the named honorees will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Boston on November 18, 2025.
To see the list of all honorees for 2025, follow this link.
About Justice Law Collaborative
Justice Law Collaborative (JLC) embodies the highest level of professional, trauma-informed legal expertise in social justice and advocacy. Owned and led entirely by women, the firm 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. JLC attorneys have extensive experience in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, wrongful death, medical malpractice, reproductive rights, sexual assault and abuse, and personal injury cases. Additionally, the firm is dedicated to 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. Justice Law Collaborative 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. After a duo of mergers in January (Yaeger Law) and June (KBM Law) of 2025, Justice Law Collaborative became the largest, all-women-owned and led plaintiffs’ firm in the country, with attorneys admitted to practice in California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, and Texas. The firm maintains offices in both California and Massachusetts. More information about the firm and its far-reaching results can be found at: www.justicelawcollaborative.com.
