Hayley Baker, a Nashville attorney known for her commitment to justice, founded HB Advocates in 2022. Her passion for calling out injustice began long before her legal career.

While in law school, Hayley was inspired by litigators who defended her family’s small business and pursued every opportunity to gain trial and advocacy experience.

After graduation, she spent a year in Northern Uganda supporting local attorneys and social workers advocating for widows and victims of domestic violence. There, she learned the value of a trauma-informed, empathetic approach and witnessed the resilience of survivors facing powerful systems.

Hayley later joined a Nashville litigation firm, where she saw civil law as a path to justice and healing. Disturbed by how often sexual assault survivors in the South were left without justice, she launched HB Advocates to offer victims a safe, supportive space to pursue legal action.

Gabby Schmidt is an attorney in Nashville, Tennessee. Gabby began her legal career in the corporate world, working on large transactions and advising clients on corporate governance. After meeting Hayley and learning about HB Advocates and its mission, Gabby decided to make a career pivot in alignment with her desire to advocate for and help others.

Gabby is from a family that has inspired her to work hard but also to help others along the way. Her life has been marked by empathy and compassion for others.

She is grateful for the opportunity to support survivors as they courageously navigate their legal options in the context of sexual assault and sexual harassment.

EDUCATION

Gabby received her J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School, where she was a member and Student Note Editor of the Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law. Gabby received her Bachelor of Arts from Furman University, where she graduated summa cum laude.