Keywords: Metalation / Long-range inductive effects / Substituent effects / Buttressing effects / Aryl halides / Aryl boronic acidsThe lithiation/boronation of 1,4-dihalobenzenes (Hal = F, Cl, Br) bearing various functional groups in the 2-position was investigated using lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) as the metalating agent and trialkyl borate B(OR) 3 (R = Et, iPr) as the electrophile. It was demonstrated that sufficient steric hindrance precludes effective ortho-lithiation at the 3-position. In such cases, a strong meta-directing effect of an oxygen-or sulfur-based substituent (OMe, OSiMe 3 , SMe), resulting in the preferred formation of 2,6-disubstituted 1,4-di-