FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 29, 2020
Chancellor Andre G. Bouchard to retire in April
Chancellor Andre G. Bouchard has informed Gov. John C. Carney and his judicial colleagues that he plans to retire from the Delaware Court of Chancery effective April 30, 2021.
After a legal career exceeding 34 years focused on the Court of Chancery, as an advocate and as a jurist, Chancellor Bouchard said it was time to step back, enjoy more time with his family, and pursue other interests. He has not announced any specific plans after he retires from the bench.
“The Court of Chancery is a revered place with a 228-year tradition of excellence. But what ultimately makes the Court so special are the people who dedicate themselves to its mission, not only in the high-profile world of corporate law but in attending to the needs of many of our State’s most vulnerable citizens and whatever else calls out for equity,” he said, adding that his judicial colleagues and court staff are among the State’s most highly dedicated public servants.
“It has been an honor of a lifetime to serve the citizens of Delaware as the steward of this special institution,” said Bouchard in his letter to the Governor.
“Confronting a court expansion, a burgeoning caseload, and a pandemic, Chancellor Bouchard led the Court of Chancery with humility, imagination, and grace,” said Delaware Supreme Court Chief Justice Collins J. Seitz, Jr. on Tuesday. “We thank him for his public service, and wish him the best in life after the bench.”
“For more than 225 years, the Delaware Chancery Court has been known for its excellence, its stability and objectivity,” said Governor Carney. “Chancellor Bouchard has built on that legacy and has served the State of Delaware with distinction. During his time on the bench, Chancellor Bouchard also oversaw an expansion of the Chancery Court to keep pace with caseloads as more entities choose Delaware as their legal home. On behalf of all Delawareans, I want to thank Chancellor Bouchard for his leadership.”
Chancellor Bouchard was sworn into office on May 5, 2014, following his nomination by Gov. Jack Markell. During his tenure as head of the Court of Chancery, the Court maintained its international reputation in corporate and commercial law and the State experienced substantial growth in the number of business entities it serves, through incorporation in the State of Delaware.
In the wake of increasing demands on the Court’s docket, Chancellor Bouchard spearheaded the effort to expand the Court of Chancery for the first time in over 28 years through the enactment of legislation in 2018, which increased from five to seven the number of constitutional judicial officers on the Court. The Chancellor also presided over a Corporate Law Symposium in 2017 to celebrate the Court’s 225th anniversary. That same year, the Delaware Historical Society honored the Chancellor with its Delaware History Makers Award. Earlier this year, Chancellor
Bouchard was named to the 2020 NACD Directorship 100 as one of the most influential people in the boardroom.
Before his appointment, Chancellor Bouchard spent 28 years in private practice in Wilmington, Delaware, most recently as the managing partner of a corporate and commercial litigation boutique he founded in 1996.
Chancellor Bouchard spent most of his youth in Delaware, graduating from Salesianum School in 1979. He received his B.A. summa cum laude from Boston College in 1983, where he was the recipient of the Edward H. Finnegan Award, and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1986. He was selected as a Harry S. Truman Scholar from Delaware in 1981. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of the American Law Institute.
Source: Delaware Courts