Chris Devonshire-Ellis is the founder of Dezan Shira & Associates.
Established in 1992 and now in its twentieth year, the practice has eleven offices in China, offices in India, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, and liaison offices in Italy and the United States. Dezan Shira & Associates services mid-market multinational clients from numerous countries all over the world, and is a member of the Leading Edge Alliance of global accountants and auditors. The alliance comprises over 190 firms, typically the largest non-big four practices in their regions, across 100 countries, and employs some 15,000 professionals worldwide. The Leading Edge Alliance combined global annual revenues were in excess of US$2.7 billion in 2011. Dezan Shira & Associates won the Leading Edge Alliance's highest award, "Most Innovative Firm of the Year" in 2012.
Following a 26 year career based in Asia, including 20 in mainland China, Chris is now based in North America and oversees client development and investment strategies for US corporations looking to invest in China, India and Emerging Asia. He continues to commute regularly and travel extensively throughout the Asia region.
Prior to establishing Dezan Shira & Associates, Chris worked for Asia Law & Practice and the international law firm Mossack Fonseca based in Hong Kong and Singapore. He has worked full time in Asia since 1986 and is an elected member of the United Nations Development Program's (UNDP) business advisory council for Northeast Asia, which includes the governments of China, Russia, Mongolia, North Korea and South Korea. He currently serves as the Vice-Chairman of the UNDP business advisory council for their Greater Tumen (North-East Asia) Initiative, based from their secretariat in Beijing. He also fulfills a main board directorship with the India-US Business Network based in Cincinnati.
Chris also founded the Asia Briefing publishing house in 1999 with its well-received China Briefing magazines and books concerning matters of Chinese business law and tax. Chris has edited and co-edited several best-selling books about business in China, including regional guides to Beijing and Shanghai, in addition to various technical guides concerning corporate establishment, foreign direct investment, business law and tax in China. These were followed by similar publications in India and Vietnam, and now also includes other titles within the Asia region. Asia Briefing continues to provide independent business commentary, legal, tax and regulatory updates across all countries in Asia. These are consistently quoted and syndicated in international media.
Chris's responsibilities are now US-Asia business development focused, with him spending a considerable amount of time visiting North American based clients, legal and tax firms, chambers of commerce, commercial trade institutions and Universities advising on Asian development strategies and foreign direct investment, being personally involved in discussing the legal, tax and operational issues affecting multinational corporations conducting business between these regions. He works from the firm's liaison office in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Chris is also a member of the Royal Overseas League in London, the Institute of Directors in Hong Kong, the Capital Club in Beijing, and is a regular personal contributor to numerous charitable organizations across Asia.
