The statement, which appeared on deVere’s website, quotes Paul Gates, who is not identified here but who International Adviser understands to have been with Elite Capital Solutions and subsequently with ECS Wealth, as saying: "we are delighted to join forces with deVere Group and we believe that our clients will benefit immensely from deVere’s wide range of exclusive products."
In the statement, deVere said the deal would give the company an extra 6,000 square feet of offices in Dubai that would enable it to “continue to strengthen” its presence in the UAE.
As reported here last month, Elite Capital Solutions – which as recently as November described itself in its marketing as having offices “in Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia” – apparently came apart at some time towards the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012, with the result that a company with that name is now basing itself in Hong Kong, where it is seeking to expand.
At the time that story appeared, the Dubai operation was using the ECS Wealth name, but using a telephone number that previously belonged to ECS Insurance Brokers LLC .
Neither Gates nor Nigel Green, chief executive of deVere, could be reached for comment last night.
However, in the statement on deVere’s website, deVere divisional manager Steve Rigby is quoted as saying he was “very excited to have completed an alliance with a company like ECS Insurance Brokers LLC”, and added: “this is an important opportunity for us to grow further in the UAE".
