For the second consecutive year, SUGARMAN Principals Benjamin Zimmermann and Marianne LeBlanc have been named among the Top 10 Massachusetts Super Lawyers, making SUGARMAN the only Massachusetts law firm with two attorneys receiving this distinction in 2026.
Both attorneys were also selected to the Top 5 Personal Injury Plaintiff Massachusetts Super Lawyers list, recognizing their accomplishments in representing injured individuals and families. Ben earned an additional distinction, ranking No. 3 overall among Massachusetts attorneys on the statewide Top 10 list.
Super Lawyers selects no more than 5% of Massachusetts attorneys annually through a process involving peer nominations, independent research, and peer evaluations.
Benjamin Zimmermann: Landmark Verdicts and Complex Litigation
Ben Zimmermann has built a distinguished trial practice representing individuals and families in complex medical malpractice, product liability, construction accident, and other catastrophic injury cases.
Since joining SUGARMAN in 2000 and becoming a Principal in 2007, Ben has secured some of Massachusetts’ most significant personal injury verdicts and settlements.
His notable results include:
- $20.6 million wrongful death verdict against Toys “R” Us involving a defective pool slide, upheld by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in Aleo v. Toys “R” Us, Inc.
- $30.55 million medical malpractice verdict, obtained with SUGARMAN Principal David McCormack on behalf of a child who suffered catastrophic injuries during birth.
- $25.5 million settlement arising from a tractor-trailer collision involving a defective highway barrier.
Ben was selected to the Massachusetts Rising Stars list from 2005 through 2010 and has been named to Super Lawyers every year since 2011. He has also appeared on the Top 100 Massachusetts list annually since 2013.
A Fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Ben has also been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2010 and by Boston magazine as a Top Lawyer in 2021, and 2023-2025.
Marianne LeBlanc: Distinguished Trial Advocacy and Legal Leadership
For more than three decades, Marianne LeBlanc has combined accomplished trial advocacy with leadership in the Massachusetts legal community. She has been selected to the Massachusetts Super Lawyers list every year since its inception in 2004 and has repeatedly appeared on the Top 100 Massachusetts Lawyers and Top 50 Women Massachusetts lists.
Marianne joined SUGARMAN in 1993 and became a Principal in 1999. Her practice encompasses medical malpractice, premises liability, liquor liability, wrongful death, and other complex personal injury litigation.
In 2026 alone, Marriane’s accomplishments and accolades include:
- $4.95 million Medical malpractice settlement involving a neurologist’s failure to order neuroimaging for a child experiencing severe headaches, resulting in a missed diagnosis of a congenital arteriovenous malformation that later ruptured, causing multiple strokes and permanent disabilities.
- $3.25 million products liability settlement involving a household product allegedly mislabeled as containing ethyl alcohol when it instead contained a poisonous substance, resulting in fatal complications following ingestion. The plaintiffs alleged defective labeling, failure to warn, and breaches of express and implied warranties.
- Distinguished professional achievement including selection as a Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame Honoree and receipt of the Bar Association of Norfolk County’s Pro Bono Award.
Marianne is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2005. She has also served as Chair of the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers and as President of both the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts and the Women’s Bar Foundation.
A Legacy of Trial Advocacy
Ben and Marianne’s continued recognition reflects more than individual professional achievement. It also speaks to the approach that has defined SUGARMAN for more than 65 years: thorough preparation, experienced trial advocacy, and a commitment to representing individuals and families facing the consequences of serious injury.
Their selection to both the statewide Top 10 and the Top 5 Personal Injury Plaintiff lists underscores SUGARMAN’s longstanding presence in Massachusetts’ plaintiff trial bar and the firm’s commitment to handling complex, high-stakes litigation.