(L-R): Awards host David Mitchell, Tapestry Compliance founding partner Janet Cooper, awards judge Philip Bramwell

Finalists: BLM, GQ Employment Law, Hughes Fowler Carruthers, Kemp Little, Roberts Jackson, Stewarts Law (highly commended)

Tapestry Compliance impressed the judges with its revenue growth, "enviable" client list and genuine support for CSR. "Everything is going big and about scale, but they're doing something different," said one of the judges.

The firm specialises in global compliance for employee incentives and share plans and was founded in 2011 by Janet Cooper, the former head of Linklaters' global incentives team, and Bob Grayson, who was global head of compliance at Shell.

With 18 lawyers based in Sheffield and Leeds, it operates the largest incentives legal team of any UK firm. Clients include Goldman Sachs, HSBC and Dell, and by 2015 it could boast providing services to more than 30% of the FTSE 100. The firm's technology-based services include an online database for share plan legal and tax information in more than 100 countries, which is promoted by NASDAQ private markets to pre-IPO companies.

Since its launch, it has reported 40% year-on-year growth in profit and turnover, while approximately 50% of its revenue is generated by overseas work. The firm also offers flexible working and a commitment to 'sensible hours', helping to achieve a 0% attrition rate among its legal team since launch.

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