A set of C,N-intramolecularly coordinated boranes containing various C,N-chelating ligands L1–3 (where L1 = [o-(CH
NtBu)C6H4], L2 = [o-(CH
N-2,6-iPr2C6H3)C6H4], L3 = [o-(CH2NMe2)C6H4]); L1–3BCl2 (for 1 L = L1, for 2 L = L2, for 5 L = L3), L1BPhCl (3) and L1BCy2 (4) (where Cy = cyclohexyl) were synthesized and fully characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and in cases of 1 and 3–5 by the single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The reaction of 1–3 with the anilides ArNHLi (Ar = 2,6-Me2C6H3 or 2,6-iPr2C6H3) proceeded via unexpected addition of anilide across the C
N bond yielding 1,2,3-trisubstituted 1H-2,1-benzazaboroles 6–11, whose structures were unambiguously established by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis (except for 11) and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. In contrast, compounds 4 and 5 were inert towards ArNHLi. The investigation dealing with the reaction mechanism between the parent boranes 1–3 and ArNHLi revealed that amidolithiation of the C
N double bond involved in the ligand backbones is the crucial step of the whole reaction. The C
N double bond in 1–3 is activated by its coordination to the ortho bonded Lewis acidic boron center, which was also proven by the fact that the non-substituted ligand L1H did not react with ArNHLi under the same reaction conditions in an analogous reaction.