According to a taxi driver in Dubai, the only old thing left in the emirate is the sea. It is a common observation, but an outsider could not hope for a more telling insight into the degree of commercial activity in the region. Not surprisingly, that expansion has been mirrored in the legal sector where foreign law firms that have opened up offices in the past three years now significantly outnumber the old hands.

With new launches seemingly taking place every month, it has created a fevered recruitment market for partners with local experience.