After working in the Obama administration for eight years, former acting U.S. Solicitor General Ian Gershengorn is returning to Jenner & Block to chair the firm's venerable Supreme Court and appellate practice.

“I feel like I am standing on the shoulders of giants,” Gershengorn said in an interview after the announcement Monday afternoon. “And I'm stepping into an all-star lineup.”

Gershengorn was named acting solicitor general last June after his predecessor and onetime Jenner & Block colleague Donald Verrilli Jr. left the office. Before that, he was principal deputy solicitor general. He defended numerous Obama-era initiatives, ranging from Dodd-Frank to the Affordable Care Act. He'll take time off before joining the firm Sept. 1 when, he said, “I'll be ready to rock and roll.”