MIAMI – Oct. 21, 2026 – Cesar L. Alvarez, Senior Chairman of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, P.A., received the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce 2026 Sand in My Shoes® award at a sold-out event with more than 800 business and community leaders in attendance Oct. 15 at Jungle Island in Miami.
The award, which is Miami’s most prestigious community leadership honor, recognizes individuals who have made lasting contributions to Greater Miami, reflecting a commitment to making the community the best possible place to live, work, and play. With this year’s honor, Greenberg Traurig became the only professional services organization to have two leaders receive the award. Greenberg Traurig co-founder Robert H. Traurig received it in 1997.
“I am honored to join the extraordinary group of Miami leaders recognized with the Sand in My Shoes® award and especially grateful for the opportunities I have been given to serve our community, which has become one of our nation’s truly great cities,” Alvarez said.
“In doing so, I have always taken to heart the guiding principles that Greenberg Traurig co-founder Bob Traurig and my father instilled in me. From Bob, I learned the importance of giving until it makes you feel good. My father taught me that, as immigrants and refugees, we have a responsibility to leave our community better than we found it and help create the same opportunities for others. The Jewish community played an important role in helping many Cuban families, including my own, find opportunity and belonging in America. Their example reminds us that we have a responsibility to stand with and support those who have extended that same generosity to others. In the service of those values and with profound appreciation for the success my family and I have had here, I look forward to continuing to contribute to Miami’s growth.”
At the event, which was emceed by Greenberg Traurig Miami Co-Managing Shareholder Jaret L. Davis, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava proclaimed Oct. 15 as Cesar Alvarez Day. Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, who represents Florida’s 26th Congressional District, presented a summary of Alvarez’s accomplishments that was recorded in the United States Congressional Record.
“Cesar is a true icon of Miami,” Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Alfred Sanchez said. “Like so many people in this community, Cesar’s story is one of hardship, perseverance, and generosity. He is an embodiment of the American Dream, and a prime example of the unique ways Miami creates opportunity and prosperity.”
Alvarez, who immigrated from Cuba to Miami as a teenager, went on to become one of the most influential legal figures in the country as Greenberg Traurig's Executive Chairman and the first Hispanic Chief Executive Officer of a major law firm. Under his leadership, the firm grew from eight offices and 325 lawyers to more than 36 locations and 1,850 lawyers, establishing it as one of the top 10 law firms in the United States and expanding its reach around the world. Today, Greenberg Traurig has approximately 3,200 lawyers across 51 locations in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia.
Simultaneously, Alvarez served as a major driver behind numerous South Florida civic and nonprofit organizations, including the launch of the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science and the Florida International University College of Law. His leadership roles with Miami Dade College, United Way Miami, the Knight Foundation, and numerous other institutions played a key role in shaping the growth and success of the Greater Miami community.
In a video played at the event, Greenberg Traurig leadership joined a collection of local business and civic leaders to reflect on what drives Alvarez and the indelible and far-reaching impact he has had on individuals, institutions, and communities. Here is some of what they had to say:
“Knowing Cesar from the earliest days of Greenberg Traurig, he was always the hardest worker. He taught me that you could achieve whatever you are willing to work for and you should never let anyone tell you what is not achievable.”
— Richard A. Rosenbaum, Executive Chairman, Greenberg Traurig.
“Cesar is a large part of the reason why Greenberg Traurig was able to build from Miami a global law firm that started with $67,000 in revenue in its first year in 1967 to today with more than 3,200 lawyers set to eclipse $3 billion in revenue this year. This occurred within a relatively short period of time. At the same time, Cesar is exemplary of Greenberg Traurig’s deep commitment to doing well by doing good.”
— Brian L. Duffy, Chief Executive Officer, Greenberg Traurig
“Greenberg Traurig has a big history with the city of Miami, and I like to think we grew up with the city. The changes within Miami since our firm’s founding in 1967 have been profound, and Cesar has been an extremely large part of that. We have been partners and friends for over 53 years; he is a true treasure to Greenberg Traurig, to me, and to our community.”
— Matthew B. Gorson, Senior Chairman, Greenberg Traurig
“Cesar has many times made the remark, ‘No one invited us to the table.’ No one invited him to the table. No one invited the Cuban American community to the table. And yet, the story is one of triumph, and it's one of growing, serving the business community, serving our community, and that really is the triumph of Greenberg Traurig and the triumph of Cesar Alvarez.”
— Jaret L. Davis, Greenberg Traurig Miami Office Co-Managing Shareholder
“Cesar is the essence of the American Dream, working hard, making it, taking advantage of the opportunities that are given to you, but using those to work hard and make them your own.”
— Yosbel A. Ibarra, Greenberg Traurig Miami Office Co-Managing Shareholder
“I always saw Cesar as someone who exerted will and vision, but never pushing or shoving to get that done. He led by genuine example of how you get things done. He brought people along. He didn’t just tell people what to do. He gathered people together with a vision.”
— David Lawrence, Founder, The Children’s Movement of Florida
“Cesar never forgot where he came from. … He is the kind of leader who is the steady ballast for the ship, but who also knows that the weather changes and you’ve got to change tack in order to keep going forward.”
— Alberto Ibargüen, Former President and CEO, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
“When I think of Cesar, I think of someone who is the maker of a good reputation with people. They know he is someone to rely on. We have been friends for over 40 years and travelled the world together. I never met anyone who had anything bad to say about him.”
— Mike Fernandez, Chairman, MBF Healthcare Partners
“He is a gentleman. A person who considers others first. The person who is generous with his time and in every other way. He appreciates the opportunities he has been given and what everyone along the way has done for him and his family. When it came time to select a leader for the relatively new Frost Science Museum, Cesar was our choice. He kept the effort to launch it and its growth alive in many ways.”
— Dr. Phillip Frost