Irell & Manella litigator Craig Varnen, who served as vice chair of the firm’s litigation group for two decades, has left the firm to join Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Los Angeles. Varnen is the latest in a string of high-profile partners to leave the firm as it pivots toward high-end IP and commercial litigation.

A securities litigator and executive committee member, Varnen had been with Irell for more than 20 years. He was a stable member of firm leadership alongside famed rainmaker Morgan Chu, even as the firm saw the departures of three managing partners in as many years.