Mark Stewart will step down as chair of Ballard Spahr on Dec. 31, 2023, making way for Minneapolis-based partner and business and transactions department chair Pete Michaud to lead the firm.

Michaud's election as chair comes after more than 11 years of Stewart's leadership, during which the firm entered the Midwest and New York markets and expanded its corporate and transactional practices nationally. Stewart will return to the full-time practice of law as a partner, according to a statement released Wednesday morning by the firm.