Bio

Lucien Bouchard brings a rare combination of business expertise and a solid understanding of Canadian and international policy matters to our clients’ initiatives. These skills, complementing his deep roots in the business community, have earned him widespread respect among organizations in diverse sectors. A former Premier of Québec, Secretary of State and Cabinet Minister in the Canadian government and Ambassador to France, Mr. Bouchard is widely respected for his skill in bringing disparate viewpoints to the table. After three years as Canada’s Ambassador to France (1985–1988), Mr. Bouchard was appointed Secretary of State for Canada and subsequently elected 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 founded the Bloc Québécois. Following the federal election in 1993, Mr. Bouchard became Leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Commons. In January of 1996, Mr. Bouchard resigned from federal politics and was sworn in as Premier of Québec, 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 time in politics, Mr. Bouchard was a litigator and also served on commissions and agencies, including as senior chairperson of arbitration tribunals in the education sector, chief counsel for the Cliche Commission on Québec’s construction industry and as a member of the Martin-Bouchard Commission on the public and parapublic sectors. As a result, he is a sought-after negotiator and mediator, known for his expertise and success in resolving complex and challenging disputes. Working in partnership with clients on their strategic issues, Mr. Bouchard sees the total picture in any client matter. At the same time, his attention to detail ensures that the spotlight is always squarely on resolving intricate problems of any given situation. Mr. Bouchard is Chair of the Board of Directors of Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and also serves on the board of Groupe BMTC Inc.