Anna Carolina Kastrup – Meta

Legal assistance can be difficult for those of lesser means in Brazil, even for routine matters. Case in point: An older man wanted to retire but needed protocol guidance.

Anna Carolina Kastrup | Meta | Associate General Counsel, Litigation

Meta encourages its legal staff to aid such people, and Anna Carolina Kastrup, together with 3 other Meta colleagues, coordinate a program that has more than 140 volunteers visiting the community one Saturday a month. In this man’s case, the group of legal volunteers researched his situation by leading him through the paper chase.

The following Monday, the man could gracefully retire and begin enjoying his golden years. As Kastrup explains, the services exemplify Meta’s commitment to providing basic information that empowers the disenfranchised to pursue their legal rights.

“Meta is about connecting people,” she says.  The pro bono work we do is an example of how much we care.”

Hired in September 2018 as a lead counsel, Kastrup was promoted in 2021 to associate general counsel of litigation, and the upgrade occurred while she was on maternity leave. According to her, that alone says much about the company’s progressive ways and deepens her commitment to engaging in goodwill projects. What better, she asks, than partnering with nongovernmental organizations and outside law firms to make a positive difference for those most in need?

Haves and have-nots

Brazil, she says, is a nation with such exaggerated class distinctions. For instance, not that far from some of Sao Paulo’s more desirable locales, there’s the Heliopolis favela or shanty town, where around 200,000 residents try to persevere in impoverished conditions. Though there’s been some progress toward urbanization, it’s an understatement to say that Heliopolis lacks the amenities of a normal and healthy neighborhood.

Kastrup says volunteers are committed to supporting the residents of this area. Its personnel are among them who spend a Saturday each month trying to cater to basic needs. The group of legal volunteers is divided into civil, criminal, labor, family, and social security subgroups for training and listening sessions.

Meta having partnered with UNAS and a local Law Firm (TozziniFreire Advogados), they’ve made a significant impact on the lives of residents in Heliopolis with free basic legal assistance through more than 750 consultations covering many practice areas. Since the project’s 2017 inception, Heliopolis Pro Bono has continued to evolve.

“The project has adopted innovative strategies to maximize its impact, such as using local radio broadcasts and motorcycle taxi announcements to disseminate information about the project within the community,” Kastrup says. “Additionally, project organizers have focused on training volunteers to communicate effectively with community members using simple language, active listening, and appropriate body language to create an inclusive environment for all.”

Compassionately strong

Kastrup says she can empathize with all these constituencies, she too having had to overcome long odds to be successful. Fortunately, she had her late grandparents as role models and caretakers.

Grandfather was a corporate lawyer at Shell and saw potential in young Anna. Become a lawyer, he advised, and you can do so much. Grandmother had her own wisdom to share.

“She was such a strong woman who gave me all the support I would need,” Kastrup says. “From her, I learned we must fight and be strong, but at the same time, we must take care of each other. That’s where my ambition came from. I have to do more for myself, my family and for others. At Meta, I can grow professionally and do good for others.”

Under Brazil’s educational system, a student must decide a path early, and Kastrup needed no more beckoning to commit to law. She graduated from Universidade Estacio de Sa in 2007 and, while honing her skills with firms and a bank, completed post-graduate work in civil procedures at Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro five years later.

Kastrup’s path to Meta was carved during her 2014-2018 stretch with the Sao Paulo firm of TozziniFreire Advogados, where clientele included the company then known as Facebook. That social media giant needing bandwidth, Kastrup came aboard for a four-month secondment that ended with her stepping into a newly customized position that’s since transcended just litigation.

But litigation being the reason for her hiring, it still consumes much of her time. While she chooses not to discuss matters pending, Kastrup can say in a general sense how much she has to oversee.

“Every day here is completely different,” she says. “We never know what we’ll work on within the next few months.”

Years pass quickly

But as her sixth anniversary on the job nears, the 40-year-old Kastrup ascertains she made the right decision in leaving private law for this in-house role where part of the time she’s essentially the community’s advocate. That role will grow as every five years Meta affords all employees 30 paid days for recharging. Kastrup has used that time to enroll in a human rights curriculum at Columbia University in New York City.

“The city that never sleeps,” she says. “It’s always exciting to go there.”

But there’s also much in Sao Paulo that excites her, including her family. Her husband is also an in-house lawyer but with an energy company. The couple is raising 5- and 3-year-old daughters, and the younger one was quite the problem pregnancy, one that had Kastrup hospitalized for 16 days.

The mother and little girl are now healthy, and Kastrup says she feels richer from the experience.

“It was kind of life-changing,” she says. “I used to work with pro bono and human rights, but not with as much effort as I do now.”

She adds that Meta couldn’t be more supportive of all her pursuits.

“Pro bono projects go beyond our scope of work, but they are so important, especially in litigation-related matters. People should see this role as part of their jobs. It’s also common to see women taking on this type of work. We have four women leading our LATAM Pro Bono efforts at Meta and are supported by a diverse team of volunteers. Women often find extra time for all sorts of work and extra responsibilities. However, I would love to see a new movement in a different direction,” Kastrup says.