Jennifer Gentry Fernandez, was born in Jacksonville, Florida. After obtaining a Bachelors of Science degree in Journalism from the University of Florida in 1990, Mrs. Fernandez was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. Mrs. Fernandez thereafter attended Stetson University, College of Law, in St. Petersburg, Florida, receiving her Juris Doctorate law degree, Cum Laude, in 1993. While attending Stetson, Mrs. Fernandez was a member of the College of Law’s award-winning 1993 National Trial Team and was honored to be named Champion of the 1993 Chester Bedell Memorial Mock Trial Competition as well as Best Advocate in the 1993 Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) Southeast Regional Student Trial Advocacy Competition. At graduation, she received the prestigious Ralph Harris Farrell Competition Award from Stetson College of Law.
In 1994, Ms. Fernandez began her law career as an insurance and medical malpractice defense attorney with the Orlando law firm of Fisher, Rushmer Werrenrath, Keiner, Wack & Dickson. In 1997, Mrs. Fernandez joined the law firm of Maher, Gibson & Guiley, specializing in plaintiffs’ personal injury litigation and wrongful death claims. While associated with the Maher firm, Mrs. Fernandez worked with the Florida “Dream Team,” comprised of elite trial lawyers who, as the result of a ground-breaking civil lawsuit against The American Tobacco Company, ultimately recouped more than $11.3 billion dollars in Medicaid payments from Big Tobacco for the State of Florida.
In 2003, after relocating their growing family to Tampa, Florida, Attorney Jennifer Fernandez joined her husband and co-founded what is now The Fernandez Firm. Mrs. Fernandez remained “of counsel” to the Maher firm through 2004 and continues maintain an active trial practice in the greater Orlando area (Osceola, Orange and Seminole counties). For more than a decade, her law firm has represented hundreds of plaintiffs and successfully tried numerous personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. While her firm maintains a statewide “plaintiff’s only” trial practice, Mrs. Fernandez specializes in the handling of car accident claims, motorcycle crashes, medical negligence, nursing home abuse, slip and fall, traumatic brain injuries, other acts of general negligence resulting in personal injury, negligent security cases, as well as all personal injury claims and the civil representation of victims injured as a result violent crime.
Throughout her legal career, Mrs. Fernandez has been an active member of her local, state and national bar and trial lawyer associations. She also has held numerous leadership positions and has been a frequent lecturer for these organizations since 1996 and recently Florida injury Attorney Jennifer Gentry Fernandez was inducted into the National Register’s “Who’s Who Among Business and Professional Achievers.”
Honors and Awards
- “Who’s Who Among Business and Professional Achievers” – National Register 2012
- Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, Bronze EAGLE Award, 2001
- Phi Delta Phi Honorary Society
Leadership Positions & Pro Bono Service
- American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America)
Regional Coordinator, 2000 ATLA Student Trial Advocacy Competition.
- Central Florida Trial Lawyers Association
Founding Member
Board of Directors, 1999 – 2001
Publications/Newsletter Co-Chair, 1999 – 2001
- Florida Bar
Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee, 2007 – 2008
Code and Rules of Evidence Committee, 2000-2003
“First 150 Women Lawyers” Research Committee, 1999-2000
- Florida Justice Association (formerly the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers)
Board of Directors, 2007 – 2009; 2000 – 2002
Medical Malpractice Committee Member, 2011 – 2012
Women’s Caucus
President, 2008 – 2009
President-Elect, 2007 – 2008
Continuing Legal Education Committee Chair, 2002-2003
Secretary, 1999 – 2000
Young Lawyers Section
Board of Directors, 1997 – 2000
AFTL Journal Articles Editor, 1998 – 2000
Constitutional Challenge Committee (1999 “Tort Reform” legislation), 1999 – 2000
- Hillsborough Association of Women Lawyers
2012 Judicial Reception Committee
- Orange County Bar Association
Young Lawyers Division
Fundraising Committee, 1996 – 1997
Fundraising Chair, 1997 – 1998
- Citizens Dispute Resolution, Mediator, 1995 – 1997; 2000
Great Oaks Village “Day in the Park” Committee, 1996 – 1998
Law Week, Participant/Presenter, 1995 – 1999
“Art-Lando,” Chair, 1996 – 1998
Speaking Engagements
- Service of Process, Subpoenas and Jurisdictional Issues Involving Foreign Defendants, Out-of-State Witnesses and Cruise Line Excursions, presented by the Resort Tort Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice, July 11, 2011, AAJ 2011 Annual Convention, Speaker/Author – Florida injury Attorney Jennifer Gentry Fernandez
- Fear: Dealing with it and Using it to your Advantage in Trial, presented by the Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association, May 19, 2011, Greatest Secrets to Our Success seminar, Speaker/Author – Tampa injury Lawyer Jennifer Gentry Fernandez.
