L. Yves Fortier, CC, OQ, QC (born September 11, 1935) is a Canadian trial lawyer, arbitrator, businessman and diplomat.
Born in Quebec City, he received his B.A. from the Université de Montréal in 1955, his B.C.L. from McGill University in 1958, and his B.Litt. from the University of Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar, in 1960. In 1961, he was called to the Quebec Bar.
From 1984 to 1989, he was a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), also known as the Hague Tribunal. From 1988 to 1992, he was Canada's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations. From 1989 until 1990, he was also Canada's Representative to the UN Security Council and in October 1989 was the President of the Security Council. From 1998 to 2001, he served as President of the London Court of International Arbitration.
Until the hostile takeover of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in February 2006 by Jerry Zucker, Fortier held the traditional title of HBC's Governor (that is, Chairman). HBC is Canada and North America's oldest business corporation, founded on May 2, 1670. Fortier is Chairman and Senior Partner of the Ogilvy Renault law firm and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alcan Inc.
In 1984 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Companion in 1991. In 2006, he was made an Officer of the National Order of Quebec. [1] He is the recipient of six honorary degrees from major universities in Canada.
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Stephen Lewis |
Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations August 1988–December 1991 |
Succeeded by Louise Fréchette |