GM’s Top Attorney Delays Retirement

General Motors Co. says chief counsel Michael Millikin, 66, is delaying his retirement from early this year to July as the company continues its search for a successor.

Millikin's leadership of GM's legal department has been strongly criticized in the wake of the company's belated recall a year ago of 2.6 million cars with defective ignition switches.

A GM-commissioned investigation into the reasons for the recall's 10-year delay laid much of the blame on Millikin's department. The report resulted in several members of his staff being fired. But the probe cleared Milliken himself of wrongdoing.

GM says Milliken will remain available for consulting through the end of this year.