Carmen Hernandez serves as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Clayco Inc., an architectural, engineering, design-build, and construction services firm, with more than $7 billion in annual revenues.   In that capacity, since 2013, Carmen has advised Clayco and its subsidiaries in dozens of complex, commercial real estate construction and design-build projects, from $100 million to more than $1 billion, including the design and construction of state-of-the-art hospitals, university campus buildings, advanced manufacturing facilities, data centers, e-distribution facilities, research labs, and even rocket launching facilities.  From contract negotiations to effectively resolving any project related challenges during and after project completion, Carmen leads the effort to achieve beneficial results for both the Clayco enterprise and its clients. 

As General Counsel, she also advises Clayco and its subsidiaries on a wide range of corporate governance and compliance matters, acquisitions, finance, employment, real estate, international procurement, supply chain and litigation matters related to Clayco’s operations and initiatives across the United States and abroad, including all legal endeavors necessary for Clayco to deliver its projects on-time and as-promised to its clients, while leading the industry with a first-class team of employees providing innovative, winning solutions for our clients and their communities. 

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Carmen has remained deeply committed to her Puerto Rican roots and the community of Comerío. Since 2017, she and her sister have raised over $125,000 to provide emergency food and supplies for the people of Comerío in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Additionally, she has fundraised approximately $15,000 annually to support the “Primer Regalo” Program, which distributes toys to public elementary and middle school students in Comerío. Carmen also joins the Mayor and his team each year to personally assist with the two-day toy distribution across the mountainous region, a tradition she continues as part of the Primer Regalo 2024 Program.

Prior to joining Clayco, Carmen (fka  Carmen Lonstein) practiced law for more than 26 years in the areas corporate restructuring, business law and litigation, culminating in her tenure as Chair of the Corporate Restructuring Practice for North America at  Baker & McKenzie LLP.  Carmen also taught courses on International Business Transactions as adjunct professor at the University of Valparaiso School of Business.  

Carmen currently serves on the board of directors of the Hispanic International Television Network (HITN TV), a non-profit based in Brooklyn, N.Y., and on the board of the DuSable Black History Museum & Education Center.  She has previously served on the boards of the Metropolitan Pier Exposition Authority, the Illinois Finance Authority, the Great Lakes Commission, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture.