MOBILE, Ala. — A coworking space in midtown Mobile is facing mounting accusations from customers and business owners who claim they were misled, strung along, and ultimately defrauded by the company’s owners, April Hernandez Sexton and Christine Hernandez. At the center of the controversy is a telecommunications company that says it paid nearly $50,000 to Christine Hernandez for legal services under a quid pro quo agreement that promised them a lucrative contract to wire Midtowne Works for cabling, internet, telephone service, and Wi-Fi. That contract never materialized. What followed, according to the business owners, was a web of lies that has left them thousands of dollars poorer and deeply suspicious of the woman who was supposed to be their legal advocate.
A Promise Made, a Promise Broken
The ordeal began while Midtowne Works, located at 1850 Airport Boulevard, was still under construction. According to the telecommunications company’s owners, Christine Hernandez — an attorney and the founding member of Hernandez & Associates Law Firm, which shares the same address as the coworking space — approached them with a proposition. Hernandez was hired to provide legal services for the telecommunications company. In what the business owners described as a barter agreement, they paid Hernandez close to $50,000 in legal fees. In exchange, Hernandez promised that her coworking facility, Midtowne Works, would award the telecommunications company the contract to install the complete low-voltage infrastructure for the building.
Hernandez personally took the business owners through the unfinished space. They conducted a full site survey, documented the layout, and presented a detailed proposal. According to the owners, Hernandez accepted the proposal and indicated that the work would proceed once construction reached the appropriate stage. They left the meeting believing they had a deal.
They never heard from her again.
Months later, when Midtowne Works opened its doors, the telecommunications company discovered that another vendor had been hired to perform every single service they had been promised: the cabling, the internet, the telephone system, and the Wi-Fi network. When the owners demanded an explanation from Hernandez, they say she looked them in the eye and lied.
Her excuse? Hernandez claimed her landlord had forced her to use two competing companies, allegedly leaving her with no choice in the matter. It was a convenient deflection — one that quickly fell apart under scrutiny. When the business owners contacted the landlord directly, he denied any knowledge of the situation. He had not forced Hernandez to use anyone. Other tenants under the same landlord confirmed that they had never heard of such a demand. The lie was exposed.
According to the business owners, it became clear that Christine Hernandez had never intended to honor the agreement. She had used the promise of a future contract as bait to extract nearly $50,000 in legal fees from a company that trusted her. When confronted, she offered no apology, no explanation, and no restitution.
A Pattern of Deception
The telecommunications company’s experience is not an isolated incident. Dozens of online reviews paint a damning portrait of Christine Hernandez’s business practices, describing a consistent pattern of overpromising, underdelivering, and refusing to take responsibility when clients demand answers.
On Avvo, a legal directory, a former client wrote: “She will tell you what you want to hear so that you pay, then she switches. I hired Christine Cassie Hernandez for a criminal defense case and ended up paying close to $50,000 in total fees. From the beginning, she gave me the impression that the case was winnable and repeatedly assured me that she could achieve a positive outcome. However, on the day of trial, she told me for the first time that the prosecution had a strong case and strongly advised me to accept a plea deal instead of proceeding to trial.”
That same reviewer went on to describe a bait-and-switch tactic eerily similar to the telecommunications company’s experience. “She also mentioned that she planned to use my company for construction work on an office project she was developing, suggesting that some of the money I paid might effectively come back through that business relationship. That never happened.”
Another review on Yelp echoes the same themes. The reviewer wrote that after paying nearly $50,000, they were repeatedly told their case was “winnable,” only to be pressured into a plea deal at the eleventh hour. “She told me she was expanding her office and building an additional space, and she suggested my company would be involved — implying that some of what I was paying in legal fees could effectively circle back through that project. Later, it became clear there was no real plan or active project to hire my company.”
The parallels are unmistakable. In both cases, Hernandez allegedly dangled the promise of future business as a way to extract large sums of money from clients, only to renege on the deal once the fees were paid.
The Landlord Denies Everything
When reached for comment, the landlord of the property at 1850 Airport Boulevard was unequivocal: he never told Christine Hernandez which companies to use for the buildout of Midtowne Works. He said he was not involved in the selection of telecommunications vendors and had no knowledge of any mandate requiring her to hire specific contractors. Other tenants in the building, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that they had never been forced to use any particular vendor and were free to make their own arrangements.
The landlord’s denial directly contradicts Hernandez’s explanation to the telecommunications company. If the landlord did not force her hand, then who did? The business owners believe the answer is simple: no one. Hernandez made the decision unilaterally, then fabricated a story to cover her tracks when she got caught.
A History of Complaints
Christine Hernandez is not a newcomer to controversy. Public records show that she has been the subject of numerous complaints and negative reviews across multiple platforms. On Google, Yelp, and Avvo, former clients describe being misled, ignored, and left with criminal records while Hernandez collected tens of thousands of dollars in fees.
