Darío Avram is a partner in MoFo's Finance and Private Equity Buyouts & Investment Group. His practice focuses on representing private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in a variety of complex U.S. and cross-border financing transactions, including leveraged buyouts, refinancings, and restructurings. Darío has led transactions covering a range of industries, including technology, financial services, industrials, professional services, and consumer products.

Briefly describe, in two or three sentences, your practice.

I am a private equity / finance partner based in our San Francisco office, and my primary focus is on working with private equity sponsors. I represent these sponsors in all types of transactions, from leveraged buy-outs to portfolio company financings and restructurings.

Why did you choose to make MoFo your professional home?

I chose to make MoFo my professional home because of the opportunity to help build the firm's West Coast private equity practice. MoFo offered so many great things that drew me here; part of it was the name and brand in Northern California, and another part is certainly the value that's placed on culture. The amount of emphasis placed on diversity and inclusion impressed me. Ultimately, it is not just the people who work here but also the clients and the practices—MoFo checks all the boxes.

How do clients benefit from having diverse teams of lawyers working for them?

Diversity is important for many reasons, but I think the most important benefit is that diversity of thought brings a level of creativity to each transaction that might not otherwise exist. Having a group of people who come from different backgrounds, genders, races, ethnicities, and religions all working together in one group fosters a much more imaginative and collaborative process to advising clients. Clients appreciate (and, increasingly, expect) diversity, but more importantly, it helps us create a cohesive working environment with all of these different voices coming together into one melting pot.

What does Latinx heritage month mean to you?

Latinx Heritage Month is important because it creates a forum for a shared discussion of Latinx culture and the recognition of a rich vibrant history; it is a real celebration of diversity. In this sense, I identify very closely with this month; it is an acknowledgement of all of the people who came to the United States before us and dreamed of a better life, just like my parents did.

If you could have dinner with any pioneer of Latinx rights, who would it be and why?

José de San Martín. My parents emigrated from Argentina and my first language is Spanish (or Castellano, as it is called by the Argentines). I have always felt extremely attached to the culture and history, and being able to share a meal with San Martin would be an interesting evening. San Martin was one of the principal leaders of Argentina's independence from Spain; meeting him, and learning about what it was like to live and fight in the early 1800s, this would be an incredible opportunity to learn some Argentine history and about the fight for independence.

How have you seen the legal industry shift in recent years with respect to Hispanic inclusion?

Over the last 15 years, I have seen tremendous growth in the number of Latinx individuals deciding to attend law school and working in BigLaw. There is still a lot of room for improvement, but I think there is a remarkable opportunity for growth in the legal industry regarding partnership opportunities for Latinx lawyers. MoFo places a considerable emphasis on achieving these goals through our diversity and inclusion efforts, and I am more confident than ever—especially after working with some of our recent summer associate classes—that there will be more Latinx leaders than ever before. Given the strides Latinx attorneys have made over the last couple of decades, I am hopeful for the continued growth and representation that is to come for this community.

Originally published by Morrison Foerster, October 2020

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