About us

Experts. That’s who we are. Students on our Certificate in Employee Share Plans course enjoy top-quality training from our specialist lawyers.

Tapestry brings together experience and expertise to provide the UK’s leading professionally recognised course for share plan professionals in the UK.

The Certificate in Employee Share Plans.

Accredited by the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland, the course has been designed and is delivered by qualified lawyers from the Tapestry team.

Our approach

At Tapestry, we have the UK's largest team of incentives lawyers, and we’re consistently ranked in the top-tier by Chambers and Legal500.

We provide expert advice to clients worldwide (from large listed, to PE backed to private companies), competing directly with top London and global firms.

But we are not just lawyers – we are specialists in our area.

We have built a team of exceptional legal minds, passionate about share plans and incentives. We recruit the best and foster their growth through continuous development. We leverage this expertise and love of sharing knowledge, to design and teach the Cert. ESP course each year.

You will receive teaching which is up to date for technical content as well as current market practice – delivered by our expert lawyers who will share their passion for share plans with you!

Find out more about Tapestry here.

Documentary support

Commercial advice

Training

Global compliance

OnTap Database

Trusted partner

Tapestry is working with some of the largest global companies in the world, advising on their international incentives, share plans and new incentives, and dealing with their global compliance.

We work with companies like Dell, TripAdvisor and Rolls-Royce and also have specialists in our team who focus on the financial services sector where our clients include HSBC, Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse.

Our history

Tapestry was founded in 2011 by lawyers who had led a "magic circle" law employee share plans department, as well as serving as in-house counsel at Shell, managing global compliance for 100,000+ employees. The firm, therefore, brings together the expertise of a London City law firm and the practicalities of managing major global projects. Tapestry became 100% employee owned in October 2020.

2011

Tapestry was founded in Sheffield, by lawyers with “magic circle” experience and in-house expertise in share plans and incentives.

2016

Our Leeds office opened, expanding our reach and Yorkshire presence.

2017

First ranked Top Tier in Legal500 directory.

2018

First ranked Top Tier in Chambers & Partners directory.

2018

We transitioned from a traditional ‘LLP’ partnership structure to an Alternative Business Structure (ABS); the first step in our transition to becoming employee-owned.

2020

We became 100% employee-owned. The founders sold the business to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), held for the benefit of all the employees. We still needed to pay the founders for the business though...

2023

We were recognised as one of the Sunday Times Best Small Companies to work for and ranked in the Top 10 Law Firms for Employee Workplace Engagement at the Best Companies Awards.

2024

Having worked hard and been extremely successful since becoming an EOT, we finished paying the founders for the business, well ahead of our anticipated repayment schedule. This marked the start of a new chapter as a completely financially independent employee-owned business.

2025

Tapestry launched its new brand identity. Still in keeping with its iconic purple colour scheme, but introducing 2 bold new colours as well, together representing the 3 threads of the business – Legal Advice, OnTap and Training.

Our team

Tapestry brings together experience and expertise to provide insight-driven global solutions.

Hannah Needle FGE
Hannah has been at Tapestry for 9 years and trained and qualified with an international law firm. Hannah has been a Board Director at Tapestry for 4 years, leading on the transition to a fully independent employee-owned law firm.
Hannah Needle FGE

Legal Director and Tapestry Board Director

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Chris Fallon
Chris was appointed to the Board when the firm became an employee owned business in October 2020, and has over 25 years of experience advising on UK tax-advantaged plans, senior executive plans and employee benefit trusts for listed companies and private equity owned businesses.
Chris Fallon

Legal Director and Tapestry Board Director

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Lorna Parkin
Lorna has been at Tapestry for 10 years and trained at DLA Piper. Lorna has been a Board Director at Tapestry for 4 years, leading on the transition to a fully independent employee-owned law firm.
Lorna Parkin

Senior Associate and Tapestry Board Director

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Suzannah Crookes
Suzannah has extensive experience advising companies on the introduction and ongoing operation of their share plans and other equity incentive arrangements in the UK and globally, both at executive level and for the wider workforce.
Suzannah Crookes

Legal Director

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Sarah Bruce
Sarah works with clients supporting the design and operation of their UK and global incentive plans. Her specialisms include implementing UK tax advantaged share plans, supporting administrator service provision, and advising pre-IPO businesses.
Sarah Bruce

Senior Associate

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Sally Blanchflower
Sally advises on all aspects of global and UK share plans for leading global companies and banks. Through the top FTSE and global clients that she works for, Sally has particular experience in the market practice for executive and all-employee plans operating in a multitude of countries, and managing the legal and tax compliance of those plans.
Sally Blanchflower

Senior Associate

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Paul Abthorpe
Paul has a broad range of experience supporting listed and private companies on their executive and all-employee incentive arrangements. He advises UK and international businesses in relation to the design, implementation and operation of incentives taking into account tax, legal and commercial requirements.
Paul Abthorpe

Senior Associate

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Carla Walsham
Carla’s primary focus is with global companies, helping them to navigate the various complexities they face when designing, implementing and operating their share plans internationally.
Carla Walsham

Senior Associate

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Emma Parker
Emma works with both UK and global incentive plans but specialises in all aspects of share plans for UK plcs, including advising on executive remuneration and UK tax-advantaged plans. She works closely with Company Secretarial and/or Reward functions within her clients to manage the legal aspects of delivering high value, often multi-jurisdictional share plan projects, including launching new global all-employee plans, renewals of executive plans, and managing migrations to new share plan providers.
Emma Parker

Senior Associate

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Matthew Hunter
Matthew advises world-leading companies on the design and implementation of their share, fund and cash-based incentive arrangements, including arrangements that comply with local tax benefits.
Matthew Hunter

