OUR HISTORY You are here Home About us Our history A new firm with a long history Forsters was formed in 1998 by ten partners from Frere Cholmeley Bischoff, who decided to create a new firm rather than take part in a merger with a large firm based in the City. Their vision was to create a new firm with a distinctive culture which could provide a genuine alternative to City firms. Despite being formed at the end of the 20th century Forsters traces its roots back over 265 years and takes its name from John Forster who in 1770 went into partnership with Isaac Bargrave in Lincoln's Inn Fields. Over the next 150 years several generations of the Forster family became partners in the firm. John was followed by his sons Martin and Samuel, his grandson William and William's son Arthur who maintained a strong connection with the firm and the Forster family into the 20th century. The new firm, Forsters, with 10 partners and 100 people in total opened for business in Grosvenor Street, Mayfair on 1 August 1998. The firm's reputation and client base grew steadily in the early 2000s until the need to accommodate a headcount of over 150 people saw Forsters move to its current offices at 31 Hill Street where it remains today. Forsters has continued to prosper, its success is marked by growth across the business which now has 62 partners and over 400 people in total. This increase has seen the firm expand into two adjacent offices and has made Forsters the largest law firm in Mayfair. Contact us Emily Exton MANAGING PARTNER Email Emily View full profile Smita Edwards SENIOR PARTNER Email Smita View full profile PREVIOUS NEXT Emily ExtonSmita Edwards A unique firm "As one of the founding partners, I feel an enormous responsibility for keeping alive the original values on which the firm was built. I am exceptionally proud to have been selected as Forsters' Senior Partner. We have a truly outstanding team and I am looking forward to working alongside them to continue to promote an environment in which all can flourish." Smita Edwards, Senior Partner About us Our history Our values Our culture Our clients RELATED SUBJECTS "First-class agriculture and estates team that deals with queries promptly and efficiently.” Legal 500 UK, 2019 Home Covid-19 Information Hub Services People News About us CSR Careers Contact Gender Pay Gap Report 2020 Members List Price Transparency Regulatory Notices Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement Terms of Business Extranet login Change cookie preferences Address Forsters LLP 31 Hill Street London W1J 5LS DX 82988 Mayfair Contact T: +44 207 863 8333 Contact us Forsters LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. All content © 2021 Forsters LLP. All rights reserved. Social SRA ID: 400249 Some of these cookies are essential, while others help us to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. I ACCEPTI DO NOT ACCEPT Necessary Cookies Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences. Marketing Cookies We use marketing cookies to help us improve the relevancy of advertising campaigns you receive. Marketing Cookies On Off About this tool (Opens in a new window) External Link Icon