Fern has been selected by the Courts, as well as by family members, to serve as the appointed Guardian and/or Trustee for many individuals in need of personal needs and property management. She has represented clients in all aspects of guardianship proceedings and has been appointed as Counsel and as Court Evaluator by the New York State Supreme Court in countless cases. She has helped thousands of seniors through her extensive community outreach and pro bono services on behalf of the indigent elderly of New York City. Fern spearheaded the Legal Education and Assistance Project, known as LEAP, at the Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project. LEAP’s mission is to train and support pro bono attorneys in providing community outreach and education on all aspects of advance planning to seniors, with the goal of maximizing their independence and ability to remain at home long term.

Fern is the Immediate Past Chair of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) Elder Law and Special Needs Section, and a past President of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) New York Chapter.

Fern is the Chair of the Brooklyn Bar Association Foundation Law Committee, and a Special Master of the Appellate Division Second Department Mandatory Civil Appeals Mediation Program. She served for years as a volunteer certified mediator with Safe Horizons for community disputes, PINS cases and custody matters, as well as with the United States District Court, Eastern District. Fern has served on the Committees on Character and Fitness for the Second Judicial Department since 2008.

Fern led the initiative with the New York NAELA Chapter to create a “50 States Chart” compiling the responses from contributing NAELA member attorneys across the country on their respective states’ Medicaid planning tools, eligibility rules, and strategies. This has become a valuable resource for elder law practitioners across the country and the clients they serve.

Fern has lectured extensively for various Bar Associations and Continuing Legal Education providers on topics including Advance Directives, Medicaid and Asset Protection, Aging in Place, Supplemental Needs Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Planning During the Pandemic,  the Role of the Guardian, Role of the Court Evaluator, Role of the Attorney for the AIP, and Guardianships. She has served as a mentor attorney at the Brooklyn Law School HELP (Helping Elders Through Litigation and Policy) Clinic, the Touro Law School Externship Program, and the New York Law School Elder Law Clinic.

Fern has received numerous awards for her pro bono service including: Selection as a 2019 “Champions of Justice: Women in Leadership in Law and Administration of Justice” Honoree by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, the 2013 Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project Building Bridges Award, the 2013 Brooklyn Bar Association Distinguished Service Award, the 2009 Brooklyn Bar Association Distinguished Service Award, the 2004 Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York Hanna S. Cohn Pro Bono Award, the 2003 New York State Bar Association Pro Bono Award for the Second Judicial District, the 1999 Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project Pro Bono Award, the 1996 Brooklyn Bar Association Frieda S. Nisnewitz Award for Pro Bono Service, and an Award of Merit from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 1997.

Fern was previously an Associate Attorney at the law firm of Damashek, Godosky and Gentile, where she litigated medical malpractice and personal injury cases, and a co-founder of her prior firm, Finkel & Fernandez, LLP.

In her spare time, Fern enjoys yoga, long walks in nature, gardening, bicycling, and spending quality time with her wonderful husband, family, and friends.