Sokolove Law attorney Ricky LeBlanc wins 2026 New England Legal Award

Sokolove Law Managing Attorney Ricky A. LeBlanc has been named a Distinguished Leaders winner in Law.com's 2026 New England Legal Awards. The honor highlights his two decades at the Massachusetts-founded mesothelioma firm and spotlights the firm's regional and national reach.

Why it matters: - The award recognizes attorney leadership in a region where plaintiff lawyers are often outnumbered by large corporate defense and transactional firms. - LeBlanc's selection underscores Sokolove Law's role as a Massachusetts-founded firm with a major New England footprint and a national asbestos practice. - The recognition also highlights the firm's work for mesothelioma clients, including veterans and families affected by asbestos exposure.

What happened: - Ricky A. LeBlanc was named a Distinguished Leaders winner in Law.com's 2026 New England Legal Awards. - The awards honor professional excellence among attorneys and law firms across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. - Honorees will be recognized Oct. 8 at The Westin Copley Place in Boston. - LeBlanc joined Sokolove Law in July 2006 and has served as Managing Attorney since building much of the firm's modern plaintiff practice from Greater Boston.

The details: - The Distinguished Leaders category spotlights lawyers with major career results and the leadership that helped produce them, including winning significant cases and driving firm growth. - LeBlanc is among a small group of honorees from the plaintiff's bar in a category otherwise dominated by lawyers from larger defense and transactional firms. - Sokolove Law was founded more than 45 years ago in Massachusetts and expanded across New England before becoming a national personal injury and mesothelioma law firm. - The firm now has offices in all six New England states. - Sokolove Law says it has secured more than $1.4 billion for families across New England. - Since LeBlanc joined the firm, Sokolove Law says it has recovered $6.9 billion for clients nationwide and resolved 7,843 asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuits. - The firm says average annual case resolutions have nearly tripled under LeBlanc compared with the years before he arrived. - As Managing Attorney, LeBlanc directs asbestos litigation and personally reviews all potential mesothelioma claims. - LeBlanc also oversees cases involving birth injuries, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse and neglect, dangerous drugs, defective medical devices, product liability and disability denial.

Between the lines: - The award gives Sokolove Law a visible win in a legal market where regional prestige often tilts toward large corporate firms. - LeBlanc's Massachusetts roots and the firm's New England history give the recognition a local resonance that fits the award's regional focus. - His work with veterans is part of Sokolove Law's asbestos practice, where military exposure remains a major source of claims. - LeBlanc is accredited by the Office of the General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which allows him to help veterans pursue VA benefit claims tied to military asbestos exposure. - He has also educated VFW and American Legion service officers about asbestos exposure risks in ships, barracks and military equipment. - After the Sept. 11 attacks, LeBlanc volunteered through Trial Lawyers Care to provide free legal services to victims' families. - LeBlanc is a member of The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys, the Boston Bar Association, Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers and the American Association for Justice. - Martindale-Hubbell marked his 35-year milestone earlier this year with a designation noting that he has been "proudly serving the community since 1991." - In July 2026, LeBlanc was named to the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.

What's next: - LeBlanc will be honored with other 2026 New England Legal Awards recipients at the Boston ceremony on Oct. 8. - Sokolove Law is likely to continue leaning on its asbestos and mesothelioma practice as well as its broader personal injury work across the U.S. - The firm points readers to more information about its work and services.

The bottom line: - LeBlanc's award caps a career built around asbestos litigation, veterans' claims and plaintiff-side advocacy, while reinforcing Sokolove Law's standing in New England and beyond.