Shaping a legal career | Iona Macmillan Douglas
Published on June 1, 2026
Iona Macmillan Douglas
Senior Legal Counsel, Roche
(2020–2022 | Patents)
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within the legal sector and beyond.
We interviewed Iona because she demonstrates drive, empathy and understanding in her everyday life–vital skills that we all hope to exemplify. By reflecting on her journey so far, including working in criminal justice and marine welfare, Iona considers how having a varied workload through her role at Roche and volunteering at Clinks is key to her career happiness.
Shaping a legal career
What shapes people into the lawyers they are today?
For many, it’s their childhood experience or a desire to change the world. For Iona, two specific periods of her life helped her develop a sense of justice that's guided her through every stage of her career.
After gaining a Graduate Diploma in Law, but before her formal training began, Iona sought experiences that pushed her far beyond the classroom. One of the most formative ones happened in Arizona. “I worked as an assistant to a defence attorney at the Arizona Capital Representation Defense Office. They defend inmates on death row from the very start of the case to the end.”
Her work involved reviewing cases in detail. “My job was to go through cases to see if anything that could bolster the defense had been missed. I went to court quite a lot, and I visited death row units in Florence, out in the desert.”
The experience was life changing for her. “Arizona has one of the highest death row populations. A lot of work focused on the lethal injection and whether it was moral; what the drug combinations were and how much pain someone would be in. Everything about the process was so different to the UK, where the death penalty has been banned for decades. It really opened my eyes to how different legal systems around the world function, and how that affects people.”
From there, she traveled to Nepal to work with a human rights advocacy organization. “Nepal had a decade-long civil war, where thousands of people died and atrocities were committed. Many of these were never accounted for and people felt these injustices every day. My role was to help appeal for international funding and explain cases to an international audience.”
The contrast to her work in the US was stark. “It was a completely different environment and there was a language barrier. It wasn’t easy, but the work mattered. It was about transparency, accountability, and helping families find answers.”
After returning to the UK, Iona trained and qualified at the firm, where she specialized in life sciences and patent litigation. “I was really lucky with the exposure I had. As an Associate I worked on high value, interesting cases with a great team. One of those matters ended up passing through every Court, eventually being appealed to the Supreme Court. It was an incredible experience. The firm really set me up for success–the level of autonomy given proved critical for the next step in my career. It gave me the confidence and tools to give advice and stand behind it, a skill which is essential in my current in-house role at Roche.
Career break
After several years, Iona began thinking it was time for a change. “I was working long hours and although I loved the work and the people, I was exhausted.
I decided a change was needed. I flew to Belize, where I worked at a Manatee rehabilitation center. I took four months away from law completely. During that time, I was approached by a recruiter. I interviewed from Belize and quickly realized the role at Roche was a great next move for me. I had always considered in-house as the next step but hadn’t properly formulated what that would look like yet”.
“I had loved the scientific side of patent litigation and the challenge that came with it. It was a great step in my career, and I will always feel grateful for the support and training I received from the firm”.
Iona joined Roche as a legal partner. She is now a Senior Legal Counsel. “I cover the UK and Ireland, supporting the R&D and commercial teams. That ranges from clinical trials to competition law, data privacy and litigation.”
What she values most is the breadth of her role. “I love the science as well as the commercial side. Working on medical affairs and government affairs exposes you to new situations which you can learn from. Something I specifically like about working here is that the team supports your drive to learn in different areas across the commercial business. I do a lot of lived experienced work, not within my legal role, but by running projects which aim to incorporate the patients voice into our commercial projects I can feel part of the bigger picture.”
Amplifying voices
Long before her current senior role in the pharmaceutical sector, Iona’s commitment to justice, advocacy, and social impact had already taken root. That commitment now finds a clear outlet in her work with Roche and supporting patients as well as her voluntary work with Clinks, a membership organization that supports and represents charities working within the criminal justice system.
“After my experiences in the US and Nepal, I decided that I wanted to continue on in the criminal justice sector in one way or another. I wanted to stay connected to it, even if my day-to-day legal work moved in a different direction.”
Clinks appealed to her precisely because of its structure and purpose. “Clinks is a membership organization. It’s not just one charity. It represents many grassroots organizations and one of its main purposes is to unify that voice and then lobby government for change.”
The work involves amplifying perspectives that might otherwise struggle to reach policymakers. “For really small organizations who don’t have the time, resources, or means to put their case to government, it’s up to us to go out, ask the questions, compile the evidence, and then use that to pressure for legislative or policy change".
Her role has steadily grown. “I recently became Vice Chair of the Board, a role which comes with both responsibility and opportunity. We've had the same CEO for over 10 years. That will soon be changing as a new CEO steps in. It will be a big change—but exciting".
Balancing Clinks alongside a demanding professional role requires discipline. “I usually end up working on Clinks matters in the evenings and weekends, but it is work I believe in so isn’t too hard! It’s about continuing to challenge things that are negatively affecting communities and doing that collectively, rather than leaving smaller charities to fight alone."
The experiences in Arizona and Nepal have clearly shaped the kind of lawyer Iona wants to be. “The empathy has shaped how I view success."
“I don’t think there’s one right path. My advice is don’t think a decision is wrong just because it looks unconventional. Try something new and learn from it. My experiences have shaped my purpose, perspective, and choices. I hope others can find their own direction this way too.”
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