In 2014, as general counsel to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Katie Thomson shared a piece of advice she often gives to young lawyers: “What you do in your life is important but who you work with is equally important.”

Less than a year after leaving the Obama administration to join Morrison & Foerster, where she was chairwoman of the firm's transportation group, Thomson is now moving on to join Amazon.com Inc.'s in-house team.

Thomson joined Amazon this month as a vice president and associate general counsel. Thomson had been a partner at Morrison & Foerster since September. It was a short-lived return to Big Law after a previous partnership at Sidley Austin.