Barbara Fernandez Recognized as a Florida Legal Elite 2025 Most Notable Women Leader in Law

The law firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is pleased to announce that Miami partner-in-charge Barbara Fernandez has been selected as one of Florida Legal Elite’s 2025 Most Notable Women Leaders in Law by Florida Trend Magazine for the third consecutive year.

Barbara was selected for making a measurable and specific impact in the types of legal cases handled, mentoring other attorneys, promoting professional practices and values in the workplace, and demonstrating leadership in professional organizations and civic/community service initiatives.

View her profile and the full list of 2025 Most Notable Women Leaders in Law.

Barbara is the partner-in-charge of Hinshaw’s Miami office and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, to which she was reappointed in 2025 for a three-year term.

She was also re-appointed in 2024 to the firm’s Mansfield Task Force. Hinshaw has received the Mansfield Certification for four consecutive years and received Certified Plus status in 2024-2025. Further, Barbara is a member of the firm's Diversity Committee and serves as the Miami office's Office Mentor Coordinator (OMC). The OMC is responsible for administering the mentor program in her office and serving as an advisor for young attorneys in challenging situations. Barbara is a former Co-Chair of Hinshaw's Hispanic/Latino Attorney Network and was also a member of the Evaluation Committee for Hinshaw's Attorney Life Committee.

In her practice, Barbara has developed a niche in consumer and class action litigation, an area 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 Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

Barbara has received numerous awards and recognitions from colleagues and the community, such as:

• Miami-Dade Florida Association for Women Lawyers (MDFAWL), Impact Awards “Women of Distinction,” 2025
• South Florida Business Journal, Power Leaders in Law & Accounting, 2025; Influential Business Woman, 2021; 40 Under 40, 2012
• Florida Trend Magazine, Florida 500, 2024, 2025; Florida’s Most Influential Business Leaders, 2024; Florida Legal Elite, Most Notable Women in Law, 2023
• Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, Businesswoman of the Year, Corporate Leader, 2021

Active in the community, Barbara is a member of the American Bar Association, the Cuban American Bar Association, the Hispanic National Bar Association, and the National Association of Women Lawyers (former Next Level Affinity Group, Co-Chair). She is the former Dade County Defense Bar Association Board Trustee and past president (serving three terms), and was formerly involved in the Members' Attorney Program of the American Collectors Association.