Three Greenberg Traurig Attorneys Noted by The National Law Journal Among “50 Most Influential Minority Lawyers in America”
Rodney G. Moore President Elect of the National Bar Associations
MIAMI, FL (June 09, 2008) – The international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP is pleased to announce that Cesar L. Alvarez, Patricia Menendez Cambo and Rodney G. Moore have been recognized as three of “The 50 Most Influential Minority Lawyers in America” by The National Law Journal.
In its first tribute to the most influential minorities in the law, The National Law Journal honors lawyers who have had a national impact in their legal fields during the past five years. According to the publication, minority attorneys selected have “demonstrated the power to change the law, shape public affairs, launch industries and get big things done. . . . there's no question that the attorneys listed here truly represent important movers and shakers.” Greenberg Traurig has more than 1750 attorneys and governmental affairs professionals in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The firm was selected as the 2007 USA Law Firm of the Year by Chambers and Partners. GT is the only AmLaw 100 Top 20 firm with a Hispanic or African-American president or CEO. Recently, the firm was ranked in the 2008 edition of The Minority Law Journal 's Diversity Scorecard as No. 1 for Most Minority Partners, No. 1 for Most Hispanic American Partners, and No. 2 for Most African American Partners.
Cesar L. Alvarez is Chief Executive Officer of Greenberg Traurig and has served in this position since 1996. The National Law Journal notes that during this time, the firm has experienced its most significant growth, from 325 lawyers in eight offices in 1997 to more than 1750 attorneys and government professionals in the United States, Europe and Asia. The profile also highlights Alvarez’s personal commitment to diversity. Concerned with the small numbers of minorities enrolled in law schools, Alvarez successfully lobbied with other community leaders to establish two diversity-focused law schools, the Florida International University School of Law and Florida A&M College of Law. Alvarez recently received the 2008 Spirit of Excellence Award from the American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession and has been recognized as one of the "100 Most Influential Lawyers in America," by The National Law Journal in 1997, 2000 and 2006. Greenberg Traurig is the only AmLaw 100 Top 20 firm with a Hispanic or African American CEO.
Patricia Menendez Cambo is co-chair of Greenberg Traurig's Global Practice Group and has spearheaded some of the most significant legal transactions in Latin America in recent years. She is noted as the former chief U.S. legal counsel for Telefónica S.A., which she represented in several multibillion-dollar deals, and for specializing in mergers and acquisitions, cross-border projects and structured finance transactions. The National Law Journal profile also cites Menendez Cambo’s role as primary counsel to a consortium of investors in a $700 million purchase of 1,600 McDonald's restaurants in 18 Latin American and Caribbean countries, a deal that was named "2007 M&A Deal of the Year" by Latin Lawyer magazine. Menendez Cambo has been recognized by The National Law Journal as one of the "50 Most Influential Women Lawyers in America" in 2007 and one of the "100 Most Influential Lawyers in America" in 2006, and in 2005 as one of the "Top 40 under 40" attorneys.
Rodney G. Moore, is of counsel in Greenberg Traurig’s Atlanta office and president-elect of the National Bar Association, the nation's oldest organization for African-American attorneys. The first Georgia lawyer to serve the organization in its 82-year history, Moore is noted for his plans to lobby the next president on judicial appointments and push for greater law firm diversity in his new post. The National Law Journal profile cites that in 2005, Moore secured a major ruling concerning the separation of church and state by the Georgia Supreme Court; the court said that the Atlanta school system did not offend the state constitution by renting kindergarten classroom space from a church.
