Firm Profile

In October of 1989, Mr. Hernández opened his law office after having spent 10 years with the U.S. Department of Justice as a Trial Attorney in Washington, D.C., and an Assistant United States Attorney in various locations, including Orlando, Florida, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Denver, Colorado. His practice involves all aspects of litigation including criminal trials, appellate litigation, civil litigation, business law and administrative proceedings.

For the past 19 years, Mr. Hernández has represented individuals and corporations in major federal and state white collar investigations, prosecutions, forfeitures and appeals. He has handled all types of criminal litigation in state and federal courts, from DUI cases to cases where clients have been charged with first degree capital murder, vehicular homicide, federal and state drug trafficking, bank fraud, securities fraud, tax fraud, telemarketing fraud, and money laundering. He has represented civil litigants in cases involving such diverse areas as civil RICO, civil fraud, quiet title matters, specific performance of real estate contracts, and dissolution of marriage. As a result of his many years with the U.S. Department of Justice as a federal prosecutor and his extensive litigation experience, Mr. Hernández also represents many litigants in federal and state forfeiture cases, administrative proceedings before the Securities and Exchange Commission and other federal regulatory agencies, and state administrative Agencies such as the Florida Bar and the Board of Medical licensing.

Mr. Hernández also has an of counsel* relationship with the law firm of Almeida & Dávila, PSC located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Mr. Hernández handles Federal Criminal Cases in the District of Puerto Rico.

*an attorney who is not actively involved in the day-to-day work of a law firm, but may be available in particular matters or for consultation 

History and Evolution of the Firm

From 1979 to 1989: United States Department of Justice (Litigator) - Mr. Hernández served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle Districts of Florida, Puerto Rico and Colorado. Hired under the Attorney General's Honor Law Graduate Program as Trial Attorney in Washington, D.C.; He was first assigned to the Office of International Affairs and Appellate Section. As an Assistant United States Attorney, he was first assigned to the Civil Division (Puerto Rico), handling all aspects of federal civil litigation. Then Mr. Hernández was assigned to the Criminal Division (Florida, Puerto Rico, Colorado), prosecuting violations of federal criminal code, supervising investigations of federal law enforcement agencies, conducting Grand Jury proceedings, representing the United States Government at trial, and briefing and arguing appeals. In the Spring of 1989 Mr. Hernández transferred back to the Civil Division (Middle District of Florida), again handling all aspects of civil litigation, including: pretrial discovery, taking depositions, settlement negotiations, trials, etc. As a Department of Justice attorney, he investigated and prosecuted all areas of federal criminal code, including fraud, major white collar crimes, money laundering, public corruption, organized crime, murder, narcotics and terrorism. As a civil litigator, he handled a varied case load of Federal Tort Claims Act matters including medical malpractice and slip and fall cases at federal facilities. In his ten years as a Department of Justice litigator, Mr. Hernández tried numerous cases in the United States District Courts of three different jurisdictions and successfully litigated numerous appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh, Tenth and First Circuits.

From 1989 to present: Private Law Office - Mr. Hernández has been in private practice for the last 19 years. His practice emphasizes criminal trial, appellate litigation and civil litigation. He has handled all types of criminal litigation in state and federal courts, from DUI cases to cases where clients have been charged with first degree capital murder, vehicular homicide, federal and state drug trafficking, bank fraud, securities fraud, tax fraud, telemarketing fraud, and money laundering. He has represented civil litigants in cases involving such diverse areas as civil RICO, civil fraud, quiet title matters, specific performance of real estate contracts, and dissolution of marriage. As a result of his many years with the U.S. Department of Justice as a federal prosecutor and his extensive litigation experience, Mr. Hernández also represents many litigants in federal and state forfeiture cases, administrative proceedings before the Securities and Exchange Commission and other federal regulatory agencies, and state administrative licensing proceedings.

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H. Manuel Hernández, P.A.
P.O. Box 916692, Longwood, Florida 32791 ∙ 37 N. Orange Avenue, Suite 500, Orlando, FL 32801 ∙
407-682-5553