October 2023: Hong Kong trainees Vanessa Chui and Adrian Siu were recently on secondment in our London office. We checked in with them to find out about their overseas experience. 

Tell us your first impressions of White & Case's London office

Vanessa Chui: The office is very spacious, and is conveniently located near Bank and Liverpool Street, where most financial institutions and firms are based. I was also really surprised to find our Broad Street Kitchen staff restaurant where barista coffees and meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) are provided every day, free of charge!

Adrian Siu: The culture is very collaborative and welcoming, and there are so many different practice areas which allowed me to meet with people at all levels across departments. As a city, London is a great place to work and visit, as it is so vibrant and culturally diverse.

How easy was it to settle into the London office?

AS: The transition from Hong Kong to London was quite seamless, as I found the cultures in both offices surprisingly similar. The partners, associates and other team members are approachable, helpful and easy to get along with, which made it very easy for me to settle in and work well within the team.

VC: I found the transition to be very smooth. Prior to the secondment, the London HR and Global Mobility teams provided us with tips and briefings on the office and London in general. The Firm also covers travel expenses, provides accommodation and additional days of leave to accommodate the relocation. On arrival, the London IT team was also really helpful—they even arranged for a monitor to be sent to my flat which makes working from home much easier!

What team have you joined in London?

VC: I'm with the EIPAF team (Energy, Infrastructure, Projects & Asset Finance). The work has been interesting and diverse, and I have had the chance to work on deals involving satellites, aircraft, and green hydrogen. I also appreciate that there are 9 trainees in the team—we have a group chat to discuss work and share tips and tricks, which is super helpful.

AS: I am sitting with the Debt Finance team and have been involved in a wide variety of deals and exposed to different trainee tasks. In particular, I have been given significant responsibilities such as attending to signing and closing of transactions, preparing security filings as well as drafting ancillary documents such as board resolutions.

What's it like to experience the Firm's global culture from another office?

AS: It's interesting to see how our different offices interact and work together closely on cross-border transactions because of the many jurisdictions involved, which is particularly useful for me as a trainee. 

VC: One highlight for me though was a recent Asset Finance deal with a super tight deadline—we ended up working very closely with the Miami and New York teams, adopting a tag-team approach and providing advice round the clock. I was able to experience first-hand the interconnection between our offices, which the client mentioned was a great strength of our Firm.

What has been a highlight of your time on secondment so far?

VC: Definitely the EIPAF team socials. In the course of my 6-month secondment, the team organised a Go-Karting night, Pub Quiz, ABBA Voyage concert, a cricket match and more… It's a great opportunity to connect with different members of the team while having good fun away from the office environment.

AS: The celebrations for the London office's 50th anniversary! The performances and food were fantastic, and it was a great opportunity to meet with the whole office on a personal level away from the office environment.

What tips do you have for future trainees who want to make the most of their secondment at White & Case?

VC: Keep an open mind and get out there! Whilst overseas offices are likely to be bigger than Hong Kong, don't let that faze you. The Firm's overall culture is consistent across offices—it's very collaborative and welcoming, so embrace the new way of life and enjoy your secondment!

AS: Be proactive and reach out to the team when they are unsure about a certain task or even background of a deal. You are not expected to know everything, so asking questions and good communication with your supervisor and colleagues helps you to engage and learn effectively.

Finally, how do you think your secondment will benefit your career?

AS: What I have benefitted from most is the experience of working on transactions that are cross-border and international. Working at an overseas office also requires you to be agile, adaptable and open-minded about new cultures. In addition, working in a new city allowed me to meet new people across various practice areas and of different nationalities, which is a great way to expand and broaden my network.

VC: This secondment has enabled me to expand my network and form meaningful relationships with colleagues from various offices. On a personal level, I think it is also a good opportunity to experience and understand different cultures and ways of thinking.