Norberto Quintana, who is a native of Argentina and openly gay, joined the firm sensing that he could thrive here. As both an accomplished lawyer and a voice for diversity, he has. “Things were actually even better than I had expected. The people here are very open-minded. They focus on the substance, and they are very encouraging.” Norberto was recently promoted to counsel in the Credit Group.

Norberto is a member of the LGBT affinity group and the Hispanic/Latino group. At Davis Polk, he has embraced the opportunity to build and extend personal and professional networks, and mentored many summer and foreign associates as well as peers.

Q. Affinity groups play an important role at Davis Polk. How did you get involved in the Affinity Groups?

There were no formal affinity groups when I joined the firm, but informal groups were an integral part of the culture. The firm formed the LGBT affinity group not so much for the people that already knew each other, but for junior lawyers and summer associates who may be gay, but would not know whether it’s okay to be out of the closet at work. So we formalized it. The firm lists the coordinators of each affinity group on the website, a new associate or recruit can go talk to one of them, and find his or her level of comfort.

Q. What significance do Affinity Groups Have at the Firm?

The firm supports diversity in everything we do. Affinity groups are well-provided for by the firm, including resources such as support staff to assist with program development and event planning and logistics. The groups create an established channel of support and communication. It’s social and professional. They also provide opportunities for networking. Some of our most loyal clients have become very interested in connecting with our affinity groups.

Q. What does diversity at Davis Polk mean To You?

Diversity has many dimensions, including a great range of nationalities and backgrounds. Diversity here is a living thing. Just walk around my floor. I’m from Argentina. There are people from Spain, Australia, Korea, South Africa, India … That’s just on my floor.

Q. Has your background created opportunities for you?

My decision to join the Credit group had to do a little bit with identity in the sense that I’m a native Spanish speaker, and the volume of cross-border work in credit transactions is exceptionally broad. I thought that I was going to be able to use my cultural background in this practice area and that certainly proved to be true.

Q. What kind of career can you build here?

From the standpoint of building a career in a very competitive environment, what matters the most for a diverse lawyer is to get the professional opportunities. When I started, I got all kinds of work with all kinds of partners. That’s how you learn, build relationships and develop professionally. The opportunities are here for any lawyer, regardless of background, who’s willing to just grab them. And there is a great degree of freedom to give direction to your career.