U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel of the Western District of Texas has joined King & Spalding as senior counsel in the trials and global disputes practice in Austin in what the long-serving judge calls his third career.

The judge began his legal career in private practice in Austin, and after 25 years on the bench, including nearly 20 as a federal judge, Yeakel said, “I’m ready to have a third career of assisting people.”