Go East, Young Man

Oil companies and the drillers, builders and pipeline layers who work for them are not the only Texas enterprises expanding in Dubai. Energy-industry law firms are moving there, too.

The latest to expand: Baker Botts, the venerable Houston-based firm that counts former Secretary of State James A. Baker III among its partners.

Baker Botts today named David Emmons as the partner in charge of the firms Middle East offices. In addition to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that includes Dubai, where he will be based.

Emmons will become the fourth Baker Botts partner in Dubai. Two others— Sean Korney and Nigel Thompson—joined Baker Botts as partners in the firm's Dubai office earlier this year. They joined Steven Matthews, who oversaw the firm's Middle East practice before Emmons arrived last month.

The firm said that Matthews will remain in Dubai and continue his corporate and banking practice.

Emmons concentrates on mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and joint ventures. He also has experience in advising energy-service companies in many areas, including strategic acquisitions and divestitures, capital raising transactions, including initial public offerings, shipyard construction projects and strategic joint ventures.

Earlier this year, Halliburton, the big Houston oilfield services firm, said it would open a second headquarters in Dubai and relocate several of its senior executives, including C.E.O. David Lesar, there.

by Mark Stein