Baker Donelson
Baker Donelson is a privately held national law firm founded in 1888 with 700+ attorneys and advisors across 26 offices in 13 states and Washington D.C. It serves Fortune 100 companies, top U.S. financial institutions, health systems, and government clients across 30+ practice areas, with revenue from hourly, fixed, and alternative fee arrangements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1888
- HeadquartersMemphis, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Baker Donelson does
Baker Donelson (legal name Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC) is a privately held national law firm founded in 1888 and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, with primary roots in Memphis. The firm employs more than 700 attorneys and public policy advisors across 26 offices spanning 13 states and Washington, D.C., with a concentration in the Southeast. Baker Donelson provides legal services across more than 30 practice areas, including litigation, corporate/M&A, healthcare, financial services regulation, data privacy and cybersecurity, cross-border business, government relations, transportation and logistics, energy, and emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and AI/healthcare systems. The firm serves a high-end enterprise and institutional client base: it represents more than half of the Fortune 100 and serves as trusted advisor to more than 40 of the top 100 U.S. financial services companies, with additional work for hospitals, health systems, manufacturers, government entities, and cross-border clients in 100+ countries.
Baker Donelson's product surface is fundamentally a professional services catalog rather than a technology platform. Core "products" are organized as legal service practice areas (e.g., Health Law, Financial Services Litigation, Artificial Intelligence, AI and Health Care Systems, Data Privacy and Cybersecurity, Mergers and Acquisitions). Adjacent client-facing tools include an online payment platform with SSL-encrypted bill and trust payment processing, a professional search portal for attorney lookup by name/office/practice area, a self-service cookie preference management tool, and an extensive library of legal publications, client alerts, and industry insights. The firm operates podcasts (e.g., "Everybody Leads," "Diversity Ever After") and a thought leadership program built around publications, PR, webinars, and events. The firm is governed by a Board of Directors including energy/natural resources and healthcare regulatory specialists and is led by President and COO Jennifer P. Keller.
Baker Donelson operates as a professional corporation under Tennessee law, generating revenue through legal fee arrangements — hourly rates, fixed fees, and alternative fee arrangements — negotiated on a per-engagement basis with monthly billing. The firm is not publicly traded, has no parent company, and is not backed by private equity or venture capital; ownership rests with equity partners. Growth is currently guided by the BakerVision 2028 strategic plan and is being executed through lateral hiring, new office openings (notably Princeton, NJ and Winston-Salem, NC in late 2025, with an Iselin relocation planned for September 2026), shareholder expansion (16 new shareholders elected in April 2026), and the buildout of new practice areas such as AI advisory services. Notable alumni include former U.S. Senate Majority/Minority Leaders, a former White House Chief of Staff, a former Secretary of the Navy, and former Governors, contributing to the firm's political and regulatory network.
Baker Donelson firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Baker Donelson
- Legal name
- Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
- Website
- https://bakerdonelson.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1888
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Baker Donelson is a privately held national law firm founded in 1888 with 700+ attorneys and advisors across 26 offices in 13 states and Washington D.C. It serves Fortune 100 companies, top U.S. financial institutions, health systems, and government clients across 30+ practice areas, with revenue from hourly, fixed, and alternative fee arrangements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Baker Donelson industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Legal Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD)
Keywords
Where Baker Donelson is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Memphis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices27 records
Markets served
Baker Donelson business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Legal Services: Baker Donelson generates revenue through legal fee arrangements with clients for legal representation across multiple practice areas including litigation, corporate, healthcare, financial services, and more. The firm serves enterprise clients, government entities, and individuals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Legal services billed through hourly rates, fixed fees, or alternative fee arrangements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Baker Donelson product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Baker Donelson is a national law firm providing full-service legal advisory and representation across 30+ practice areas including litigation, corporate, healthcare, financial services, intellectual property, labor and employment, energy, and regulatory compliance. The firm serves enterprise clients, government entities, and individuals through more than 700 attorneys and advisors operating out of 20+ offices, with subject-matter expertise spanning fraud and abuse defense, cross-border transactions, AI governance, data privacy, and trial defense in 49 states.
