(Birmingham, AL / January 27, 2015) The law firm of Baker Donelson has received a score of 85 in the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) 2015 Corporate Equality Index (CEI).
The HRC's CEI report is a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) workplace equality administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
"We have worked to nurture and grow the inclusive environment at Baker Donelson and we are honored to be recognized among other businesses who are committed to doing the same," said Mark A. Baugh, chair of Baker Donelson's Diversity Committee and a shareholder in the Firm's Nashville office.
Since the launch of its Diversity Initiative in 2002, Baker Donelson's diverse attorney population and the number of minority shareholders have more than quadrupled, far outpacing the Firm's overall growth. The recruitment and retention of female attorneys and the representation of women in leadership positions at the Firm have improved as well. Recently, Baker Donelson launched "Baker Affinitas," an affinity group for LGBT interests to bolster the inclusiveness of the Firm, which includes sponsoring events in the communities in the Firm's footprint, as well as facilitating the establishment of an LGBT pro bono initiative.
The Firm's efforts have been recognized by MultiCultural Law magazine, which has ranked Baker Donelson on its annual lists of the "Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity" and the "Top 100 Law Firms for Women." Earlier this year, Baker Donelson was also ranked tenth in Vault Inc.'s "Best Law Firms for Diversity" list.
The 2015 CEI rated a total of 971 businesses in the report, which evaluates LGBT-related policies and practices. More information is available on the organization's website.