Elliott Davis Expands International Practice

New Shareholder, Staff Added to Distinctive Local Team

CHARLOTTE, N.C. and GREENVILLE, S.C., Aug. 3, 2011 – Elliott Davis, PLLC, one of the largest accounting, tax and consulting services firms in the Southeast, is pleased to announce the expansion of its International practice. Recent hires include Eric Schmid, an international assurance shareholder with more than 20 years of public accounting experience, who will share his time between the firm’s Charlotte, N.C. and Greenville, S.C. offices.

“Eric’s arrival gives our clients local access to sophisticated global audit services,” said Rick Davis, managing shareholder of Elliott Davis. “The depth of our international bench is distinctive among regional accounting firms in the Southeast, which allows us to deliver outstanding service to multinational companies with interests in the Carolinas.”

A certified public accountant, Schmid is the former managing partner of KPMG’s Greenville, S.C. office and served in a number of leadership positions with the firm. He has extensive experience working with SEC-registered multinational companies, as well as clients across a wide range of industries such as manufacturing, technology, aerospace, automotive and consumer products. Eric spent six years of his career in Germany, where he served clients by addressing technical accounting matters, including conversion between U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

“Eric’s decades of experience combined with his high degree of knowledge and technical expertise greatly complement and extend our existing practice,” said Kay Biscopink, chair of the Elliott Davis’ International Tax practice. “From acquisitions and IPOs to restructuring and IFRS, Eric is practiced at navigating complex issues and addressing diverse circumstances on behalf of clients with operations overseas, and U.S.-based subsidiaries of foreign companies.”

Schmid is highly proficient in German and holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Switzerland. He received his B.S. in Business Administration and Masters of Accountancy from the University of South Carolina.

Another recent addition to the firm’s International practice is Lena Cao. With more than 12 years of auditing and accounting experience as well as bilingual fluency in English and Chinese Mandarin, she is a member of the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Association of International Accountants. Cao holds degrees from Shanghai Science & Technology University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the University of South Carolina.