Raymond Boucher
Raymond Paul Boucher is an American trial attorney. Throughout his career, Boucher has represented clients in a wide range of matters including consumer litigation, construction defect litigation, product liability, toxic tort litigation and employment discrimination. He served as lead attorney in the landmark $660-million sexual-abuse settlement with the Catholic archdiocese where he represented over 250 abuse victims in the July 2007 settlement.[1] He was able to help secure over one billion dollars in recovery for victims of abuse by Catholic Priests in Southern California.
In 2010, Boucher traveled to Masindi, Uganda where he and colleagues spearheaded Project Masindi, an operation to help African teenage boys and girls who were detained in a Ugandan detention center while they awaited trial for accused crimes.[2] In addition to his multifaceted legal career, Boucher plays an active role with state and national politics where he helps raise funds and provides strategic analysis for various political campaigns. He is the past president of the Consumer Attorneys of California association,[3] the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles,[4] and a recipient of the California League of Conservation Voters award for his demonstrated courage, leadership and vision in helping to build a green California for future generations.
Early life
Boucher was born in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, on July 31, 1957. He is the second of eight children. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in business administration and political science from Fort Lewis College in 1980; his Master of Science degree in management from Colorado State University in 1981; and his Juris Doctor degree from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1984. He was admitted to the California State Bar in 1984.
During his time at Fort Lewis College, he was elected as student body president for two consecutive years, making him the first student to hold the position twice in the school’s history. In 2007, Fort Lewis College named him Alumnus of the Year. During his time at Colorado State, Boucher was a member of the Sigma Iota Epsilon, a national management honor society which promotes the cooperation between academic and practical aspects of management and also was a member of the CSV rugby team. After obtaining his management degree, Boucher attended Pepperdine University to work on his Juris Doctorate. During his time in law school, Boucher was a member of the Phi Delta Phi honor society and competed in the annual Moot Court competition where he ended up placing first. In 1984, he graduated from Pepperdine and ranked in the top fifteen percentile of his class. He was recognized with the University’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2002 and serves as a member on the Pepperdine Law School Board of Visitors. In 2005, Boucher was honored with an Honorary Doctor of Law by Whittier College School of Law in Costa Mesa, California.
Career
- Gould & Sayre, Santa Monica, California, Associate (1984 to 1985)
- Sayre, Moreno, Purcell & Boucher, Los Angeles, California, Managing Partner (1985 to 1990)
- Nordstrom, Steele, Nicolette & Jefferson, Los Angeles, California, Attorney of Counsel (1993 to 1996)
- The Law Offices of Raymond Boucher, Tarzana, California, Partner (1990 to 1999)
- Kiesel, Boucher & Larson LLP, Beverly Hills, California, Partner (1999 to 2013)
- Khorrami Boucher Sumner Sanguinetti, LLP, Los Angeles, California, Partner (2013–2014)
- Boucher, LLP, Woodland Hills, California, Partner (2014–Present)[5]
He has been recognized as a Top Leading Lawyer in America[6] by Lawdragon and named Trial Lawyer of the Decade by the Los Angeles Daily Journal.
Notable published case decisions
Callahan v. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (2011) 194 Cal. App. 4th 557. Represented family members in suit against law firm that drafted a partnership agreement which damaged the family business. Pending.
Harrell v. 20th Century Ins. Co., 934 F.2d 203 (9th Cir. 1991). Suit to recover for fraud in the sale of a small business. Resolved.
Ileto v. Glock, Inc., 421 F. Supp. 2d 127 (C.D. Cal. 2006). Action against weapons manufacturers Glock and China North, whose firearms were used by a member of the Aryan Nation to shoot several children and kill a postal worker. Pending.
Quesada v. Herb Thyme Farms, Inc. __ Cal. __ (2015) California Supreme Court determines state law claims brought by consumers alleging produce is being intentionally mislabeled as organic are not preempted by federal law.
Ramirez v. Fox Television Station, 998 F.2d 743 (9th Cir. 1993). Suit involving unconstitutional employment discrimination based upon national origin.
Regents of University of California v. Superior Court (2010) 183 Cal. App. 4th 755. Represented relatives of decedents who willed their bodies to a medical school for research and teaching purposes, and who learned that UCLA improperly disposed of the decedents’ remains in a grotesque and undignified manner after scientific uses were concluded. Donors were told that after use, their remains would be cremated and scattered in a rose garden. Human remains were commingled with other remains and incompletely incinerated, leaving hair and flesh intact. Remains were placed in a mixture of incinerated human bodies, laboratory animal carcasses, and medical waste into garbage dumpsters and then transported to a landfill where they were disposed of with common refuse.
