Diversity Journal Profiles Estela Díaz and Rubén Muñoz as Latino Leaders Worth Watching

Diversity Journal has profiled Akin Gump litigation partner Estela Díaz and intellectual property partner Rubén Muñoz as part of its Latino Leaders Worth Watching series, recognizing those who have demonstrated “talent and skill, a dedication to excellence in all they do, a willingness to mentor and support the next generation, and a commitment to the broader community.”

As part of her profile, Díaz noted that she learned “to navigate two worlds early on—one foot in one culture, one foot in the other.” Her ability to translate between English and Spanish for her parents, she said, was her first foray “into being an advocate: using a skill, in this case the English language, to obtain something for someone who could not get it for him- or herself.”

Díaz said she gets the greatest satisfaction in her job “from seeing an increased number of Latinx candidates navigating the BigLaw recruiting season.” She knows from her own experience, she added, that some of them “navigated different worlds from an early age, and that those skills will ultimately lead to their success in the legal field.”

Mr. Muñoz described his career path as “anything but a straight line.” Born and raised in Honduras, he said he knew from a young age that he wanted to be a lawyer, but instead embarked on a career after college in the United States as an engineer for Ford Motor Company. He eventually ended up in law school and now represents not just “high-profile IP clients, but also the most vulnerable, including survivors and families of victims of extrajudicial killings in Latin America.” (Click here to learn more.)

Asked for advice to his younger self, Mr. Muñoz said he would say, “Trust your internal compass, do not be afraid to forge a path never before traveled, and help others along the way.”