Robert Bauer, the Democratic Party legal stalwart who served as White House counsel to President Barack Obama, is leaving Perkins Coie after nearly four decades at the firm.

The firm said Bauer will continue to represent several of his existing clients on an individual basis and will serve as co-counsel with Perkins Coie on some of those matters. Bauer will also devote more time to teaching at New York University School of Law.

Bauer said the end of the recent semester at NYU provided the right timing for him to formally leave Perkins Coie, as the balance of his time had already begun shifting from his legal practice to his academic work.