David Woodcock’s announcement this week that he is stepping down as assistant general counsel of Exxon Mobil and joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher seemingly eliminates from contention a strong candidate to become the next general counsel of the oil giant.

Woodcock told Law.com that he never set out as a career goal to become Exxon Mobil’s general counsel and doesn’t know whether the board and CEO Darren Woods would have chosen him. But the Dallas Business Journal and a source close to the company said Woodcock’s departure surprised colleagues, in part because the GC job is set to open up in just one year.