The incoming leader of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr PC's Austin, Texas, office has been with the firm for his entire legal career.

James R. Ray III is a shareholder in the firm's litigation practice and centers his work on controversies involving real property, intellectual property and commercial and consumer disputes, the firm said in a statement Tuesday. Ray is expected to take the reins Jan. 1 from the office's current managing shareholder Jay Ong, who has served in the role since 2019, the firm said.

E. David Coligado, who will step into the role of Munsch Hardt CEO in January, said in a statement that the Austin location "is a growth area and holds great potential for our firm."

"During his many years at Munsch Hardt, James has demonstrated his capabilities as a leader, and has shown focused, strategic vision and dedication to both his clients and colleagues," Coligado said."We are confident in how he will guide the office."

Ray's new duties will include leading the firm's business and administrative operations in the Lone Star State's capital city as well as overseeing the 11-attorney roster and four staff members based there, the firm said. He will also take a seat on Munsch Hardt's operations committee. Ray said in the firm's statement, "An outstanding group of people call Munsch Hardt home."

"Jay's stewardship has not only strengthened our bond as an office, but also to the people, businesses and communities we serve," Ray said, adding that he is "grateful for Jay's leadership over the past several years."

"It is an honor to step into the role of managing shareholder for Munsch Hardt's Austin office," Ray said. "We have seen Austin grow over the past 30 years, but it remains a fantastic place to live and work. I am thrilled to carry the flag for the firm as we continue to deliver exceptional legal services and deepen our ties to Central Texas."

Ray told Law360 Pulse in an email Thursday that his goals as managing partner in Austin include a strong focus on client satisfaction, building strategic partnerships with other area firms and organizations to enhance the firm's offerings, increasing community engagement through pro bono work and community service and to enhance "brand identity" by raising the firm's profile in Austin "to reflect the firm's values and the excellent people who work here."

Ray said his plans for growing the Austin roster depend on finding the right "cultural fit," with "market demand, client needs and the firm's existing strengths" in mind.

"I would like to add experienced lawyers focused on business transactions, health care, commercial litigation, governmental affairs, intellectual property and real estate," Ray said. "The Austin market has had consistently robust demand in these practice areas and our firm has seasoned lawyers who would partner well with incoming attorneys in the Austin office."

Ray has a successful track record of litigating multimillion-dollar disputes to verdict, the firm said, adding that he has handled condemnation matters, administrative and regulatory issues at the state and local government levels; the prosecution and defense of disputes involving trademark, patent and copyright infringement; and commercial and consumer lending disputes. His clients also include individuals and entities involved in the development, licensing and transfer of intellectual property rights, the firm said.

Before beginning his legal career, Ray worked as a field chemist and project manager in the engineering and environmental sectors, the firm said. Ray earned his law degree from Baylor Law School and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin. While in law school, Ray served as a judicial law clerk in the Northern District of Texas and was a Munsch Hardt summer associate before joining the firm as an attorney more than 13 years ago, his LinkedIn profile shows.

While an undergraduate in Austin, Ray was a walk-on defensive back on the University of Texas' 2005 national championship football team and worked as a stuntman during the inaugural season of the television show "Friday Night Lights," his firm bio shows. Munsch Hardt's Austin office has operated for nearly three decades and offers legal services in a range of practice areas including bankruptcy, commercial real estate, construction, environmental, intellectual property and litigation matters, the firm said. Munsch Hardt is a Texas law firm with locations in Austin, Dallas and Houston.