Four decades after taking the court at what would eventually become the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, a top in-house lawyer from American International Group Inc. is headed to DLA Piper in New York, although he won't be in attendance for the first serve festivities that start in the city later this month.

Instead, P. Nicholas Kourides will be Uganda, climbing a mountain.

The trip will be a quick getaway from the former amateur tennis player's new job at DLA Piper, where on Monday he started as senior counsel in the firm's insurance group. After a 35-year career in a variety of in-house roles at several major financial services giants, Kourides is looking forward to his return to private practice.