MEMPHIS—Lauran Stimac, Evans Petree Shareholder and Chair of the Litigation Practice Group, will be named the recipient of the 2026 Marion Griffin-Frances Loring Award by the Association for Women Attorneys (AWA) at the organizations’ 44th Annual Banquet on January 29, 2026.
The Marion Griffin-Frances Loring Award, named for Marion Griffin, the first woman licensed to practice law in Tennessee in 1907, and Francis Loring, the first recipient of the award in 1989, is a flagship honor for individuals who exhibit outstanding achievement in the legal profession.
The Association for Women Attorneys (AWA) is a bar association of Memphis and Shelby County founded in 1979 that remains committed to the sustained presence of female leadership in the legal realm. Its members are dedicated to supporting each other as attorneys, educating themselves and others in the law, and being of service to the community with particular reference to the legal needs of women.
“I continue to witness the AWA’s impact on women in our field and in our community,” said Stimac, who has mentored University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law students through the AWA for a decade. “This entirely volunteer-run organization continues to provide invaluable access and networking for emerging attorneys, offer meaningful and relevant Continuing Legal Education opportunities, and foster authentic, lasting relationships. I have truly enjoyed being involved in the work of the AWA, and I am honored now to be recognized by my peers in that organization.”
Lauran Stimac serves as Chair of Evans Petree’s litigation practice group, where she coordinates strategy and support for the firm’s litigators and interfaces with other practice groups to facilitate the provision of a broad scope of client services at the highest level.
In Richmond, Virginia and now Memphis, Stimac has practiced as a trial attorney since 2007, largely concentrating her practice on the defense of professional liability claims against healthcare providers and lawyers. She has also represented those and other professionals, such as real estate appraisers, in licensure matters in Tennessee and Mississippi. Stimac also represents individuals and business entities in business litigation. Her practice encompasses both trial and appellate levels. She is licensed to practice in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Virginia.
Stimac is active in the legal community, having served as the past president of the Memphis Bar Association, a 150-year organization that supports and strengthens the Mid-South legal community of attorneys and judges. She was also appointed in 2025 by the Tennessee Supreme Court as a Board of Professional Responsibility Hearing Committee member for Disciplinary District IX. She has been recognized annually as a Mid-South Super Lawyer in the area of Professional Liability Defense since 2022. In addition to her law practice and professional memberships, Stimac serves as board chair of the Downtown Memphis Commission, and as a member of the Board of Directors of Southern Reins. She is also a volunteer and a supporter of the Memphis Area Legal Services Campaign for Equal Justice, the Memphis Child Advocacy Center, Porter Leath, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra as a member of its Circle of Friends, and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumnae Association of Memphis.
Learn more information on AWA and its 44th Annual Banquet on January 29, 2026 at awamemphis.org.
ABOUT EVANS PETREE. Founded in 1907, Evans Petree is a full-service law firm with offices in Memphis, Franklin, and Oxford, Mississippi. While our professionals possess numerous and diverse capabilities, such as commercial and employment law, tax planning, real property and health care, the common thread through all of our dealings and relationships is a foundation of high values, coupled with a dedication to enhancing client perspectives. These are the factors that perpetuate client success. We work every day to redefine the scope of what is possible within a full-service law firm. For more information, visit evanspetree.com.
