Much overseas expansion has occurred in the past five years, and even more recently than that for the Middle East and Asia, according to statistics compiled by the National Law Journal, a trade publication. In Hong Kong, there was a 48 percent increase in the number of lawyers from the 250 biggest American law firms from 2007 to 2008, based on data from the journal. In Abu Dhabi, their ranks grew 144 percent.

In February, Latham & Watkins announced three new offices in the Middle East — in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, Qatar — in one fell swoop, to reach its total of 14.

Dewey & LeBoeuf, based in New York, closed offices in Connecticut, Florida, North Carolina and Texas this year. But in the same October memo the firm sent to its eight Charlotte lawyers and staff members to inform them of the closing there, the firm’s executive director announced the opening of new outposts in Doha and Abu Dhabi early next year.

And the beat goes on.

“I know of at least 10 or 11 associates who are throwing their résumés out here, or coming by to visit to check it out,” says Arjun Ahluwalia, an associate in the Dubai office of the London-based Allen & Overy, who moved there from Shearman & Sterling in New York.

Mr. Ahluwalia, 30, grew up in Dubai, went to law school in Michigan and began his career in New York. Now, he says, he sees a big push from young lawyers hoping to find work in the Middle East. “Even kids currently in law school are coming by Dubai for jobs,” he says. “I met a very enthusiastic candidate from a Chicago law school in his second year who basically flew to Dubai for four days and actually cold-called and made visits to a bunch of firms.”

BRUCE MacEWEN, a lawyer in New York who also consults with law firms on strategic issues, says firms “have realized that based on demographics and petrodollars, there’s going to be growth in Asia and the Middle East that wasn’t in their plans 5 to 10 years ago.” But staffing the new offices with qualified lawyers to handle growing demand hasn’t always been easy.

The talent pool isn’t large enough in Hong Kong or Dubai to absorb the work, so firms often find themselves soliciting lawyers from their offices in the United States or Britain, enticing lateral hires from other firms or promising younger lawyers a chance to do high-level client work much sooner than they might in New York.