A handful of in-house attorneys kicked off the new year by joining law firms, with some choosing to return to the same teams they left for in-house roles years earlier.

On Tuesday, Nixon Peabody announced it had rehired Kamau Coar, who left a partner role at the firm in 2012 to join Heidrick & Struggles. Coar last served as chief legal officer and chief inclusion officer at the Chicago-based executive search firm, which he departed this month.

He will be counsel in Nixon Peabody's Chicago office, advising clients on litigation, governance and enterprise risk management, in addition to sitting in the firm's labor and employment practice.