BakerHostetler
Corporate Bias Rating
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Risk Level:
Summary:
Baker & Hostetler (BakerHostetler) is High Risk. The company yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. BakerHostetler embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.
View Full Corporate Bias Ratings ReportHas canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.
BakerHostetler received a score of 100 on the 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (1)(2). However, the company has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (3).
Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.
Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.
BakerHostetler‘s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend multiple, controversial trainings on gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender issues, and divisive racial ideology. The company provides gender transition guidelines for its employees and a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (1)(2). BakerHostetler is Mansfield Certified, indicating its support of DEI in its recruitment, hiring, promotions, and leadership composition (3)(4). The company is a member of The Diversity and Flexibility Alliance, indicating its support of DEI in its recruitment, retention, promotions, and leadership composition (5)(6). BakerHostetler does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (7).
Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
BakerHostetler‘s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company agrees to allow a controversial stakeholder group focused on sexual identity issues to dictate marketing or advertising strategy. By doing so, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). BakerHostetler was the “2023 Beacon of Justice Award recipient in recognition of the commitment to equal justice” (3). The company signed Orlando Economic Partnership’s DEI pledge, committing themselves to fight systemic racism, prioritize the success of diverse people in its workplace, and ensure DEI “is a strategic imperative with demonstrated commitment and actions” (4). BakerHostetler also employs an Inclusion and Diversity Committee (5).
Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
BakerHostetler’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits and lab monitoring, travel and lodging. Additionally, the company has pledged philanthropic support of at least one organization or event that promotes sex and gender ideology. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). BakerHostetler is part of a Pro Bono partnership with the Human Rights Campaign, and in 2020 BakerHostetler backed the Pro Bono’s first federal lawsuit related to LGBTQ protections (3). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of BakerHostetler using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (4).
Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.
BakerHostetler‘s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company publicly advocated for controversial sex and gender ideology through local, state or federal legislation or initiatives. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). The company has a pro bono partnership with the HRC to repeal legislation intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces (3)(4). BakerHostetler is a part of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance, committed to work on initiatives that fight “systemic racism” (5)(6). The company has donated to the Equality PAC and does not engage in lobbying at this time (7)(8)(9).
Board Bias
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1792 Exchange has not yet compiled data about the board of directors or political contributions of leadership for this company.