Senior Associate

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Steve Penfold
Steve advises on tax-qualified employee share plans as well as global executive plans, advising on global due diligence and securities filings, share plan design and drafting plan documents.
Steve Penfold

Senior Associate

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Margaret Rankin
Margaret works with UK and global incentive plans and specialises in UK tax advantaged share plans, being qualified in both Scots and English law.
Margaret Rankin

Managing Associate

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Sonia Taylor
Sonia works with both UK and global companies and specialises in global compliance in relation to their executive and employee share plans.
Sonia Taylor

Managing Associate

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Rebecca Perry
Rebecca advises many leading companies on global compliance in relation to their executive and employee share plans, including advising on global due diligence and securities filings, share plan design and drafting plan documents.
Rebecca Perry

Managing Associate

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Tom Parker
Tom works with a variety of UK FTSE100 and FTSE250 companies on their incentive plans, with a particular interest in corporate governance considerations.
Tom Parker

Managing Associate

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Lewis Dulley
Lewis advises on all aspects of global incentive plans, including the design, implementation and operation of executive and employee incentive plans.
Lewis Dulley

Managing Associate

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Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia advises on global compliance of executive and employee share plans, including the provision of advice on global due diligence and securities filings, share plan design and drafting plan documents.
Olivia Rodrigo

Associate

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Gemma Morgan
Gemma qualified as a solicitor in December 2023 following a previous career as a Chartered Secretary, having worked in Company Secretariat teams at several FTSE listed companies and as a consultant in share plan administration on behalf of a range of clients dealing with all-employee and discretionary plans.
Gemma Morgan

Associate

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Kerishni Kundasamy
Kerishni works with our lawyers on all aspects of our client work including global compliance on executive and employee share plans, including the provision of advice on global due diligence and securities filings share plan design and drafting plan documents.
Kerishni Kundasamy

Legal Assistant (Trainee Lawyer)

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Izzy Martin
Izzy supports on global compliance for executive and employee share plans, including the provision of advice on global due diligence and securities filings, share plan design and drafting plan documents.
Izzy Martin

Legal Assistant (Trainee Lawyer)

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Luke Cuthbert
Luke supports on global compliance on executive and employee share plans, including the provision of advice on global due diligence and securities filings, share plan design and drafting plan documents.
Luke Cuthbert

Legal Assistant (Trainee Lawyer)

Bob Grayson
Bob works with many of the world’s leading companies advising them on developing the best strategy for global compliance.
Bob Grayson

Consultant (lawyer)

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Jess Mitchell
Jess has worked in global employee equity since 2005, first for Linklaters and then for Tapestry since its founding in 2011.
Jess Mitchell

Global Employee Equity Consultant

Sharon Thwaites
Sharon manages our online global database, 'OnTap', keeping abreast of global legal and tax compliance for global incentive plans in over 150 countries.
Sharon Thwaites

Global Share Plans Support Manager

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Gabrielle Miranda
As Senior Team Secretary, Gabby leads and manages the talented secretarial team, and oversees the administration and marketing of the Cert. ESP Course.
Gabrielle Miranda

Senior Team Secretary and Cert. ESP Coordinator

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Jessica Cook
Jess is an integral member of the secretarial team at Tapestry, she is the PA to the Board of Directors, plans corporate events, and assists with marketing initiatives.
Jessica Cook

Board PA and Team Secretary

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Linda Bartlett
Linda is a key member of the Team, currently responsible for the smooth running of Tapestry’s Global Database, OnTap, and it’s many subscribers.
Linda Bartlett

Team Secretary and OnTap Administrator

Ria Walker
Ria is an experienced secretary and excels in multitasking on a variety of adminstrative tasks.
Ria Walker

Team Secretary

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Sam Marks
Sam is an experienced secretary with broad and extensive skills and excellent attention to detail. 
Sam Marks

Team Secretary

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Nicola Taylor
Nicola seamlessly handles a variety of responsibilities, including supporting the OnTap Database Team and managing overseas trips.
Nicola Taylor

Team Secretary

Nichola Storey
Nichola looks after all aspects of the team's financial management.
Nichola Storey

Senior Finance Manager

Christoper Waite
Chris looks after all aspects of the team's financial management, including the firms e-billing systems.
Christoper Waite

Finance Manager

Debbie Knight
Debbie is a Credit Controller with over 40 years’ experience.
Debbie Knight

Credit Controller/Legal Cashier

Rachel Haines
Rachel is a specialised finance professional, managing client and office accounts at Tapestry.
Rachel Haines

Legal Cashier

Georgie Bestall
Georgie is a specialised finance professional, assisting with ensuring that client and office accounts at Tapestry are kept up-to date.
Georgie Bestall

Legal Cashier

Marianne Chalcraft
Marianne supports our practice with strategic planning, reporting, forecasting and finance.
Marianne Chalcraft

Consultant (Finance)

Lisa Brook
With exceptional attention to detail and strong organisational skills, she expertly deals with a myriad of responsibilities, including facilities management, risk and compliance, insurance, HR functions, employee benefits, payroll, and more!
Lisa Brook

Operations Manager

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Cathy McIntosh
Cathy McIntosh has been supporting Solicitors in their roles for the past 15 years. She assists in various projects across the team including being part of the Cert. ESP team.
Cathy McIntosh

Information and Business Support Manager

Dan Oldfield
Dan is an IT professional with experience in delivering and supporting a wide range of IT solutions. Dan oversees all aspects of Tapestry’s IT systems, applications, infrastructure and cyber security.
Dan Oldfield

Head of IT

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