Devonshire-Ellis to Head-up North American Practice

August 2, 2012 Posted by China Briefing Reading Time: 2 minutes

Aug. 2 – Chris Devonshire-Ellis, the Founding Partner of Dezan Shira & Associates, one of China’s longest established professional services firms, will be leaving China in the late summer and taking up a position as head of the firm’s practice in North America. Devonshire-Ellis founded the practice, originally with two small offices in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, in 1992. Today the practice has twelve China offices, has expanded into markets across India, Vietnam and Singapore, and has established additional partnerships in Russia and Mongolia. Dezan Shira & Associates employs several hundred expatriate and local lawyers, accountants and auditors throughout its seventeen offices. The firm also owns and publishes the China Briefing title, in addition to other regional titles distributed by its publishing wing, Asia Briefing. These titles were originally instigated by Devonshire-Ellis in 1999 and now include regularly published magazines, websites and books about India, Vietnam, Russia and Emerging Asia in addition to the China brand.

The location of the firm’s new US office remains unclear. “We have an existing facility in Charlotte, North Carolina,” says Devonshire-Ellis, “which is working well. However we have also had offers to partner with firms in New York, Boston, Washington and San Francisco, on top of our own plans. One of my first priorities will be to evaluate what and where is feasible. We see great potential for the firm in advising U.S. companies concerning their investments into Asia, where we now have an infrastructure that is second to none. My role will be to develop the North American market, especially for U.S. and Canadian companies interesting in selling to Asia. It will be an exciting challenge and a new, huge step in the continuing development of the practice.”

Dezan Shira & Associates are members of the Leading Edge Alliance, a global professional services network, whose member firms last year collectively posted revenues of some USD2.7 billion. Dezan Shira are also a U.S. Department of Commerce-Listed Business Service Provider.

Devonshire-Ellis’s move to North America brings to a close an Asian career that has taken up 25 years and included significant time spent living in Singapore, Bombay, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing. He is a member of Beijing’s Capital Club in addition to the London based Royal Overseas League. He became a Baron in 2011, and is succeeded as Managing Partner in Asia for the firm by Alberto Vettoretti.

Dezan Shira & Associates provide foreign direct investment, legal tax and due diligence advice to international companies throughout Asia. To contact the firm, please email info@dezshira.com or visit the practice website here www.dezshira.com.

Personal Website

Setting Up A Practice In China 20 Years Ago

Financing A Small or Start Up Business in China