Daniel Johnson is counsel in our Montréal office. Mr. Johnson provides strategic and practical advice to clients regarding their relations with public and governmental institutions. He also acts as mediator in disputes between private parties particularly regarding public-private partnerships, public policy and government relations.
A former Premier of the Province of Québec, Mr. Johnson was a member of the National Assembly of Québec for more than 17 years and held numerous offices in the Government of Québec. In 2008, he was appointed Grand Officer of the Ordre national du Québec, the Government of Québec's highest honour.
A law graduate of the Université de Montréal and a member of the Québec Bar since 1967, Mr. Johnson also holds LLM and PhD degrees in law from the University of London (UK), as well as an MBA from Harvard University. From 1973 to 1981, he practised law as Corporate Secretary and then as Vice President of Power Corporation.
As a member of the Government of Québec from 1985 to 1994, he was Minister of Industry and Commerce, then Chairman of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Administration and the Public Service. He was also Minister responsible for the Montréal region and was a member of the Standing Ministerial Committee on Economic Development, the Committee on Planning, Regional Development and the Environment, and the Legislation Committee. He became Leader of the Québec Liberal Party in December 1993, served as Premier of the Province of Québec from January to September 1994 and then as Leader of the Official Opposition until May 1998.
In 2004, Mr. Johnson co-chaired, with the Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney, a Québec Government Commission on the establishment of Montréal's university health centers, and from 2007 to 2010, chaired the Committee on Québec Judges' Remuneration.
Mr. Johnson is a Director of Bombardier Inc., IGM Financial Inc., MacKenzie Financial Inc., Investors Group, The Bank of Canada, Trow Global Holdings inc., and Chairman of the Board of Victhom Human Bionics Inc.
Since 2002, Mr. Johnson has also been Honorary Consul of Sweden in Montréal.