Estenil Casagrande Pereira is a Lawyer from UNESC (Centro Universitário do Espírito Santo – Colatina – ES), from Brazil. He has specialized in Labor Law, Foreign Trade and is a member of the Association of the Brazilian Arbitration Committee and the International and Sports Law Commission of the OAB (Order of Brazilian Lawyers) of Espírito Santo. Although his background highlights him as a benchmark in arbitration and foreign trade for the South American giant, his more than 200,000 Instagram followers do so mainly for his advice on sports and healthy living: «I try to influence people to seek the best version of themselves, so that they are happy with themselves while they are healthy”, he points out.
Text: LWYR Team.
Images: Provided by Estenil Casagrande.
We have been saying this for a while now. Social networks bring people closer and allow them to know different realities. Unique stories and lawyers that have multiple dimensions, beyond the practice of the profession. And that is our focus. We met Estenil thanks to his Instagram account (@casagranderunning) where he shows how over 50, with a series of daily commitments, one can -and should- lead a healthy life, based on sport.
In this regard, he points out that perhaps what he is asked the most is how to be able to have a healthy lifestyle along with a very stressful and rushed professional routine, which is unusual at his age. What he tries to convey as a message to his followers is not that they try to imitate him, but rather that he hopes to «encourage them to maintain a healthy life and increase their quality of life through sport.»
– Why Law? Suddenly we witness that many people study the Bachelor of Law, but few end up practicing law. Why do you think that is why?
– Since I child, I´ve always dreamt of studying law so I could be professionally achieved as a grown up and be able to help poor people from my neighborhood pro-bono. Many people give up on law when they realize that the glamourous life many lawyers have costs you a lot of effort and studies, and that the labor market is a very competitive place.
– What area of law do you dedicate yourself to and what have been the greatest achievements that the profession has given you?
– I work on business law and international law, mainly on contract analysis, citizenships, and business intermediation (on Instituto Brasileiro de Comércio Exterior – ES). Law has offered me the knowledge of other cultures, opportunities overseas and professional achievement, beyond a comfortable life.
– In Brazil, there has just been a change of government. What do you expect from the new President and what do you think will be the political-legal discussions that are coming?
– I expect it to be a successful government, with progress in many areas, even with the great opposition it faces. Hopefully, this divided country will be able to consent on the best path for Brazil, so it could be seen again as a great country again globally. I believe most of the discussions will surround federal expenses, the help of the poor, the agribusiness, importations and exportations, and the effective COVID combat, which still is a global challenge.
– In your Instagram account you have more than 220 thousand followers. Why is it that a lawyer and marathoners over 50 years old have such a level of success in social networks? What do you deliver to your followers?
– I have impressed people by having a healthy lifestyle alongside a very stressful and rushed professional routine, which is unusual at my age. My content is based on running, I show them my preparations to the marathons: muscle strengthening for this practice, training jogs, tips for who is interested on starting a high-performance sport and eating healthy and tasty food, mainly; and the Major marathons I participate each year. I also publish my daily life, which includes traveling, concerts and gastronomy.
– In times of #MeToo and «Body Positive», how can we reconcile promoting healthy living and self-care with not damaging the sensibilities of others and the diversity of bodies?
– I try to influence people to search the better version of themselves, to be happy while being healthy, not to fit in a pattern defined by society, since we are all different people with different biotypes.
– Having social networks a power that can often be «devastating» in self-esteem or security, especially of young people, what do you think can be the right message from athletes -like you-, who encourage the practice of sport and bodies quite worked?
– My relationship with sport began as a way to become healthier, but it further became a way to overcome my depression and now it is something I love to do, and that is why I do it so much. My goal was never to have a worked body, but it ended up happening because of the frequency I have practiced ever since. That is what I try to pass as a message to my followers, not to look like me or follow strictly what I say, but to encourage them to keep a healthy life and increase their quality of life through sport. It saved me, so I feel like it is my job to show people that it could save them as well.
– In relation to the previous question, do you think that social networks and Apps should be legally regulated or does freedom of expression prevail?
– I respect the freedom of expression and believe it must be kept, but regulating social media could make this environment safer for us to express ourselves with less judgment.
Short questions
A teacher who has marked you: Gustavo Ferraz de Campos Mônaco.
A lawyer you admire: Ulisses Guimarães.
Your favorite sport: International Running (Majors).
A lawyers’ movie: The movie “The Devil’s Advocate” and the TV series “Suits”.
