From Instinct to Mission: The Legal Journey of Guilherme Gama

BUSINESS COVER EDITION - MAY 2025 ISSUE

Photography: Bruno Fernando - @bruno.fernando03

On the cover of the Business edition of Hooks Magazine, we spotlight a story that breaks stereotypes and challenges traditional narratives: Guilherme Gama — a criminal defense attorney, specialist in criminal law, and university professor — embodies the modern essence of turning a career into a life mission.

His path to the legal world wasn’t mapped out from the beginning. In fact, law entered his life almost by chance, following earlier stints in advertising, event planning, and the public security sector. Yet, it was precisely these varied experiences that shaped the professional he is today — one who operates with strength, empathy, and purpose both inside and outside the courtroom.

Before donning the robe, Gama faced the intense day-to-day reality of the São Paulo Civil Police, directly confronting the harsh conditions of the city’s most marginalized areas. That chapter unveiled for him the deep inequalities embedded in Brazil’s justice system — and sparked a deeper calling: to see the legal profession as a vehicle for social transformation. Through this lens, he approaches every client, every case, and every hearing as an opportunity to restore justice.

The premature loss of his sister marked a turning point in Guilherme Gama’s personal and professional life. It brought not only deep personal introspection, but also a critical reassessment of his legal practice. During this period, empathy stopped being a complementary trait and became essential. For Gama, the law must be intrinsically tied to human vulnerability — and the resilience required in the legal profession is both technical and emotional.

His background in advertising and his experience working as a salesperson in shopping malls may seem far removed from the legal field, but they were instrumental in shaping key skills: communication, active listening, and adaptability in unpredictable situations. Combined with the discipline and bravery developed during his time in law enforcement, Gama has crafted a rare professional identity — a lawyer who balances precision with compassion, discipline with empathy.

Check out the exclusive interview:

1. Your journey into Law began in an unusual way. At what point did you realize it would be more than just a career choice — but a life mission?

Honestly, I only realized that after I started practicing. During college, becoming a lawyer was never part of my plans. In 2019, I took the Brazilian Bar Exam (OAB) without any expectations, but I ended up passing. However, in 2022, when I actually started working at a renowned criminal law firm, that’s when I understood that advocacy is a powerful tool for transformation.

2. What did your experience as a civil police officer in São Paulo teach you about justice, and how does that lesson impact your work as a lawyer today?

Working with the Civil Police opened my eyes to a reality that had been completely unknown to me — and I’m sure to many others as well. We often live in a bubble, unable to see the harsh realities of society. Working in underprivileged areas made me witness the deep social injustices and the extreme poverty some people face in the richest city in the country. That experience made it painfully clear how many lack opportunities, access to justice, and receive unequal treatment from State institutions.

3. The loss of your sister was a profound turning point in your life. How did that experience shape your perspective on empathy and resilience in legal practice?

I realized how fragile we truly are in the face of life. Life is like a pendulum — the only certainty is instability. It mirrors our professional practice, where it’s common to encounter rulings that go against established case law and precedents from higher courts. In these moments, we must have the resilience to persevere through the appeals system, while also guiding the client through the natural shifts and unpredictability of our justice system.

4. You transitioned through very different fields — advertising, events, public security — before arriving at law. What skills from those earlier phases do you still carry with you in your work today?

Studying advertising and working as a salesperson in shopping malls helped me develop strong communication skills and overcome my shyness — both of which are incredibly useful for a lawyer. Whether it’s building interpersonal relationships, delivering oral arguments, meeting with authorities, or even teaching, these skills make a difference. As for my time as a police officer, it taught me invaluable lessons like operating under extreme pressure, crisis management, and especially dealing with uncertainty — where, at the time, uncertainty could even mean not making it home.

5. Becoming a university professor entered your life as a new calling. What moves or inspires you most about being in the classroom, shaping the next generation of legal professionals?

That’s exactly it. More than just passing on legal theory, I see my role as inspiring students to become more socially conscious and to understand the powerful social function they’ll take on. Without a doubt, they will go on to transform lives and shape the destinies of many people.

6: Looking back, from a shopping mall salesman to a master in Criminal Law, what advice would the Guilherme of today give to the young person still searching for their place in the world?

Today, there are countless ways to ascend socially, especially in this digital age, but the most reliable one — the one that worked for me — is education. It’s what has given me everything I have. I still have a long way to go and many stories to write, but nothing beats sitting in a chair, opening a good book, and acquiring knowledge. Not just thinking about social mobility, but knowledge is the true tool of subversion against the arbitrary acts of a state that still shows itself as oppressive, despite the so-called democratic republic we live in.