Maria Kotova

BIO

Maria is the Regional Director, Middle East for Dezan Shira & Associates and is a Dubai resident. With a strong understanding of UAE and Asian regulatory issues, business environment factors, and industry services, Maria advises foreign businesses on corporate formation, taxation and legal issues for their investments in the Middle East, China and South East Asia and works closely with our related offices in these markets.

Her role entails working closely with our Middle East based clients and partners, overseeing support and collaboration on clients, FDI knowledge sharing, as well as business development and marketing campaigns in the region.
Maria is also an in-demand speaker at international events on legal, tax and financial issues in SE Asia and consistently contributes business intelligence publications to the firm’s regional media outlet, Middle East Briefing and acts as a key regional thought leader, regularly providing comments to other internationally recognized publications.

Prior to joining Dezan Shira & Associates in 2013, Maria worked in both international and domestic business advisory firms in China. Her work included analysis on corporate tax structuring, equity transfers, profit repatriation issues, cross border transactions, analysis of legal and tax implications under M&A and corporate restructuring of Asian groups. Maria also worked as a manager of communication department developing focus personality analysis (FPA) strategies.

Resident in West and East Asia for over 15 years, Maria has a master's degree in Management and Chinese from South China Normal University and a bachelor's degree in International Affairs and Relations from Saint Petersburg State Polytechnic University. She also holds a certificate in Chinese studies from Liaoning University.

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