The purpose for which the Firm was originally set up and for which it still continues has been consistent. The purpose is as follows:-
“The current purpose of the Firm is to carry on a general legal practice primarily serving the Canning Town community and with an office in Canning Town serving the remainder of the London Borough of Newham and surrounding London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Greenwich. The work of the practice is biased towards Public Funded work and in particular Crime, Housing, Mental Health, Family including Domestic Violence, Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence, Actions Against the Police etc., Childcare, Immigration, Welfare Benefit & Debt, Community Care and Employment.” (Page 2 Hereward & Foster Office Manual).
What does this mean? It means that we are a Firm of Solicitors who have based ourselves in our local community and who seek to provide a quality legal service in areas of unmet legal needs in particular what is called the 'social welfare' areas of law.
The philosophy and aims of the Firm have remained consistent since the Firm was first set up on 1st May 1983:-
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 1999 Kim Chiswick the Crime Team Leader and former Trainee Solicitor of the firm also 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 40 people working for it.
The Firm has introduced a highly successful Caseworker Policy whereby Caseworkers who are eligible are reviewed after a year and, if successful, are offered a Training Contract. As a result of that Policy, the Firm currently has four Trainee Solicitors who have progressed from Caseworker to working in the Firm and Caseworkers who have progressed through from Trainee Solicitors to Assistant Solicitors currently working in the Firm.
Each member of staff has their own computer running Microsoft Windows XP Professional with Word and Outlook and with access to the Internet.
The firm's main software package is Quillennium from Quill Computer Systems Limited, who for 25 years have been at the forefront of developing systems and services for the legal professional particularly aimed at medium law firms with specialism in public funding work. They are one of the Law Society's recommended legal software suppliers. Quillennium contains accounting reports and database functions. It includes on screen time recording. It contains basic Case Management tools and can be integrated with Case Management Modules.
The Firm has moved to digital transcription and providing Random Access for key members of staff who will then have the facility to work from home.
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 12 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, Immigration, 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 recently 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, and is also an accredited Specialist Family Lawyer of Resolution, Harkirt Athwal is accredited Child Care Law Specialist, Aurindam Majumdar is an accredited Criminal 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) and Aurindam Majumdar Solicitor-Advocate (Higher Courts Criminal 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), CPIL (College of Personal Injury Law), AVMA (Action against Medical Accidents), Police Action Lawyers Group, Inquest, HLPA (Housing Law Practitioners Association), Association of Lawyers for Children, Resolutions formerly Solicitors Family Law 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).
Also a member of the firm is Solicitor/Member to the Newham Community Legal Services Partnership. A member of the firm is a Tribunal Chair.
The Firm and specifically its Personal Injury Team have been accepted into Accident Line. The Firm is also an Association of Personal Injury Lawyers Accredited Office.
The Firm has a very high reputation both locally and increasingly on a national basis. The Firm does not advertise and its work is obtained through 'word of mouth' and through referrals from local and national referral agencies. It is extremely well regarded by its 'peer' firms of solicitors.
The senior resident Judge at Bow County Court, His Honour Judge Bradbury has stated “Hereward & Foster, Solicitor's firm in the London Borough of Newham, who are a much respected firm. The work of the partnership is of consistently high quality and the Judges at this Court are always pleased to see an increasing number of local litigants are being represented by the firm”. Described by a Legal Services Commission Lead Assessor on Management Audit as a very good firm, very committed doing good quality work and by a previous Legal Services Commission Account Manager as “a Legal Centre of Excellence”.
The Firm has excellent professional negligence claims records and complaints records.
The following are a selection of direct quotes from our Clients' Satisfaction Questionnaires.
File 12686 “I would be very happy to recommend your firm to any of my friends who need any problem to solve”.
File 12644 “I was very grateful for all the information and assistance that I was given. I would recommend your firm to anyone I know who needs help in future times”.
File 06253 “I am thoroughly satisfied with the services I received. I will readily recommend other people to this firm”.
File 15308 “The service I received from Hereward & Foster was much better than my other Solicitors”.
