On an early summer afternoon, Alex Alvarez is busy preparing for a tobacco trial.

Less than eight months in, 2018 has proved a busy year for the Coral Gables litigator, who in the last three decades has transformed himself from beat cop to detective to giant in South Florida legal circles. His victories this year alone are more than some attorneys count in entire careers, earning Alvarez a reputation as a champion of smokers litigating against tobacco companies.