Barnes & Thornburg

Barnes & Thornburg received a score of 60 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, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (1)(2). Barnes & Thornburg has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (3).

Barnes & Thornburg does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs. It “extends its support to organizations in underserved communities through sponsorships and donations; including schools, health providers, legal clinics, food banks, and many more” (1)(2).

Barnes & Thornburg‘s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates 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). Barnes & Thornburg is Mansfield Certified, indicating its support of DEI in its recruitment, hiring, promotions, and leadership composition (3)(4). Barnes & Thornburg is a member firm of Bloomberg Law’s DEI Framework, indicating its support of DEI in its advocacy, recruitment, hiring, promotions, and leadership compensation (5)(6). Barnes & Thornburg does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (7). The company has also integrated implicit bias training for its employees (8).

Barnes & Thornburg integrates DEI into its business practices (1). The firm advocates for the integration of ESG and DEI into crisis management planning (2).

Barnes & Thornburg has a Racial and Social Justice Foundation that “is committed to promoting, advocating, and effecting racial and social justice”. It has donated $750,000 to 15 organizations over the past 3 years (1)(2). In 2022, it donated $50,000 to Zora’s House (3). In 2020, it donated $50,000 to the Social Justice Learning Institute (4). It has also sponsored an LGBTQ Pride event in Indiana (5)(6). The company’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. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (7)(8). Barnes & Thornburg is a member of the MCCA, indicating its focus on recruiting, retaining, and promoting employees based on race (9)(10). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (11).

Barnes & Thornburg has donated $8,500 to the Equality PAC and does not engage in lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3). Barclay & Thornburg is a part of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance, committed to work on initiatives that fight “systemic racism” (4)(5).