For the third consecutive year, Baker Donelson has been recognized by the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance as a law firm that is "Tipping the Scales" towards gender parity. Baker Donelson is among 82 law firms that had 50 percent or more women in their 2024 new partner class, globally and/or U.S.-based.
These firms, which were recognized as "Tipping the Scales" at the Alliance's recent annual conference, were honored in conjunction with the results of the Alliance's 2024 New Partner Report, a compilation of public data related to the gender breakdown of attorneys promoted to partner at law firms.
The Report revealed that 41.6 percent of U.S.-based new partners from 196 major law firms in 2024 were women, representing a decrease of 2.1 percent from last year's figure of 43.7 percent. Accounting for increased globalization of the legal industry, the Alliance began including data on global new partner promotions last year. Globally in 2024, women accounted for 41.6 percent of new partners, down from 43.3 percent in 2023.
At Baker Donelson, for the last three years, the Firm has boasted more than 50 percent of women in their new shareholder class.
Christy Tosh Crider, Chair of Baker Women, Health Care Litigation, and member of the Firm's Board of Directors, said, "Part of Baker Women's mission is to ensure that every attorney has the opportunity to advance – because doing so promotes exceptional client service and improves our Firm and the legal industry as a whole. This is the third year we've been honored with the 'Tipping the Scales' recognition, and we will continue the work to ensure that every attorney has the opportunity to succeed at the Firm, including striving for gender parity in our leadership ranks."
Through Baker Women, Baker Donelson's women's initiative, the Firm continues to build key initiatives and resources designed to support the Firm's attorneys.
The Alliance's New Partner Report, which is released in full to its members, is a yearly compilation of data from the nation's largest and top-grossing law firms examining the gender breakdown of attorneys promoted to partnership. The data is based upon publicly available firm announcements and other self-reported sources on new partner classes with an effective date of promotion between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024.