Chris Devonshire-Ellis

Current

• Managing Partner, Dezan Shira & Associates India at Dezan Shira & Associates

Past

• General Manager, Hong Kong at Mossack Fonseca & Co.
• Consultant at Ng & Shum
• Manager at Asia Law & Practice

• Country Manager at Chartered Yachts, Greece

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Education

• Church School / University

Connections

59 connections

Industry

Accounting

Chris Devonshire-Ellis’s Summary

Has 17 years in-country expertise in developing his China practice, while assisting over 1,800 MNC clients incorporate and develop, including clients from principally the USA and Europe. The firm he founded now has sixteen regional offices, expanding into services throughout China (9), India (5) and Vietnam (2). Are members of the Leading Edge Alliance with a combined annual turnover of USD2.2 billion (2008).

Regular Columist:
Beijing Review "Legal-Ease" column - monthly business magazine of the Chinese Communist Party, founded by Chairman Mao, 1958 - www.bjreview.com.cn
China Briefing Magazine - www.china-briefing.com
China Briefing Daily News - www.china-briefing.com/news
China Expat - www.chinaexpat.com
India Briefing Magazine - www.india-briefing.com
2point6billion (Emerging Asia) - www.2point6billion.com

Author of Following Books
China Briefing Business Guide to Shanghai - 2003
The Story Of A China Practice - 2007
Travel Guide to Ulaan Bataar & The Mongolian Countryside - 2007

Contributor / Editor of Following China Briefing Books
2005
Establishing Representative Offices in China
(now 4th edition)
Guide to Establishing Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises in China
(now 3rd edition)
2006
Guide to Establishing Joint Ventures in China
(now 2nd edition)
The Small-Medium Enterprise China Business Bible
The China Tax Guide (now 4th edition)
2008
Business Guide to Shanghai & Yangtze River Delta
Business Guide to Beijing & North-East China
Business Guide to South China & Pearl River Delta
Business Guide to Central China
Business Guide to West China
China's Neighbors - Who China is Influencing & Who is Influencing China in the New Emerging Asia

Now working on forthcoming Books:
2009 : China In Photos (Charity book with Care For Children)
2009: China's Last 100 Years Seen Through Its Banknotes
2012 : One Thousand Years Of Silk Road Explorers in India, China & Tibet from 9AD to 1900

Chris Devonshire-Ellis’s Specialties:

Specializes in Foreign Direct Investment into China, India, Vietnam and Emerging Asia, including legal and tax implications, regional development and socio-political and cultural impact in the region and on Western economies. Is a sought after speaker internationally on the subject.

Chris Devonshire-Ellis’s Experience

• Managing Partner, Dezan Shira & Associates India

  Dezan Shira & Associates

  (Partnership; International Trade and Development industry)

  November 1992 — Present (17 years 1 month)

  Providing legal, tax, due diligence and business advisory servcies to foreign investors in India. Previously Managing Partner of the firm's China Practice, based in Beijing. Lived in China for over 20 years.
  
  Founded Dezan Shira & Associates, Asia's largest Foreign Direct Investment practice, seventeen years ago in 1992. Firm now has seventeen regional offices in China, Hong Kong, India & Vietnam. See: www.dezshira.com
  
  Also founder of publishing house Asia Briefing Ltd with titles popular China Briefing (www.china-briefing.com), India Briefing (www.india-briefing.com) Vietnam Briefing (www.vietnam-briefing.com) and Emerging Asia (www.2point6billion.com). This business celebrated ten years of operations in July 2009.
  
  Elected to the Business Advisory Council, Greater Tumen Initiative, for the United Nations Development Program in March 2009, a government/private sector body that oversees political, infrastructure, economic and social developments in North-East China, Eastern Russia, Mongolia, North Korea and South Korea, reporting into the secretariat in Beijing.
  
  Will be skippering "China Briefing" a 32 foot Jeanneau racing hull yacht in the week long Kings Cup race in Phuket, Thailand in December 2009.
  
  Can be read extensively on www.2point6billion.com (business)
  and www.chrisdevonshire-ellis.com (personal)

• General Manager, Hong Kong

  Mossack Fonseca & Co.

  (Public Company; 201-500 employees; Legal Services industry)

  April 1991 — September 1992 (1 year 6 months)

  Overseeing business development and corporate legal structuring of offshore incorporations in most international offshore jurisdictions and tax havens, based from Hong Kong, for worlds largest law firm specializing in the field.

• Consultant

  Ng & Shum

  (Law Practice industry)

  November 1990 — April 1991 (6 months)

  Assistance with initial development of firms Guangzhou office

• Manager

  Asia Law & Practice

  (Legal Services industry)

  November 1988 — January 1990 (1 year 3 months)

  Assisted with development of China legal titles and monthly magazine of Hong Kong law Society for Hong Kong publishing house now part of Euromoney.

• Country Manager

  Chartered Yachts, Greece

  (Shipbuilding industry)

  April 1984 — October 1987 (3 years 7 months)

  Franchising of yachts and related craft for Mediterranean flotilla companies from UK manufacturer (Chester boatyards), based in Greece (summer) and Canary Islands, Spain (winter season). Oversaw contractual agreements, importation, finance collection and maintenance of company fleet.

Chris Devonshire-Ellis’s Education

• Church School / University

  LLB , Law, Theocracy , 1978 — 1983

  Member, Royal Overseas League, London
  Fellow, Institute of Directors
  Member, Institute of Marketing
  Member, China Exploration & Research Society
  Member, Capital Club, Beijing
  Member, American Club, Beijing
  Member in absentia, Royal Bombay Yacht Club
  Member, World Trade Center, Illinois

  Activities and Societies:

  First XV, Rugby (Full Back)
  Colours also in football, cricket and athletics

Additional Information

Chris Devonshire-Ellis’s Interests:

In brief: Travel, Ornithology, Trekking in Himalayas, The History of Chinese/Indian/Tibetan Explorers (currently writing a book) Woody Allen films, Music by Miles Davis, Sparks, Astor Piazolla, and Putomayo artists, Art by Amrita Sher-Gil, Frida Kahlo, Diego Riveria, and the literature of Salman Rushdie, Omar Khyamm, Naguib Mahfouz, fine wines, cigars, and interesting, well travelled people who know how to mix a decent Daquiri.

Chris Devonshire-Ellis’s Groups:

Various China, India, US and British chamber and professional memberships

Chris Devonshire-Ellis’s Honors:

Several China and international business awards in which case the whole business takes credit.

Chris Devonshire-Ellis’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• consulting offers
• new ventures
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch