Lana Olson Receives Prestigious Mary Massaron Award from DRI

March 10, 2025

Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC partner Lana A. Olson has been honored as the 2025 recipient of the DRI Mary Massaron Award for the Advancement of Women in the Legal Profession. 

The Mary Massaron Award is given each year to a DRI member or members demonstrating a high regard for diversity and commitment to advocating for the inclusion and promotion of women. Recipients are innovators and role models who are honored for fostering women’s initiatives and actively promoting positive mentoring relationships in the legal profession.

Olson has been involved with DRI, the leading organization representing the civil defense bar, for more than 20 years. She most recently served as the DRI president from 2022-23, following several terms in other board leadership positions. During her time on the board, she chaired the Philanthropic Activities Committee and was a founding member of the DRI’s Women in the Law Committee. Olson also broadened DRI’s philanthropic arm, DRI Cares, to create new community service opportunities for DRI members nationwide.

In 2018, the DRI Foundation established a tribute in Olson’s name in recognition of her years of dedication to DRI and her commitment to philanthropy and public service on behalf of the organization. She also received the Davis Carr Outstanding Committee Chair Award in 2015 for her work on the Women in the Law Committee.

Olson focuses her legal practice on complex, high-stakes litigation in various areas, including environmental and toxic torts, product liability, business disputes and catastrophic injury. In addition to her regular litigation practice, Olson served as the assistant general counsel for a leading heavy truck component distributor for seven years.