Richard Cullen (attorney)

Early life and education

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Cullen was raised in Staunton, Virginia. He majored in political science and played varsity football at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1971. He attended the University of South Carolina School of Law in Columbia, South Carolina, from 1971 to 1972, and then worked in Washington, D.C. for U.S. Representative M. Caldwell Butler. Cullen then returned to Virginia and earned a J.D. degree in 1977 from the University of Richmond T.C. Williams School of Law. He served as editor in chief of the school's law review.

Career

Cullen has been with McGuireWoods LLP since entering practice in 1977. He was named chairman in December 2006, succeeding Robert L. Burrus Jr., and led the firm for 11 years. He is succeeded by Jonathan Harmon. As a partner in the firm, Cullen focuses on complex commercial litigation; government, regulatory and criminal investigations; white collar defense; and accountant defense.

Cullen represented Mike Pence, the 48th vice president of the United States, in relation to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. He also advises Fred and Cindy Warmbier, the parents of University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier, in a wrongful death suit against the North Korean government.

He represented then-FIFA president Joseph “Sepp” Blatter in relation to the investigation of FIFA by the Department of Justice and the Eastern District of New York.

Cullen, along with former federal prosecutor and fellow McGuireWoods partner Toby Vick, negotiated an immunity deal with the U.S. Justice Department on behalf of businessman Jonnie Williams amid a federal investigation involving then-Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell.

He led a successful bipartisan effort in 2013 to have Tracy Thorne-Begland seated on the Richmond General District Court Bench, making him the first openly gay judge in Virginia history.

Cullen was the lead attorney for former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, during a six-year Justice Department investigation into alleged links between the congressman and former lobbyist Jack Abramoff. No criminal charges were filed against the former House majority leader.

Cullen and fellow McGuireWoods partner Dennis I. Belcher represented Elin Nordegren in her August 2010 settlement with professional golfer Tiger Woods.

In 2010, it was reported that Cullen was among the lawyers representing Bank of America in a multi-state investigation into the bank's foreclosure practices.

Since joining the firm, Cullen has taken leave three times for public service assignments. In 1987, he served as special counsel to U.S. Sen. Paul S. Trible Jr., R-Va., during the Iran-Contra investigation. He was appointed by President George H. W. Bush in 1991 as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, serving until 1993. In 1997, Virginia Governor George Allen appointed Cullen Attorney General of Virginia to fill the unexpired term of Jim Gilmore, who resigned to conduct a successful campaign for governor. In addition, Cullen was on President George W. Bush's legal team during the recount of the 2000 election in Florida.

Cullen was part of the defense team hired to represent Boeing in a federal criminal investigation related to the 737 MAX aircraft. In January 2021, Boeing entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Personal life

Cullen is married to Agnes Tullidge Cullen and has four grown children. His son, Thomas T. Cullen, was confirmed in the U.S. Senate on September 10, 2020 to serve as a U.S. district judge for the Western District of Virginia.

References

References

1. "Richard Cullen, Partner".
2. [http://www.mcguirewoods.com/lawyers/index/Richard_Cullen.asp "Richard Cullen Biography"], "[[McGuireWoods LLP]]"
3. [http://www2.furman.edu/about/about/trustees/Pages/Profiles.aspx "Trustees Emeriti"], "[[Furman University]]"
4. [https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/mike-pence-lawyers-up/530550/ "Mike Pence Lawyers Up"], "[[The Atlantic]]" – June 15, 2017
5. Lee, Michelle Ye Hee. (June 30, 2020). "A dozen donors paid nearly $480,000 in legal fees for Pence in Mueller inquiry, new filing shows". [[The Washington Post]].
6. [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-warmbier/parents-of-u-s-student-sue-north-korea-over-his-death-idUSKBN1HX38L "Parents Sue North Korea, Saying Warmbier 'Tortured and Murdered'"], "[[Reuters]]" – April 26, 2018
7. [http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/soccer/fifa-president-sepp-blatter-lawyers-hires-richard-cullen-article-1.2261826 "FIFA President Sepp Blatter Lawyers Up, Hires High-Powered Attorney Richard Cullen"], "[[New York Daily News]]" – June 18, 2015
8. [[Bob McDonnell#Federal corruption charges. "Memorable Moments from the McDonnell Trial"]], "[[Richmond Times-Dispatch]]" – August 30, 2014
9. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/leaders-of-richmond-law-firms-support-judgeship-for-gay-prosecutor/2012/06/12/gJQAHnAZYV_story.html "Leaders of Richmond Law Firms Support Judgeship for Gay Prosecutor"], "[[The Washington Post]]" – June 12, 2012
10. [https://www.politico.com/story/2010/08/delay-knew-this-day-would-come-041104 "DeLay 'knew this day would come'"], "[[Politico]]" – August 16, 2010
11. [https://people.com/celebrity/tiger-woods-and-elin-nordegrens-divorce-is-final/ "Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren's Divorce Is Final"], "[[People (magazine)]]" – August 23, 2010
12. [https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69Q5CV20101027 "Former Va. AG on Bank of America foreclosure legal team"], "[[Reuters]]" – October 27, 2010
13. [https://web.archive.org/web/20101029003052/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-economy/2010/10/bank_of_america_hires_former_d.html "Bank of America hires former Va. AG, former justice official for foreclosure defense"], ''[[The Washington Post]]'' – October 28, 2010
14. (2019-06-06). "Boeing turns to high-powered defense attorneys in 737 MAX investigation".
15. (2021-01-08). "Boeing to pay $2.5 billion to settle U.S. criminal probe into 737 MAX crashes". Reuters.
16. "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 116th Congress - 2nd Session".
17. "Senate confirms Cullen as federal judge".