I think my younger self would be very surprised to know he’d spend his career as a lawyer at an international firm.

I didn’t have a passport until I graduated from college, and I always thought I’d have a career in business. I grew up in Miami, my father worked in sales and my mom was a teacher. My parents were amazing role models.

During my high school years, I was involved in an organization called Junior Achievement where we set up and ran a mini company.

I went to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and majored in finance and accounting.

After graduating, I got a job at Deloitte and ended up doing stints in auditing, consulting and tax… a little bit of everything.

My parents and my grandfather always thought I’d make a good lawyer, and I’d done well in my law school admission test while at college, so I resat the exam and attended the University of Miami School of Law.

In between college and law school, I got the international travel bug and enjoyed some backpacking trips in Europe and beyond during vacations and in a gap year before law school.

I think travelling and spending four years working full time made me appreciate law school much more than if I’d have gone straight from college. I loved the challenge and worked hard, made good friends and had a terrific experience.

When interviewing for a summer associate position, my choice came down to White & Case and a New York-based law firm.

I ended up choosing White & Case given my interest in international work. I was keen to work with clients in Latin America and to do cross-border work. I had a great experience working at the Firm’s New York office.

Chris Hansen was in my summer class, although he likes to remind me that he’s younger than me.

I deferred my start date at the Firm to spend a year clerking for a federal district court judge in Miami.

That was an incredible year, as my judge presided that year over the criminal trial of Manuel Noriega of Panama, and my co-clerk became a very close friend.

While I intended to go back to New York and join White & Case, one of my friends from law school had been working at the Firm’s Miami office and suggested that I meet the team.

They had started a Latin American practice in Miami, and the idea of being involved in this effort from the ground floor really appealed to me. So I accepted their offer.

My first few years included a mix of Latin American transactions and domestic work. The partners were very hands-on and committed to training. Those early days were challenging, but I relished the varied opportunities and felt very fortunate.

One piece of advice I’d give to anyone is to always try to maintain a positive attitude, even when things are stressful.

Balancing multiple tasks is an important part of the learning process and having a ‘glass half full’ attitude helps your progression in the Firm.

It’s also important to affirmatively seek out opportunities and plan your career. I was always hesitant to say no to requests to help, no matter how busy I was, especially when I was asked to get involved in a matter that I felt would open the door to new experiences, challenges or skills or give me the chance to work with another partner or group.

Throughout my career, I’ve always reached out to people across the Firm and haven’t restricted myself to a single area – I always wanted opportunities to grow and make new connections. And I’ve never been disappointed by colleagues’ willingness to chip in.

It’s about capturing the entrepreneurial spirit of the Firm. If you can do that, a career at White & Case can be amazing. I’ve always felt very thankful to have been given so many fantastic opportunities.

If I had to pick a highlight from my 28-year career at the Firm, it would be when I was given the opportunity to relocate and open our São Paulo office.

It was a really unique and exciting experience, especially as I was an associate when I moved, so it was a tremendous opportunity and responsibility.

I felt honored to have been given the chance and relished the chance to leave my comfort zone.

During my years in the Miami office, I worked to improve my Portuguese and hired a tutor who came to the office a couple of times a week.

As one of the only Portuguese speakers in the Firm at the time, I became a go-to person when matters involving Brazil arose.

This gave me exposure to a number of different partners and practices. I was regularly stretched and learned so much from a number of very patient and helpful partners.

The political and economic situation in Brazil had stabilized after many years of rampant inflation and military rule, and Jim Hurlock approached me to ask if I would be willing to relocate to Sao Paulo to open our office. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

My wife, Milena, is Brazilian, but she had been living in the US for a number of years, and we were settled in Miami with a young family. Milena was graciously very supportive, and we made the move.

I was on my own in an office we subleased initially from a Brazilian law firm until I hired Madalena Nishimura, our first employee and our office manager to this day.

Hiring Madalena was one of the best decisions I have made, and I know that others who have worked with her would wholeheartedly agree.

Over the years, I’ve been able to work with so many dedicated people in the Sao Paulo office and across the Firm, and it’s been inspiring to see our Brazil practice grow to the incredible team we have today serving so many great clients. I am indebted to so many for their contributions to our success.

If I had to pick one day in my life that I could relive again, I’d cheat and pick a family vacation when my two daughters, Reyna and Sophia, were in those wonderful pre-teen years, maybe around nine or 10.

I could have picked my wedding day or the days when Reyna and Sophia were born, but those family holidays were very special and, while I’ve always tried to appreciate things in the moment, having the chance to relive those holidays, and particularly the one we spent together in New Zealand, would be very cool.

One of my other memorable holidays was a hiking and camping trip in Montana a few years back with one of my closest childhood friends. We were completely off the grid for five days, which made it even more special.

If I could have one more conversation with someone who is no longer with us it would be with Alexis Rovzar.

Alexis was a mentor to me when I moved to Brazil. He was instrumental in my development as a partner, and we became close friends over the years.

He was an exceptional person in every regard – a great lawyer and a fantastic human being – so the opportunity to spend another day with him would be priceless.

I’d thank him for his selflessness and contributions to me and so many others.

He had an incredible personality and terrific sense of humor and was always upbeat. Everyone who met him felt they were better people as a result.