Leading Edge Alliance Named Second-Largest International Association

February 18, 2013 Posted by China Briefing Reading Time: 2 minutes

Feb. 18 – Dezan Shira & Associates, the parent company of Asia Briefing and one of Asia’s most versatile full-service consultancies, is a member of The Leading Edge Alliance (LEA Global), which has just been ranked by the International Accounting Bulletin as the second-largest international association of independent accounting firms for 2013. LEA Global is an international alliance of independently-owned accounting and consulting firms. Established in 1999, LEA Global has more than 190 member firms representing roughly 100 countries worldwide, with collective revenues of US$2.7 billion.

“By utilizing technology, developing innovative special interest groups, and connecting internationally to the knowledge of our member firms, LEA Global members are able to compete on a substantial scale, throughout the country and across the globe,” stated Michael Davis, Managing Partner at HW Fisher & Company in London and LEA Chair. “LEA provides the resources that support their consistent growth and, subsequently, its own. The combined knowledge of the many top firms in LEA is shared across all firms, and contributes to the continuing success of each.”

“When the idea for LEA was conceived, the plan was to introduce an independent association that helped firms compete with the Big Four. The competitive landscape changed since our inception in 1999 as other large national and regional firms emerged. Yet the continued growth of the Alliance is a testament to the independent successes of member firms and their ability to understand and proactively deal with new challenges. The appeal of an accomplished association that consistently meets the needs of its membership is indisputable,” said Gary Shamis, Managing Partner SS&G Financial Services, Inc. & LEA Chair Emeritus. “Accounting has come out of the dark ages. The most successful firms operate as strategic businesses, and this view extends to its client base, centers of influence and the alliance it belongs to. Over the past 12 years, LEA’s success has proven that the attention and support it provides to its members, including their overall operations special interest groups, has been a major factor in the success of its member firms.”

“LEA gives us international access to some of the world’s most valuable and experienced non-Big Four tax and audit firms,” comments Chris Devonshire-Ellis, Principal and Founding Partner of Dezan Shira & Associates. “We are able to call upon and utilize the expertise of practices throughout Europe and North America to assist with the cross-border issues our own Asia-focused clients have, and this is a key part of our strategic development as a firm.”

Dezan Shira & Associates’ won LEA’s highest accolade, “Innovative Firm of the Year,” in 2012.

Leading Edge Alliance Key Statistics:

2012 revenues – US$2.7 billion
Number of countries represented – 100+
Number of offices – 460
Number of partners – 2,175
Number of professional staff – 18,854
Total staff – 25,459

Dezan Shira & Associates have been members of the Leading Edge Alliance since 2005 and are among the organization’s largest Asia-based practices with offices in China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore and Vietnam.