China continues to be a draw for NLJ 250 firms, which added 194 lawyers to their offices there during the past year. The number of those offices grew from 124 to 132 during 2012.

China has long been viewed as the next big legal market, and the steady growth in attorneys and office openings are proof that firms are willing to make long-term investments there. But the market has yet to produce big profits, said Ward Bower, a consultant with Altman Weil.