The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of organoboronic acids with organic electrophiles are summarized. Because this mild, versatile reaction is tolerant of a wide variety of functional groups on either coupling partner, is regiospecific and stereospecific, and gives high yields of product, it is ideal for use in the synthesis of various functionalized biaryls. Many such biaryls, after, or even without, further modification of the functional groups, can undergo ring closure to tricyclic and polycylic compounds.