Product overview
Baker Donelson is a national law firm operating as a services-based organization rather than a technology product company. The firm offers legal advisory services across more than 30 practice areas, with offices in over 20 locations across the southeastern United States. Key client-facing tools include an Online Payment Platform for secure bill and trust payments, a Professional Search Portal for finding attorneys, Cookie Settings Management for privacy compliance, and a collection of Legal Publications covering AI regulation, privacy law, and healthcare compliance. The firm's AI-related services are delivered through its Artificial Intelligence Practice and AI and Health Care Systems Practice, which provide legal advisory on AI governance, regulatory compliance, and liability matters rather than AI-powered products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Health Law Practice
- Financial Services Practice
- Litigation and Trial Defense
- Business and Corporate / Mergers and Acquisitions
- Cross-Border Business Practice
- Artificial Intelligence Practice
- AI and Health Care Systems Practice
- Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice
- Labor & Employment Practice
- Intellectual Property Practice
- Energy and Environmental Practice
- Government Relations and Public Policy
- Disaster Recovery and Government Services
- Online Payment Platform
Companies that use Baker Donelson
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Baker Donelson technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Baker Donelson partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Baker Donelson competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Polsinelli: Polsinelli is a national law firm of comparable size (~950 attorneys) with deep healthcare and financial services practices overlapping Baker Donelson's strongest verticals and a similar growth-by-acquisition strategy.
- McDermott Will & Emery: McDermott Will & Emery is a national firm with one of the largest healthcare law practices in the US, directly competing for the same healthcare compliance and regulatory engagements that anchor Baker Donelson's healthcare franchise.
- Holland & Knight: Holland & Knight is a similarly sized US national law firm (~2,000 attorneys) with strong Southeast roots and broad Fortune 500 client base. Direct competitor for mid-market Fortune 100 and financial services mandates across overlapping practice areas.
- Akerman LLP: Akerman is a national law firm of similar size with strong Florida and Southeast presence. Baker Donelson recently recruited 14 attorneys from Akerman to open its Winston-Salem office, illustrating direct head-to-head competition for talent and clients.
- King & Spalding: Atlanta-founded national firm (~1,300 attorneys) with comparable Southeast presence and strong healthcare, litigation, and energy practices. Direct competitor for the same Fortune 100 and health system client engagements.
- Kilpatrick Townsend: Kilpatrick Townsend is a similarly sized national firm with comparable IP, technology, and corporate practices and significant Southeast US presence. Direct overlap in mid-market corporate and IP mandates.
- Nelson Mullins: Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough is a Southeast-anchored national firm of comparable scale with overlapping financial services, healthcare, and litigation practices. Strong direct competitor in the same regional client base.
Regional players
- Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein: Parker Poe is a Southeast-based law firm with strong North and South Carolina presence competing for the same Carolinas-based enterprise clients. Smaller than Baker Donelson but a meaningful regional competitor in Charlotte and Raleigh markets.
Broad incumbents
- Eversheds Sutherland: Eversheds Sutherland is a global law firm with strong US financial services regulatory practice overlapping Baker Donelson's financial services litigation and compliance group, particularly on consumer lending and banking matters.
- DLA Piper: DLA Piper is one of the largest global law firms with broad cross-border practice. Competes with Baker Donelson for Fortune 100 mandates and cross-border transactions, particularly where clients require international scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Baker Donelson social profiles
Digital presenceBaker Donelson financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Baker Donelson leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Baker Donelson funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Baker Donelson M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Baker Donelson
What does Baker Donelson do?
Baker Donelson is a national law firm providing full-service legal advisory and representation across 30+ practice areas including litigation, corporate, healthcare, financial services, intellectual property, labor and employment, energy, and regulatory compliance. The firm serves enterprise clients, government entities, and individuals through more than 700 attorneys and advisors operating out of 20+ offices, with subject-matter expertise spanning fraud and abuse defense, cross-border transactions, AI governance, data privacy, and trial defense in 49 states.
Is Baker Donelson a public or private company?
Baker Donelson is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Baker Donelson founded?
Baker Donelson was founded in 1888. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Baker Donelson based?
Baker Donelson is headquartered in Memphis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Baker Donelson make money?
One revenue line is on record: legal Services.
Who are Baker Donelson's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Polsinelli, McDermott Will & Emery, Holland & Knight, Akerman LLP, King & Spalding, Kilpatrick Townsend and Nelson Mullins. Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Eversheds Sutherland and DLA Piper.
Does Baker Donelson have an API?
No public API is recorded for Baker Donelson.
What industry is Baker Donelson in?
Baker Donelson's product category is Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAAAD, Employment & Labor Law. Its NAICS code is 541110 and its SIC code is 8111.