Barbara Fernandez and Andrew Gordon Honored in South Florida Business Journal's 2025 Power Leaders in Law & Accounting
The law firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP today announced that Miami partner-in-charge Barbara Fernandez and Ft. Lauderdale partner-in-charge Andrew Gordon have been honored in the 2025 South Florida Business Journal's Power Leaders in Law & Accounting, which celebrates the region's most influential executives across key industries.
Barbara and Andrew were selected as leaders in the field whose experience and insights help businesses navigate evolving challenges, identify new growth opportunities, and manage risk.
Here are their Power Leader profiles:
Barbara Fernandez
- Why I chose my profession: The law is intellectually stimulating; I enjoy its storytelling and research aspects.
- Most impactful leadership lesson I've learned: The increase in remote work forced me to adapt to new ways of managing teams and fostering collaboration.
- Message to future professionals: I encourage them to devote time to mentoring to make a measurable difference in the career paths of others.
- My latest cultural discovery: Skiing Aspen Snowmass.
Andrew Gordon
- Why I chose my profession: I've always had a strong interest in justice and advocating for the rights of others.
- Biggest challenge facing my industry: How to coexist with and identify ways of utilizing AI to benefit all.
- Most unexpected recent change to my profession: Zoom replacing so many face-to-face interactions.
- My latest cultural discovery: "A Land Remembered" by Patrick D. Smith. I should have read this book sooner.
View the full list of honorees on the South Florida Business Journal's website (subscription required).
Barbara is the partner-in-charge of Hinshaw's Miami office and a member of the firm's Executive Committee. She is also a member of Hinshaw's Diversity Committee and serves as the Miami office's Office Mentor Coordinator (OMC). As the OMC, she oversees the office's mentor program and advises young attorneys. Barbara is also a former Co-Chair of Hinshaw's Hispanic/Latino Attorney Network and was a member of the Evaluation Committee for Hinshaw's Attorney Life Committee.
Barbara has developed a niche practice in consumer and class action litigation, where relatively few women practice law. She has extensive experience in defending individual and class action claims involving the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
She is also a co-editor of Consumer Crossroads, Hinshaw's blog publication. This publication is focused on the consumer financial services industry and offers insights on judicial, regulatory, and legislative developments that directly impact industry professionals.
Additionally, Barbara has received numerous awards and recognitions from colleagues and the community, including:
- Named one of 10 Women of Distinction honorees for the 2025 Inaugural Miami-Dade Florida Association of Women Lawyers (FAWL) Impact Awards;
- Named one of Florida Legal Elite's Most Notable Women Leaders in Law by Florida Trend Magazine for two consecutive years in 2024 and 2023;
- Included Among the 2024 Florida 500™, Florida's Most Influential Business Leaders from Florida Trend Magazine;
- Named as the 2021 Businesswoman of the Year (Corporate Leader) by the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce;
- Recognized as an "Influential Business Woman" by the South Florida Business Journal, 2021.
Active in the community, Barbara is a member of the American Bar Association, American Collectors Association, Members Attorney Program, Cuban American Bar Association, and Hispanic National Bar Association. She was also a former Co-Chair of the National Association of Women Lawyers' (NAWL) Next Level Affinity Group and was the former Dade County Defense Bar Association Board Trustee and past president, which she served for three terms.
Andrew is the partner-in-charge of Hinshaw's Ft Lauderdale office. He is also a member of Hinshaw's Executive Committee and is active in the firm's mentoring program. As a litigator, Andrew represents employers in federal and state courts, in arbitration, and before government agencies on issues involving discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; wage and hour, including class and collective actions; FMLA, ADA, and other federal, state, and local leave obligations; breach of contract; whistleblowing; restrictive covenants, non-competes, and non-solicits; social media use; OSHA, WARN; and other employment law matters.
Additionally, he provides in-person and web-based employment law training on requirements and trends to corporate executives, managers, supervisors, HR professionals, and other employees. He also has extensive complex business litigation experience spanning contract disputes, business disputes, aviation security litigation, commercial landlord/tenant disputes, federal and state fair housing claims, class action litigation, and other various complex business litigation matters.
Andrew is actively involved in his community through a number of civic organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) - Florida Chapter, City of Ft. Lauderdale Board of Adjustment, City of Ft. Lauderdale Civil Service Board, Greater Ft. Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, Legal Aid Service of Broward County, Riverwalk Ft. Lauderdale, Victoria Park Civic Association, President, Former Vice President, and Former Representative to the Council of Ft. Lauderdale Civic Associations.
Additionally, Andrew has received numerous awards and recognitions from colleagues and the community, including:
- Selected as a Florida Legal Elite 2024 Notable Labor & Employment Lawyer by Florida Trend Magazine;
- Led, supported, and participated on a team of dedicated Ft. Lauderdale attorneys who contributed 100+ hours of pro bono time to Legal Aid Service of Broward County, which selected Hinshaw's Ft. Lauderdale office as its 2024 Law Firm of the Year;
- Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© for Commercial Litigation, 2023 – 2025;
- Appointed by Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean J. Trantalis to serve on a 23-member Working Group tasked with developing a COVID-19 business reopening plan for the city, 2020;
- Recognized on the Rising Stars list by Florida Super Lawyers magazine, 2013 – 2019;
- "On the Rise" Professional Excellence Award from the Daily Business Review, 2018.