Antonio Del Pino, FCRH '91

Education
B.A., Fordham University, 1991
J.D., New York University School of Law, 1994

Current Position
Partner and Global Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Latin America Practice

Which career path have you pursued since graduating from Fordham?

After Fordham, I attended law school at NYU and eventually joined the New York office of a leading global law firm. Growing up in a Cuban family in New York, engaging stories of what life was like in Cuba filled my early years, which sparked a lifelong fascination with Cuba and Latin America. While at Fordham, I read everything I could about Cuba and the region — I even wrote my honors thesis on the Cuban revolution.

Fordham also sparked my interest in studying law, and I took a few law classes while there. I am the first in my family to go to law school, and I really didn’t know what to expect. While in law school, I discovered I could combine my interests in law and Latin America. I had earned a scholarship to intern at the Organization of American States during the summer after my first year, and at a law firm during my second summer. One of my first assignments at the firm took me to Lima to work on the privatization of the Peruvian telephone company; thirty years later, I am leading the Latin America practice of one of the top law firms in the market.

What do you like about the work you are doing now?

What motivates me the most these days are the people I have the pleasure of interacting with on a regular basis. That may sound corny, but I’ve found the relationships I’ve built at work and outside of work matter most to me. As a partner at Latham, we regularly encounter intellectually challenging and fast-paced environments, often working long hours. I am very fortunate to team up with an incredibly talented group of people that make those environments enjoyable and fulfilling.

How did your experience at Fordham and, in particular, Honors, help you prepare for your current career? 

The legal profession, like many others, centers on problem-solving. My success stems from my ability to think critically and to find workable solutions for my clients and colleagues. My time in the Honors program provided a critical foundation to developing that skill set. The opportunity to sit around the table at Alfa House with the brightest students in the class, and challenge each other to think critically, opened a whole world for me. I wouldn’t enjoy the position I am in today without that experience.

What advice would you give to students who aspire to hold a job like yours?

I recently read an article on early career advice that I found summarizes my sentiments well: first, put in the time now to learn, as there is no substitute for hard work to succeed in whatever your chosen field is; second, grow your skills, even if it’s on your own time; and finally, build your credibility, both by learning and developing skills, but also by strengthening relationships with others, whether they are your clients, colleagues, or the market more generally. And just as importantly, treat others well — how you treat others goes a remarkably long way toward establishing your credibility.