Ms. Hernandez has been a wage and hour practitioner for nearly 20 years, first as a government official for the United States Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division and then as an attorney. She has a breadth of experience in complex civil litigation matters, and she has served as counsel in large wage and hour class actions involving thousands of employees. She is a tenacious and passionate litigator who works tirelessly for her clients. Before launching her own law practice, she worked for a mid-size firm in Raleigh, NC where she built a wage and hour practice from the ground up.

In 1997, Ms. Hernandez started her wage and hour career as a government official with the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division in Los Angeles, CA. She initiated field investigations of industrial, agricultural, and other business establishments to obtain compliance with federal labor and immigration laws; enforced immigration programs under the amended H-1(B) program of INA and employment eligibility; enforced federal labor laws regarding minimum or prevailing wage rates, overtime pay, family medical leave, wage garnishment, migrant safety and health protection, government contracts and similar matters related to employment and hours worked.  She worked closely with employers to ensure their understanding of the requirements of the law and advised them on how to reach and maintain compliance.

Currently, Ms. Hernandez’s practice is focused on representing individual plaintiffs and plaintiffs in complex collective and class action litigation for alleged violations of the FLSA, NCWHA, and any other state’s wage and hour laws. Additionally, Ms. Hernandez has been interviewed for and appeared on television, radio, and in print media discussing relevant wage and hour issues affecting employees in various industries subject to the FLSA and the NCWHA.

Professional Honors

• Premier Employment Lawyers – Exclusive Featured Attorney for Cary, NC (2020 -2021)
• Super Lawyers – North Carolina Rising Star, Employment and Labor Law
• Charlotte Magazine – Outstanding Young Lawyers  – Employment and Labor Law

Professional and Community Activities

• National Employment Lawyers Association
• National Employment Law Project
• North Carolina Bar Association
• Tenth Judicial District Bar

Education

Ms. Hernandez graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Southwestern University School of Law, (JD, December 2004.)

Law Offices of Gilda A. Hernandez PLLC

The Law Offices of Gilda A. Hernandez  PLLC stands ready to help North Carolinians, and others, fight for their rights against employers who have not paid them fairly and pursuant to the requirements of federal and state wage and hour laws.

We offer our quality services in a number of areas of the law. Our firm has the necessary experience in wage and hour laws to combat employers unwilling to pay workers fair and decent wages. Basic minimum and overtime wages are a must in a progressive society.

Our clients can count on our knowledge of both the Fair Labor Standards Act, the North Carolina Wage and Hour Act, and any other state wage and hour laws where an employee’s rights are being violated. These laws seek to protect workers from unfair workplace compensation practices.