A lithiated m-terphenyl ligand bearing fluorine atoms at the ortho positions of the flanking aryl rings was synthesized and characterized using single crystal X-ray diffraction, variable-temperature multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, and computational methods. Changes in (1)J(C,F) on coordination to lithium as a spectroscopic observable parametrizing the strength of the C-F center dot center dot center dot Li interaction are described, and a general, qualitative relationship between C-F bond lengths, Delta(1)J(C,F) values, and the extent of C-F bond activation as a result of Lewis acid coordination is proposed.