For the fifth consecutive year, Baker Donelson has been certified by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) as a Gold Standard Firm.
WILEF grants Gold Standard status to firms that meet objective criteria concerning the number of women among equity partners, in firm leadership positions, and in the ranks of their most highly compensated partners. Baker Donelson was among 45 U.S. law firms to earn this certification.
Criteria that are considered for WILEF Gold Standard Certification include the number of women attorneys who are equity partners; who serve as heads of the firm, its offices and practice groups or departments; who serve on the firm's primary governance committee; and who serve on the firm's compensation committee. To earn certification, firms must meet both a mandatory criterion regarding the percentage of women equity partners and at least three of five additional criteria related to women in various areas of leadership, compensation, and minority/LGBT representation. Baker Donelson was among only 14 firms to meet all six criteria.
Through its Women's Initiative, Baker Donelson has implemented numerous key initiatives designed to create an environment where female attorneys thrive, including an industry-leading parental leave policy, a firm-wide mentoring program for women, a program that awards business development grants to women attorneys, and a training program designed to help women attorneys achieve equity shareholder status.
Baker Donelson has earned numerous national recognitions as an exceptional workplace for women. The Firm has been ranked on FORTUNE's list of the "100 Best Workplaces for Women®," is ranked third nationally in diversity for women in the 2018 edition of Vault, Inc.'s "Best Law Firms for Diversity," and in 2017 and 2018 was named by Working Mother magazine as one of the "Best Law Firms for Women." The Firm was also recognized by the Chambers Women in Law Awards: USA 2018 as a finalist in the category of Outstanding Firm in Advancing Gender Diversity and Inclusion.