- Cross Examination of the Defense Medical Expert, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, May 2004, Medical Malpractice Seminar, Speaker/Author – Florida injury Attorney Jennifer Gentry Fernandez.
- Innovations in Trial Advocacy, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, June 2003, program Chairperson/Moderator – Florida injury Attorney Jennifer Gentry Fernandez.
- New Lurking Disasters with Pretrial Stipulations, Exhibits Lists and Witness Lists, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, February 2003, Workhorse Seminar, voting members only, Speaker/Author – Tampa injury Attorney Jennifer Gentry Fernandez.
- Handling Awkward Tasks and Client Problems in Front of the Jury, 2002 Workhorse Seminar, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, February 2002, voting members only, Moderator – Tampa injury Attorney Jennifer Fernandez.
- 2002 Collateral Sources Seminar, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, January 2002, program Chairperson/ Moderator – Tampa injury Attorney Jennifer Fernandez.
- Doing It All, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers Women’s Caucus, February 2001, Speaker/Panelist – Florida injury Attorney Jennifer Gentry Fernandez.
- Civil Litigation for Paralegals and Legal Assistants, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, October 2000, program Chairperson/moderato – Tampa injury Attorney Jennifer Fernandez.r
- 2000 Legislative and Case Law Update, – for AFTL Members Only, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, May 2000, Moderator – Florida injury Attorney Jennifer Fernandez.
- Evidence for the Litigation Paralegal, hosted by the Institute for Paralegal Education, May 2000, Speaker/Author – Tampa injury Attorney Jennifer Fernandez.
- The Practicalities of Being a Young Lawyer, lecture presented at Barry University College of Law, Orlando, November 1999, Speaker/Author – Tampa injury Attorney Jennifer Fernandez.
- Medical Malpractice, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, April 1999, Moderator/Speaker – Florida injury Attorney Jennifer Fernandez.
- State of Florida v. Big Tobacco, an associate’s perspective, lecture presented at Stetson University College of Law, St. Petersburg, March 1999, speaker – Florida injury Attorney Jennifer Fernandez.
Continuing Legal Education
- AAJ 2011 Annual Convention, American Association for Justice, New York, New York, July 9 – 13, 2011.
- Greatest Secrets to Our Success, presented by the Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association, May 2011.
- 2005 Collateral Sources Seminar, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, January 2005.
- 2003 Medical Malpractice Seminar, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, June 2003.
- Medical Malpractice, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, April 2000.
- Constitutional Analysis & Practical Considerations for Practicing Under the Tort Reform Act – for AFTL Members Only, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, September 1999.
- ATLA 1999 Annual Convention, presented by the American Trial Lawyers Association, San Francisco, California, June 1999.
- Advanced Trial Skills, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, June 1999.
- Insurance Seminar – for AFTL Members Only, September 1999.
- Direct and Cross Examination of Experts, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, October 1997.
- ATLA 1997 Annual Convention, presented by the American Trial Lawyers Association, San Diego, California, June 1997.
- Collateral Sources Seminar, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, March 1997.
- Psychological Injury Claims, presented Med Psych Corporation, Peter B. Silvain, Ph.D., June 1996.
- Florida Medical Malpractice Claims Committee Annual Seminar, presented by the FMMCC, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, September 1995.
- Mild Traumatic Brain injury: Diagnosis and Treatment, presented by the Claims Analysis Center for Brain Injury and Mental Disorders, Michael E. Howard, Ph.D., August 1995.
Professional Memberships
- The Florida Bar
- Florida Justice Association
- American Association for Justice
- Hillsborough County Bar Association
- Hillsborough Association of Women Lawyers
- Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association
- Orange County (Florida) Bar Association
- Ybor City Chamber of Commerce
