More than two years after leaving Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher to serve as the top lawyer for the U.S. House of Representatives, Thomas Hungar is returning to the firm as a partner in its appellate and complex trial litigation practice groups, the firm confirmed Tuesday.

Hungar had initially left Gibson Dunn in 2003 to serve as deputy U.S. solicitor general under the George W. Bush administration. He returned in 2008 as a leader on the firm’s appellate and constitutional law team before departing in 2016 to serve as the general counsel to the House under the leadership of former Speaker Paul Ryan. Hungar succeeded Kerry Kircher as House general counsel.