When employee benefits partner Steven Witmer left Ivins, Phillips & Barker’s Los Angeles office for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in January, it was his first new job in 26 years. It took just 31 days for him to return to the firm where he began his career.

Witmer defected to Morgan Lewis from Ivins Phillips along with fellow employee benefits partners Rosina Barker and Jonathan Zimmerman, who are based in Washington, D.C. But a month later, Witmer approached his old firm about coming back.