Lee Yeakel

Lee Yeakel returned to private practice in May 2023, after retiring as a United States District Judge for almost 20 years.  Before taking the federal bench, he served five and a half years on the Third Court of Appeals of Texas (A Texas intermediate appellate court) first as Chief Justice, then as a Justice.

Before his judicial tenure, he handled both trial and appellate matters. He was named “Outstanding Jurist” by the Texas Bar Foundation as well as the University of Texas Law School Journal of Litigation. The Texas Bar Foundation also named him an “Outstanding 50-Year Lawyer” and the Austin Bar Foundation named him a “Distinguished  Lawyer”. He is a recipient of the Austin Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates Judicial Courage Award. He is a former President of the Robert W. Calvert American Inn of Court and the Honorable Lee Yeakel Intellectual Property American Inn of Court, which is named in his honor. He is a life member of the Uniform Law Commission. He was a member of the United States Delegation to the Hague Convention on Private International Law, Treaty on the Recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments in civil and commercial matters and was a signatory of that treaty on behalf of the United States.

He has been active in civic matters. A former United States Marine, he and his wife have two children and two grandchildren.