Williams Mullen Repeats Top Score in Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2025 Corporate Equality Index

Williams Mullen is proud to announce that, for the seventh consecutive time, the firm has received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which has been described by the organization as the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.

Williams Mullen joins the ranks of 765 major U.S. businesses that were honored with the designation as a recipient of the Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion.

The firm is one of four Richmond-headquartered businesses to receive a score of 100, joining Altria Group, Inc. and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

“Williams Mullen is pleased to receive a seventh consecutive top score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2025 Corporate Equality Index,” said Woody Fowler, president and CEO of Williams Mullen.  “This recognition reflects the values we uphold every day: ensuring that all employees can serve our clients from an environment where they feel respected, supported, and empowered to succeed.”

“I am immensely proud to see the collaborative efforts of our D&I team and firm leadership reflected in this score,” said Janet Cho, partner, chair of Williams Mullen’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. “We will continue to work together to ensure that our policies and activities include and support our LGBTQ+ employees.”

The results of this year’s 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 includes 1,449 participants, making it the highest number of rated companies since the start of the CEI in 2002. Further demonstrating the tremendous trajectory of the CEI, a record-breaking 98 percent of CEI businesses have nondiscrimination protections specific to gender identity.

The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:

• Non-discrimination policies across business entities;
• Equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families;
• Supporting an inclusive culture; and,
• Corporate social responsibility.

For more information on the 2025 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei.