Gigi Hill is a trainee solicitor at the international firm Winston Taylor. Her story weaves together a childhood spent in Hong Kong, a stint in science communication for medical charities, and a recent commitment to the firm’s LGBTQIA+ network. In a candid interview she explains how each stage sharpened her focus on wellbeing, rights and equal opportunity.
From Hong Kong classrooms to British laboratories
Born to British parents who relocated to Hong Kong in their twenties, Hill lived on the territory until she turned nineteen, describing it as “very much home”. The city’s compact size, safety and warm climate allowed weekend hikes and beach trips, while an international school exposed her to peers from around the globe. She recalls that environment as “a great place to grow up because it’s quite small, quite safe, and also quite warm”.
When university became the next logical step, Hill chose the University of York in England and enrolled in a biology degree, encouraged by a teacher who sparked her curiosity. York’s collegiate system gave her a sense of belonging; she joined theatre groups and took on the role of wellbeing champion for her college, an experience that later informed her work on diversity and inclusion.
After graduation, Hill realised that laboratory research was not her true calling. She found greater satisfaction in translating complex scientific findings into stories people could understand. As a science communicator for medical research charities, she dealt with intellectual property, life-science regulation and early-stage venture capital, sparking an interest in the commercial side of research.
Law training, queer identity and building an inclusive network
In her mid-twenties, Hill made the decisive move to retrain as a lawyer, a path less travelled among her peers who typically entered legal training straight from undergraduate studies. She acknowledges the difficulty of securing a training contract and the need to articulate why she was “a little bit older” yet still eager to succeed. The confidence she built over several years in the workplace helped her convince herself that she could “take a job that’s quite challenging” and that she possessed the necessary interpersonal skills.
Parallel to her professional evolution, Hill’s personal life progressed. She is engaged to a same-sex partner and appreciates that marriage is legally recognised in England, a right absent in Hong Kong where same-sex unions are not performed and broader anti-discrimination protections remain limited. Hill notes that Hong Kong’s legal framework restricts joint adoption, assisted reproductive technologies and inheritance rights for queer couples.
The isolation of the COVID-19 period prompted Hill to seek community through digital channels. By following LGBTQIA+ voices on social media and moving to London, she felt ready to “be brave and feel like I’m coming out at work”. Joining Winston Taylor gave her that platform; she now serves as a representative for the firm’s LGBTQIA+ network, organising events, offering informal support and helping shape policy.
Winston Taylor’s inclusive framework extends beyond the queer group, encompassing family and race-equality networks, each with its own budget and staff-led agenda. The firm’s policies explicitly cover surrogacy, adoption and fertility treatment, reflecting a commitment to the diverse ways employees build families. Hill highlights that senior colleagues, from associates to partners, participate as champions, ensuring that advocacy is embedded at every level of the organization.
