Grimm, Mason receive 2025 Purcell Professionalism Award
For their exceptional professionalism as Missouri lawyers, John W. Grimm and Anne Sallee Mason will receive this year’s Purcell Professionalism Award.
Named after former Missouri Bar President Martin J. Purcell, the Purcell Professionalism Award recognizes Missouri lawyers who have shown a high standard of competency, integrity, and civility in professional and civic activities. The Missouri Bar Board of Governors and The Missouri Bar Foundation Board of Trustees nominate lawyers, and the board of trustees selects up to two award winners.
Grimm and Mason will receive their award on Sept. 17 in Branson during the Annual Meeting of The Missouri Bar and Judicial Conference.
Grimm
A graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, Grimm is a lawyer with the Limbaugh Law Firm in Cape Girardeau. He joined the firm in 1989 before serving as circuit judge for the 32nd Judicial Circuit. He returned to the firm in 2003 after his judicial service.
Grimm was a member of The Missouri Bar Board of Governors from 2010-2023 and was Missouri Bar president from 2021-2022. He also served on The Missouri Bar Young Lawyers’ Section Council and the Executive Council of the ABA Young Lawyers’ Division.
“I've been fortunate to travel and meet lawyers from all corners of the state,” Grimm said. “I've learned that there are a lot of very good lawyers in Missouri — some who are affiliated with the largest firms in the country and others who are sole practitioners ... I’m very proud to be a lawyer in Missouri.”
He encouraged lawyers to connect with their peers and participate in professional and community activities.
“Lawyers have a lot to offer outside of the office, and there are countless ways to give back to the profession and to the community,” he said.
While he enjoys the immediate gratification of winning a case or closing a deal, Grimm finds the greatest satisfaction in hearing from clients and families years later about the lasting impact he made.
“It might have seemed like a minor thing at the time, but doing a good job and treating people with respect can really have a positive, long-term impact,” he said.
Mason
A graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, Mason is a partner with Neale & Newman in Springfield. She joined the firm in 1989 after clerking for Hon. Douglas W. Green of the Missouri Court of Appeals-Southern District and became the firm’s first female partner in 1993.
After a stint in banking as a trust officer and in-house counsel, Mason returned to Neale & Newman in 2003, where she continues to practice.
She served on the boards of the Community Partnership of the Ozarks, the Greene County Estate Planning Council, and the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, where she chaired the Probate and Trust Committee.
Mason expressed gratitude for the award and the support she’s received throughout her career.
“Growing up in a small town, my parents and my community instilled in me the importance of hard work, integrity, helping others, and community service,” she said. “This award reaffirms these values and the importance of practicing law not only with skill, knowledge, and competency, but also with compassion and humility.”
Mason believes having a good reputation is important for succeeding in law. She encourages other lawyers to consider their reputations and how their actions affect the way others perceive them.
“Your reputation precedes you in every encounter, whether before a judge, with another lawyer, or with a client ...” she said. “Be trustworthy, always act with integrity, and never compromise your ethics for any reason, under any circumstances.”
Click here to learn more about annual awards presented by The Missouri Bar, the Missouri Bar Foundation, and other entities. Read about other 2025 award winners here.