A partner with the firm since 2001, Lucien Bouchard practises corporate and commercial law, in addition to acting as negotiator and mediator for significant commercial and labour disputes. Given his past experiences outside the practice of the law, Mr. Bouchard’s active involvement in the business community includes advising large corporations on strategic issues and policy matters.
Prior to joining the firm, Lucien Bouchard had a distinguished diplomatic and political career. After three years as Canada’s Ambassador to France (1985-1988), he was appointed Secretary of State for Canada and subsequently elected as a Member of Parliament. Following his re-election, Mr. Bouchard became Minister of Environment in the Canadian government, and served on several cabinet committees. In 1990, after he resigned as Minister of Environment and left the Conservative caucus, he sat in the House of Commons as an independent and following the federal election in 1993, Mr. Bouchard became the Official Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons.
In January of 1996, Lucien Bouchard resigned from federal politics and as leader of the Bloc Québécois, and was sworn in as Premier of Quebec; then re-elected in a subsequent election, Mr. Bouchard served as Premier until his resignation in 2001 and his decision to leave the political arena and return to the practice of law.
Prior to his political career, Lucien Bouchard practised with a private law firm in Chicoutimi, pleading corporate and commercial cases before the courts at all levels. From 1970 to 1985, he was a member or leader of various committees for the Saguenay and Quebec Bars. During this time, he also served on commissions and agencies focused on labour relations. He was the Senior Chairperson of the arbitration tribunals in the education sector, Chief Prosecutor for the Cliche Commission on Quebec's construction industry, and a member of the Martin-Bouchard Commission on the public and parapublic sectors. In addition to several articles published in law journals, Mr. Bouchard is co-author of the Martin-Bouchard Report (1977-1978). In 1992, Boréal published his autobiographical essay on the political evolution of Quebec,
À visage découvert, in which he also recounts his career. More recently, Mr. Bouchard presented the paper
Résister à la tentation de la prolifération réglementaire at the Conférence économique in Paris.
Lucien Bouchard is a member of the following Boards of Directors: Transcontinental Inc., Groupe Saputo Inc., Brault & Martineau Inc., TransForce Income Fund, the Centre d’études et de recherches internationales de l’Université de Montréal, the Advisory Committee to the Board of Dessau Inc. He is also President of the Montréal Symphony Orchestra (MSO).
Lucien Bouchard did his undergraduate studies at the Collège de Jonquière, completing his B.A. in 1959. In 1960, he received his Bachelor’s degree in Social Science. On May 30, 2002, he was promoted “Commandeur de l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur” by the French Government. On June 19, 2008, he was promoted “Grand Officier of the Ordre national du Québec” by the Québec Government.
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