Ogletree Deakins Earns 100 Percent in 2025 Corporate Equality Index

ATLANTA – January 7, 2025 – Ogletree Deakins, one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is proud to announce that the firm has received a score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. This is Ogletree Deakins’ seventh perfect score on the CEI.

The results of the 2025 CEI showcase how U.S.-based companies are promoting LGBTQ+-friendly workplace policies in the U.S. and abroad. The first year of the CEI included 319 participants, and the 2025 CEI now surveys 1,449 participants, further demonstrating its tremendous growth. A record-breaking 98 percent of CEI have non-discrimination protections specific to gender identity.

Ogletree Deakins’ affinity group, ODAlliance, serves as the primary internal resource for the firm’s LGBTQ+ attorneys and their allies. It seeks to support the recruiting, retention, and advancement of LGBTQ+ attorneys and increase the visibility and understanding of issues impacting LGBTQ+ attorneys across the firm. These efforts helped to satisfy all of the CEI’s criteria, earning Ogletree Deakins a 100 percent ranking.

“For decades, businesses have relied on the CEI as a tool for transparency and leveling the playing field for all workers, making sure LGBTQ+ people and their families can share in fair, respectful, and supportive workplaces and benefits,” said RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, SHRM-CP, HRCF Senior Director of Workplace Equality, “Our goal at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation is to work in a spirit of partnership with companies, providing educational resources and leading benchmarking. The work of the CEI is to help businesses to expand their consumer base and attract top, innovative talent by supporting the LGBTQ+ community.”

“We are honored to be recognized once again by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for our commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace,” said Lia Dorsey, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, “The firm remains steadfast in its focus on supporting and uplifting our LGBTQ+ colleagues.”

The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria under four central pillars: non-discrimination policies across business entities, equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families, supporting inclusive culture, and corporate social responsibility. The full report is available online at https://www.hrc.org/resources/corporate-equality-index.

About Ogletree Deakins

Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. Premier client service, as outlined in the firm’s Client Pledge, is one of the firm’s top priorities and a cornerstone of its core values. Best Law Firms® has named Ogletree Deakins a “Law Firm of the Year” for 14 consecutive years. In the 2025 edition, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Litigation – Labor and Employment Law category. Ogletree Deakins has more than 1050 attorneys located in 59 offices across the United States and in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. The firm represents a diverse range of clients, including many of the Fortune 50 companies in the U.S. www.ogletree.com

About The Human Rights Campaign Foundation

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public’s understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work.