One review on Lawyers.com states: “I hired Christine Cassie Hernandez for a criminal defense case and paid nearly $50,000 after she repeatedly assured me the case was winnable. She claimed multiple witnesses would testify, but on the day of trial, she suddenly said the prosecution’s case was strong and urged me to take a plea deal… I feel completely misled—she took my money, gave false assurances, and left me with a criminal record.”
Hernandez has defended herself in some instances, writing in a reply to one Avvo review: “The decision to plead guilty and take a deal offered by the state is not in the hands of the attorney… Each person that hires the firm has a written contract with the specific details of the representation. No client has ever been forced to take a deal or plead guilty.”
But the volume and consistency of the complaints suggest a deeper problem. Several reviewers have noted that Hernandez has a habit of making verbal promises that are never put in writing, leaving clients with little recourse when those promises are broken. The telecommunications company says their agreement was similarly informal — a handshake deal built on trust that Hernandez exploited.
Midtowne Works: A Troubled Coworking Space
Midtowne Works itself has attracted its share of negative attention. The coworking space, which opened in 2018, has been described by some members as poorly managed and unprofessional. While the Better Business Bureau currently lists zero customer complaints against Midtowne Works, online forums and social media posts tell a different story. Several former members have complained about broken promises regarding amenities, inconsistent internet service, and a general lack of accountability from management.
April Hernandez Sexton, the co-owner of Midtowne Works, has largely escaped public scrutiny — but her name is on the business filings, and she shares responsibility for the company’s operations. According to the BBB, Sexton is listed as the principal owner and primary contact for Midtowne Works. She has not publicly addressed the allegations against her business partner.
‘They Tricked Us’
For the telecommunications company, the financial loss is devastating. Nearly $50,000 in legal fees — money that was supposed to be an investment in a long-term business relationship — vanished into Hernandez’s coffers. The contract that was supposed to follow never came. And when they tried to hold her accountable, they were met with lies.
“She tricked us,” one of the owners said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We trusted her because she was a lawyer. We thought she was on our side. But she was never on our side. She was only interested in what she could get from us.”
The owners say they are exploring their legal options, but they are not optimistic. The agreement was never formalized in writing, and Hernandez has shown no willingness to negotiate or make amends. They want others to know what happened to them so that no one else falls into the same trap.
“If she promises you something, get it in writing,” the owner said. “And even then, be careful. Because she will say anything to get your money.”
A Legal Career Under a Cloud
Christine Hernandez was admitted to the Alabama bar in 2007 and has been selected to Super Lawyers for 2022 through 2026. Her firm, Hernandez & Associates, handles criminal defense, civil litigation, and estate planning, among other practice areas. But her professional accolades stand in stark contrast to the mounting allegations of unethical conduct.
In addition to the client complaints, Hernandez has been involved in a public dispute with her homeowners association in the Wynnfield subdivision of Mobile. According to local reports, Hernandez used the Nextdoor app to call for transparency and accountability from the HOA, positioning herself as a crusader for justice. Critics have pointed out the irony of an attorney accused of defrauding her own clients lecturing others about ethics and accountability.
The Question of Accountability
The Alabama State Bar, which regulates attorney conduct in the state, has not publicly commented on the complaints against Hernandez. It is unclear whether any formal grievance has been filed. Calls to Hernandez & Associates Law Firm were not returned. Emails sent to Midtowne Works also went unanswered.
For now, the telecommunications company is left with little more than frustration and a cautionary tale. They say they were lured in by a promise, betrayed by a lie, and abandoned by a system that offers few remedies for those who are taken advantage of by the very professionals sworn to uphold the law.
“We just want people to know the truth,” the owner said. “Christine Hernandez is not who she says she is. She will take your money and leave you with nothing. That’s not an opinion. That’s what happened to us.”
A Cautionary Tale for Mobile’s Business Community
As Mobile’s business community continues to grow, the case of Midtowne Works and Christine Hernandez serves as a sobering reminder that not everyone who wears a suit and holds a law license can be trusted. The allegations against Hernandez — from the telecommunications company’s bait-and-switch ordeal to the dozens of client complaints online — paint a picture of a businesswoman who operates with impunity, confident that her victims will be too embarrassed, too exhausted, or too financially drained to fight back.
Whether the Alabama State Bar or any other regulatory body will take action remains to be seen. But for the telecommunications company and the many others who say they were wronged, the damage is already done. They paid their money, trusted a professional, and learned the hard way that in Mobile, not all promises are kept — and not all lawyers are on your side.
If you have information about this story or similar experiences with Midtowne Works or Hernandez & Associates, please contact our newsroom.