My legal life: Winona Chan, Aldermore Bank

From a young age growing up in Hong Kong, I knew I wanted to become a lawyer. Hong Kong’s legal system, rooted in English common law, inspired me to study and pursue a legal career in the UK. So, at 18, I moved to the UK on my own to study law at a Russell Group university – a daunting step that tested both my independence and resilience.

Throughout university, I returned to Hong Kong during the summers. I filled each break with legal experience – judicial work shadowing, vacation schemes, mini-pupillages, internships at the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre. Like many aspiring solicitors, I was determined to secure a training contract before graduation. In my final year, I succeeded – only to lose the offer when I fell short of the required academic grades with a 2:2. It felt like the end of the world.

But I wasn’t ready to give up. I did a Master of Laws in Professional Legal Practice (LPC LLM), determined to prove myself academically. I earned a distinction and continued applying for training contracts – hundreds of applications, and countless rejections. When my student visa expired, I returned to Hong Kong and started working as a paralegal at an offshore magic circle firm. The goal of becoming a solicitor in the UK remained. After a year of persistence, I finally received a training contract offer in London.

Then the pandemic hit. My start date was delayed. Then when I did begin, it was during lockdown. Starting a training contract remotely, without face-to-face supervision, was challenging. But I pushed through, built strong relationships with colleagues and learned to adapt. In 2022, I qualified as a solicitor.

'It’s not about never falling – it’s about getting back up, learning from the experience, and carrying on with even more determination'

My career has taken me from private practice at a national law firm to my current role as in-house legal counsel at a bank in London. Before moving in-house, I worked in commercial law, often focusing on a contract rather than the entire commercial relationship. I realised I wanted to see the full picture – to follow a deal from start to finish and understand how each piece fits into the bigger strategy. The transition was smoother than I expected. In private practice, you are juggling multiple clients across different industries, each with their own pressures and expectations. In-house, you have one client – your company – which means you can really get to know the business inside out: its goals, risk appetite and what really matters to senior stakeholders.

What made the transition even easier is the team I’ve joined. There are around 15 of us in the wider legal department and I sit within the legal, procurement and technology team. My colleagues are all seasoned, experienced and genuinely supportive. Without time-billing targets hanging over us, they can spend more time on training and development. This has been invaluable for me.

Working in-house is a different pace and perspective. The biggest difference is that I now get to see the whole picture and play a role throughout the entire lifecycle of a contract, rather than just drafting or reviewing one part. There is no time recording, but stakeholder management remains key – in place of clients, you have internal stakeholders, and managing their expectations is just as important. As an in-house lawyer, your role is to enable the business to achieve its goals; you want to be seen as a problem-solver, not a blocker. While most of my day-to-day work is legal, the role goes beyond that. You become a trusted adviser – someone the business turns to not only for legal advice but for guidance on risk, strategy and decision-making.

I now mentor aspiring solicitors and regularly share insights at events. One of my proudest moments has been helping students and early-career professionals see that setbacks do not define their future. The questions I get asked most are: How do you stay motivated after rejection? How do you bounce back from disappointment? My answer is always the same: it’s not about never falling – it’s about getting back up, learning from the experience, and carrying on with even more determination. I often remind them that everyone’s journey looks different, and what seems like a setback now could be the exact experience that shapes them into a stronger, more empathetic lawyer. I also encourage them to focus on continuous growth and to make the most of every opportunity – even the ones that don’t seem perfect on paper – because each experience can teach valuable lessons and open unexpected doors.

If my journey has taught me anything, it’s that resilience and adaptability are just as important as academic success or initial job titles. And that sometimes, the hardest paths make the most rewarding careers.