Smarter share plan management: Harper James and Astrella partnership 

We’re excited to announce a strategic partnership with Astrella by EQ, a pioneering share plan management platform developed by global fintech leader Equiniti. This collaboration combines our legal expertise with Astrella’s intuitive technology to offer startups and scale-ups a powerful, hands-off solution for managing their employee share schemes. 

A new way to manage share schemes – with guidance that goes beyond the platform 

Employee share schemes can play a key role in attracting and retaining talent, supporting team motivation, and helping businesses prepare for investment or an eventual exit. But managing them day to day can be time-consuming and complex, and without legal input, it’s easy to overlook important details around compliance and structure. 

Through our partnership with Astrella, clients benefit from a more streamlined approach to share plan management. The platform provides round-the-clock access for both employers and employees, offering real-time visibility over equity through an intuitive cap table and easy-to-use interface. Administrative tasks, from initial setup to ongoing updates and HMRC reporting, are simplified, reducing the time and resource burden on internal teams.  

Alongside this, clients can receive legal support from us alongside the platform, ensuring their schemes are structured appropriately and remain compliant as the business evolves. 

Samantha Lenox, Head of Employee Share Schemes at Harper James, comments: 

This partnership with Astrella marks an exciting step forward for our firm and our clients. Managing share plans efficiently is a cornerstone of business growth, and by integrating Astrella’s technology with our legal expertise, we’re making the process more seamless than ever. Our clients will benefit from greater clarity, compliance, and confidence in their equity structures, allowing them to focus on scaling their businesses with the right support in place.

Tom Kirby, Head of Global Sales and Partnerships at Equiniti, adds: 

We're delighted to join forces with Harper James, a law firm that truly understands the entrepreneurial journey. Together, we're not just streamlining processes; we're providing meaningful guidance and clarity to founders and business leaders at pivotal moments in their growth.

This collaboration is already proving to be a real value-add for our clients, providing everything they need to confidently manage equity as they grow and scale. 

If you'd like to learn more about how the platform works and what’s included, you can visit our share plan management page. For businesses that already have share plans in place, existing data can be seamlessly transferred to our platform to ensure continuity.