Cesar Alvarez doesn’t often stop to think about the improbability of his journey from teenage Cuban refugee to the longtime leader and architect of one of the world’s largest law firms.

The last time he did, he was walking past the White House on the way to dinner with the members of Greenberg Traurig’s executive committee. He paused for a moment. “Boy, this has been a hell of a ride,” he thought. When he made it to his destination, a patron handed him a $5 bill and asked if Alvarez could call a cab for him.