File 15321 “I would like to say that I have nowhere to fall upon than Hereward & Foster”.
File 17352 “Is one of the best firms in London, please keep up the good work for helping asylum seekers understand their position and role and adapt in the new society they are living”.
File 18137 “The help and information I was given was exceptional, a superb service. Thank you all very much”.
File 17206 “Thank you for your support and encouragement for the DLA appeal and in general. I really appreciate it.”
File 17560 “I would put both Solicitors I had in my claims in first class standards and put in my file for any of my family troubles when they happen”.
File 17895 “Your firm has been there to give help for anyone who needed it and you did help me in every way possible. I'm grateful and I thank you. Keep up the good work”.
File 18242 “Thank you for taking my case and I am really happy with the work you have done for me. I am grateful for everything you did. Thank you”.
File 17480 “The Solicitor was a star, she did heaps of homework on the case and by the time we got to the Appeals Panel it was a foregone conclusion. We won. Well done”.
File 17617 “I would like to convey my appreciation to my Solicitor for all the effort she put into my case and for being a good listener even when my whole world seemed to be falling apart with the pregnancy and my daughter's illness. Thank you so much”.
File 18056 “Keep up the good work in helping people like myself”.
File 10956 “I would like to say my Solicitor was very kind and very understanding and had a lot of patience”.
File 18144 “Excellent - no further comment”.
File 17932 “My Solicitor completed my case swiftly due to her understanding of my financial situation. She made me feel that what I was going through was unfortunate and a shame, which was highly appreciated on my part. Many thanks”.
File 17910 “My Solicitors Hereward & Foster are very good and helpful. I would put your name forward to any of my friends and family”.
File 16783 “I will always come to this office whenever I need help. My Solicitor was magnificent. I have been using Solicitors over the years and none of them could compare to this office - my outcome was great and I'm living happily thanks to you. God bless”.
File 17480 “Thank you for all your hard work that won my son's appeal. All the homework you did on the case made it easy on the day”.
File 12688 “I was very pleased with the outcome. Thank you”.
File 16534 “My Solicitor managed this case extremely well during the period a Guardian was not appointed. Her handling subsequently, including representation correspondence and legal advice has been of the highest standard. With thanks”.
File 18023 “Excellent staff and services. I'm grateful for all the services rendered to me and my family. It's the best ever”
File 18204 “Hereward and Foster Solicitors offered the most excellent service to me ever since I came to England. They've been so helpful, caring and informed”.
File 019098 “I do think your firm worked very well. I was informed at every stage. I was told quite clearly of all the possible outcomes, this opportunity gives me a chance to rebuild my life to which I am truly grateful. So thanks again to all staff involved at Hereward & Foster”.
File 16228 “Keep up the standards of your work as I did find it. Thank you very much”
File 019121 “The firm (Hereward & Foster) was excellent. Proves the justice. I saw sunshine from the first day I've been to this firm”.
File “The service has been exceptional in every aspect. If this is a reflection of the help the firm have provided I would have no hesitation in offering a comprehensive recommendation to any other person”.
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.
The Firm's office is located in the centre of Canning Town close to the A13 and the Blackwell Tunnel. It is therefore very accessible by road with good parking facilities including a free public Municipal Car Park. There are a number of local and central bus routes including the numbers 5 (connects London Borough of Barking and Dagenham), 15 (connects London Borough of Tower Hamlets and central London), 69 (connects London Borough of Waltham Forest), 115, 241, 300 (connects London Borough of Redbridge), 276 (connects London Borough of Hackney), 330 and 474 which pass very close to the Firm's office. Canning Town Train Tube and DLR Stations are 5 minutes walk. Canning Town is on the Silver Link Train Network, Jubilee Tube and Docklands Light Railway. The Firm is generally very accessible within the London Borough of Newham and also to all surrounding London Boroughs and from the centre of London. It is particularly close to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, being at the very Western end of the London Borough of Newham. London City Airport is in close proximity. The Firm's Office has specially adapted disabled access including disabled toilet.