AttorneyGonzalo Fernandez
Fernandez Law, LLC
133 S 11th St, Ste 350, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63102
Fighting for Civil Rights Justice
Gonzalo Fernandez is a civil rights attorney and founder of Fernandez Law, LLC, dedicated to representing individuals whose constitutional rights have been violated by law enforcement and government actors. His work centers on holding police departments and municipalities accountable for misconduct, excessive force, and unlawful conduct carried out under color of law, with a particular focus on advocating for communities disproportionately impacted by police abuse and governmental overreach.
Throughout his career, Fernandez has represented clients in cases involving excessive force, false arrest, unlawful detention, and civil rights violations brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. His litigation approach combines thorough factual investigation with aggressive courtroom advocacy, seeking both compensatory and punitive damages against officers and the agencies that employ them.
Fernandez Law, LLC secured a landmark $150,000 settlement against St. Louis County in a First Amendment case involving a homeless man targeted by a local panhandling ordinance — with a federal ruling striking down the ordinance as an unconstitutional restriction on free speech. The firm also secured a $260,000 settlement from Lincoln County on behalf of the family of a jail inmate who died by suicide while in custody, highlighting systemic negligence in the county's detention facilities. Fernandez works on a contingency fee basis to ensure that financial barriers do not prevent victims from seeking justice.
Notable Results
- $9 million default judgment, accompanied by a separate substantial settlement, in a federal civil rights lawsuit
- $150,000 settlement against St. Louis County after a federal ruling struck down a local panhandling ordinance as a violation of First Amendment free speech rights
- $260,000 settlement from Lincoln County for the family of a jail inmate who committed suicide, based on institutional negligence
- Over 30 years of experience consistently recovering seven-figure outcomes for victims of police shootings and bystanders injured during reckless law enforcement chases
Key Characteristics
- Handles cases brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for constitutional violations including excessive force and unlawful arrest.
- Committed to representing victims of police abuse on a contingency fee basis to ensure access to justice regardless of financial means.
- Pursues both compensatory and punitive damages to hold individual officers and municipalities accountable for systemic misconduct.
- Successfully challenged a St. Louis County ordinance in federal court, resulting in it being struck down as unconstitutional under the First Amendment
- Secured significant settlements against county government entities on behalf of vulnerable clients including homeless individuals and incarcerated persons
- Demonstrated track record of pursuing institutional negligence claims against government-run detention facilities
- Advocates for marginalized populations whose constitutional rights have been violated by government action or inaction