Vanora Hereward & David Foster were the founder members of the Firm. They were both Solicitors who were employed by Newham Rights Centre, the Local Law Centre. They decided that they could achieve more as Solicitors if they set up in practice on their own. They identified the west side of the London Borough of Newham and in particular Canning Town and its surrounding areas as the areas of greatest unmet legal need within the London Borough of Newham.
Originally the Firm was based in a number of first and second floor rooms and in only half of the building at 145 Barking Road and there was no shop front. The Firm originally concentrated on only Housing and Crime although gradually started to undertake other areas of work. The Firm's First Articled Clerk was Chris Wilson.
The Firm gradually took on more office space within 145 Barking Road as it expanded.
In 1988 Vanora Hereward retired from the Firm and David Foster and Chris Wilson entered into a new partnership together. Deborah Adler replaced Vanora Hereward as Criminal Solicitor and she then became an Equity Partner as did Sarah Lerner. The Firm had now taken over the whole of 145 Barking Road including the ground floor shop front. Due to the Firm's continued expansion further office space needed to be found and therefore in 1994 the Firm took over 101 Barking Road, which had previously been Barclays Bank. The Firm had now filled 101 Barking Road and during 1998 to 1999 has developed the ground floor of the building to provide a main reception, disabled access, interview rooms and conference room. During 1999/2000 a major IT upgrade took place.
In 1998 Arnolda Hunter Housing Team Leader accepted an invitation to become a salaried partner. In 2001 Jeannie Guzman former principal personal assistant and trainee legal executive was appointed as the Firm's Practice Manager. The Firm now has more than 30 people working for it.
Quality and Reputation
In 1994 the Hereward & Foster was one of the first Firm's to be awarded Franchises by the Legal Aid Board for the different areas of law in which it practised. The Firm has Franchises/Quality Marks in 11 areas of law and is one of the few firms in the Country to have been awarded such a large number of Franchises/Quality Marks. The Firm has been awarded contracts for its appropriate law areas by the Legal Services Commission.
The Quality Marks/Contracts are in the following categories, Actions against the Police, Housing, Employment, Family, Community Care, Mental Health, Crime, Welfare Benefits, Debt, Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence. The Firm previously agreed to the Legal Services Commission's request to be a Sub Regional provider of specialist services in the categories of Mental Health and Community Care for neighbouring Boroughs. The Firm was also granted additional Contracts to provide Specialist Mental Health and Community Care Legal services to the surrounding Boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Greenwich.
The Firm has many of its Solicitors who are recognised as specialists being accredited by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and other Specialist Organisation Panels. Sarah Lerner is accredited Mental Health Review Tribunal Panel Specialist and also accredited Child Care Law Specialist, Chris Wilson is accredited Personal Injury Law Specialist and has been appointed as a Fellow of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, Deborah Adler is accredited Immigration Law Specialist and accredited Criminal Litigation Specialist, Elizabeth Skinner is accredited Child Care Law Specialist and accredited Family Law Specialist. Harkirt Athwal is accredited Child Care Law Specialist, Arnolda Hunter is appointed as Bow County Court Duty Possession Solicitor.
Sarah Lerner and Elizabeth Skinner are Solicitor-Advocates (Higher Courts Civil Proceedings). In 2002 the Firm was awarded Investors in People in 'record time'. In October 2003 the Firm successfully passed the LEXCEL Law Society Practice Management Excellence Standard at its first attempt.
The Firm itself and its casework teams are affiliated to many relevant organisations. These include, APIL (Association of Personal Injury Lawyers), AVMA (Action against Medical Accidents), Police Action Lawyers Group, Inquest, HLPA (Housing Law Practitioners Association), Association of Lawyers for Children, Resolution formerly Solicitors Family Lawyers Association, Mental Health Lawyers Association, London Criminal Solicitors Association, Child Poverty Action Group, ILPA (Immigration Law Practitioners Association), Refugee Legal Centre and The Legal Action Group (LAG).
A member of the firm is a Tribunal Chair. The Firm is also an Association of Personal Injury Lawyers Accredited Office. The Firm has a very high reputation both locally and on a national basis. It is extremely well regarded by its 'peer' firms of solicitors.
Franchise/Quality Mark/Audit History
The Firm has been audited on numerous occasions by the Legal Aid Board and then Legal Services Commission and therefore has a significant audit history. It has always received good management audits with excellent feedback and has scored highly on transaction criteria and Peer Review.