In a changing of the guard, John Goodgame is the new partner-in-charge of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld's Houston office, while Mary Koks took over as Houston managing shareholder for Munsch Hardt Kopf & Karr.

Goodgame succeeds Christine LaFollette, who had led the Akin Gump office since 2008, and Koks takes over Houston leadership from Mitch McFarland, who had been in that position for four years.

McFarland said he wears "other hats" in management at the firm and needed someone to move into the Houston office role, so he asked Koks to consider the job. McFarland is a member of the firm's board of directors and serves on the compensation committee.