(Reuters) - Cybersecurity partner Beth George is heading back to Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in San Francisco after about eight months as acting general counsel at the U.S. Department of Defense, the firm said Tuesday.

President Joe Biden appointed her in January to the general counsel role, in which she focused on issues including the agency's efforts to prevent sexual assault and extremism in its ranks and ethics obligations for incoming senior officials, according to Wilson Sonsini.

George was previously deputy general counsel for legislation at the Defense Department before joining Wilson Sonsini in 2017, where the Palo Alto-founded firm said she built its cybersecurity team. She held prior roles in the White House, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Senate.

George said the position at the Defense Department was intended to be a short-term, "day one boots-on-the-ground" job at the beginning of the Biden administration until a permanent general counsel could be nominated and confirmed.

The Senate in July confirmed Caroline Krass, an alumna of insurance company American International Group, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and the Central Intelligence Agency, as general counsel.

George's practice focuses on assisting clients with crises, internal and government investigations, law enforcement data requests and corporate cybersecurity governance, according to Wilson Sonsini.

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