In October, Baker Donelson was recognized as one of the 50 "Best Law Firms for Women" in 2017 by Working Mother magazine. The award is presented annually by Working Mother Media at its annual Summit and Gala Luncheon. This year the Career Accelerator Summit and Gala were held in Chicago, and Baker Donelson was represented by Jan Hayden, a shareholder in the Firm's New Orleans office. This year's program emphasized the struggles both men and women face in integrating their family lives with their work lives. Various strategies were presented, including programs noting that this integration is not a woman's only problem and the suggestion that gender neutral programming is useful. Another strategy touted during the program was the use of informal sponsorships in addition to formal mentoring programs in order to enable women to better connect with their sponsors throughout the firm. Baker Donelson was proud to be honored with this award in reflection of the Firm's commitment to the advancement of women in the legal profession.