At year's end, Richard Cullen will step down as chairman of Richmond, Virginia-based McGuireWoods—a position he has held for 11 years and which he has previously talked about leaving.

Cullen, 69, said he has been planning his succession for four years. He will remain at McGuireWoods after retiring from his leadership post at the firm, which has grown to about 1,100 lawyers.

A former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and Virginia attorney general, Cullen has practiced white-collar criminal defense law throughout his chairmanship. He currently represents Vice President Mike Pence in connection with probes into Trump campaign contacts with Russia.