Tapestry Compliance has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, in recognition of its significant growth in overseas sales to blue chip clients.
Founded in 2011, the legal boutique has offices in Sheffield and Leeds and its team consists of ex-City and local lawyers.
Tapestry specialises in advising multi-national businesses on global employee and executive share plans as well as broader HR and employment issues. Its client roster includes companies such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Aviva and TripAdvisor.
Tapestry’s largest market is the US, which represented 70% of overseas sales last year. The firm also advises clients in Canada, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, Japan, Israel and Australia. It attributes its success to effective use of technology, such as an online database that provides clients with access to up-to-date legal and tax information at any time, and regular webinar meetings with clients globally. It also employs “agile” working hours which means that some staff are available outside of normal UK hours to clients in different time zones.
Tapestry has also developed the ICSA Certificate in Employee Share Plans, which is available to clients. The only professionally recognised qualification of its kind in the UK, it is aimed at those working in HR related roles who want to improve their understanding of share plans. Shell, GlaxoSmithKline, Aviva and Tesco have all registered employees on the course.
Janet Cooper OBE, co-founder of Tapestry, said: “We are absolutely delighted to win this award. It genuinely reflects the hard work of the whole firm since we started in 2011.
“Our international strategy ensures that we don’t spread ourselves too thin. We focus on specific markets and build our reputation through the quality of our work. Repeat business is so important.”
“We have attracted very smart people, offering agile working has been a key to the success of our firm”
Bob Grayson, Cooper’s fellow co-founder said: “We have really close links with the local community here in Yorkshire. Hiring local people and using local businesses helps ensure we maintain high standards and provide value for money for our clients.
“As a team we are still growing and as a firm there is plenty to look forward to.”
