Rebeca Huddle is the new partner-in-charge of Baker Botts' Houston office, one of three “next generation” office heads who moved into leadership positions Monday under the firm's new managing partner, John Martin.

Huddle, a commercial litigator who once served on the the First Court of Appeals in Houston,  succeeds John Porter as partner-in-charge in Houston.

In Palo Alto, Brian Lee, West Coast chair of the corporate department, slid into the partner-in-charge slot formerly held by Martin, who was elected as managing partner in February.

In New York, Renee Wilm succeeds IP partner Robert Scheinfeld as partner-in-charge. Scheinfeld was one of four candidates for managing partner, a job that came open because longtime managing partner Andrew Baker will reach mandatory retirement at the end of this year.

Martin said the three new office leaders represent the next generation of leadership at the firm—each of them graduated law school between 1999 and 2001. As managing partner, he said, he hopes to better utilize the younger leaders at the firm, particularly in strategic planning.

“I have a long perspective on it,” Martin said.

Martin said Huddle, the new Houston partner-in-charge, is a “very impressive trial and appellate lawyer, a natural leader.”

Huddle said her goal is to grow the Houston office by adding lawyers in the firm's dual target areas of energy and technology. She said her responsibility is magnified by the fact that the Houston office is the “roots of the firm” as the location where it was founded 179 years ago.

Huddle boomeranged back to Baker Botts after serving as an appellate judge. She first joined the firm in 1999 after graduating from the University of Texas School of Law and practiced there until former Gov. Rick Perry appointed her to the appeals court in 2011. She said she resigned from the court and returned to the firm in 2017 because she missed private practice.

As for her management experience, Huddle said she previously chaired Baker Botts' Global Women's Forum, and at the appeals court was in charge of managing her staff, court staff and an intern program.

She said she got to know Martin when she was considering coming back to the firm because he was in charge of recruiting.

Martin said Lee, who has taken on his old role in the Palo Alto office, is a close colleague, noting that they worked together on a number of M&A transactions over the years. “He's a veteran of the Silicon Valley. He's got deep ties and connections, an extensive network in that area,” Martin said.

And Wilm, the new partner-in-charge in New York, is a “superstar” M&A lawyer, Martin said. “I'm really proud to make her one of the team,” he said.

Martin said Porter in Houston and Scheinfeld in New York did outstanding jobs leading the offices and he is grateful for their leadership. “We are going to have other things to get them each involved in,” he said.

Porter and Scheinfeld could not be immediately reached for comment.

And Martin, who will continue to live in Palo Alto, said he was in Houston on Monday for his first day as managing partner.

“I had a number of meetings, a partner lunch in the Houston office. It was wonderful to see my colleagues in Houston. I got to introduce Rebeca to the group at lunch. A pretty full day, and then dinner with a wonderful client,” he said, recapping his day.

On Tuesday, Martin flew to the East Coast, another region where the firm is looking to grow.

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