Rippon v. Bowen (2008) 160 Cal. App. 4th 1308. Case on behalf of California citizens who challenged the constitutionality of Proposition 140, which imposed lifetime term limits upon state legislators and other state officers.
Santillan v. Roman Catholic Bishop of Fresno (2008) 163 Cal. App. 4th 4. Case on behalf of a victim of childhood sexual abuse. Pending.
Shirk v. Vista Unified School District (2007) 42 Cal. 4th 201. Case to recover for sexual molestation by a public school teacher.
Wallace v. City of Los Angeles (1993) 12 Cal. App. 4th 1385. Demetria Wallace, a teenaged honors student, was shot and killed by a shotgun blast as she sat on a bench waiting for a bus five days before she was to testify against a man accused of fatally shooting a taxi driver. Mr. Boucher spent five years preparing the lawsuit before it went to trial. After a week the trial judge took the case out of the jury’s hands and granted a nonsuit in the city’s favor. The plaintiff then won an appeals court ruling that the police had a duty to warn her daughter and remanded. The City settled on the eve of trial. The case affirmed the government’s responsibility to protect citizens who jeopardize their lives by stepping forward as witnesses to crimes, and prompted changes in police procedures that have saved other witnesses’ lives since.
Wholesale Electricity Antitrust Cases I & II (2007) 147 Cal. App. 4th 1293, JCCP 4204-00005 and 4204-00006. Co-lead counsel in suit to recover from energy traders for antitrust and unfair business practices in the wake of the deregulation of California’s energy sector. Resolved in conjunction with the Attorney General’s office for over $1.1 billion.
Awards
- California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award 2008, California Lawyer magazine
- California League of Conservation Voters 2007
- Champion of Justice Award 2008, Loyola Law School
- Consumer Attorney of the Year 2007, Consumer Attorneys of California
- David S. Casey, Jr. Consumer Advocate Award 2006, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego
- Legislative Champion Award 2002, Consumer Attorneys of California
- Profiles in Courage Award - 2007
- Steven J. Sharp Public Service Award 2008, American Association for Justice
- Strengthening Our Lives Award 2007
- Super Lawyers, Southern California[7]
- Ted Horn Memorial Award in recognition of service to the California State Bar 2002, Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles
- Trial Lawyer of the Year 1994, Trial Lawyer for Public Justice
- Trial Lawyer of the Decade 2001-2010, Los Angeles Daily Journal
- Trial Lawyer of the Year 2008, Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles
- Trial Lawyer of the Year – Mass Torts OCTLA 2008
- 500 Leading Lawyers in America 2009-2014, Lawdragon[6]
Affiliations
- American Association for Justice, Diplomat, State of California Delegate Member [8]
- American Bar Association, admitted as a Fellow of the American Bar
- Beverly Hills Bar Association, Member
- California Courts, Administrative Office of the Courts (2002 to 2007) Committees: Court Funding, Complex Courts System, Court Integration
- California State Bar Association, Member
- Civil Justice Foundation, Member
- Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles - President (2005), Board of Governors, Emeritus Member (2005 to present), Board of Governors, Member (1996 to 2006)
- Consumer Attorneys of California - President (2007), Board of Governors (1997 to present)
- Consumer Attorneys of San Diego (2001 to present)
- Consumer Advocate of the Year (2007)
- Diversity in Law Foundation, Board of Directors
- Los Angeles County Bar Association - Board of Trustees (2000 to 2002)
- Los Angeles Superior Court Bench and Bar Committee (2001 to 2008)
- Make a Wish Foundation, Ambassador
- National College of Advocacy, Fellow
- Orange County Bar Association, Member
- Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, Member
- Pepperdine School of Law - Board of Visitors (1997 to present)
- Public Citizen, Member
- Public Justice, Board of Directors - Board of Directors (1996 to present), Member (1984 to present)
- The Roscoe Pound Foundation, Member
Personal life
Raymond Boucher lives in Los Angeles, CA with his two son, Matheu and Raymond Jr. Outside of the court room, Boucher is an outdoorsman. He devotes much of his free time to rock climbing in Colorado, a hobby he picked up from his late father who died due to a rock-climbing accident. Boucher is in the process of completing all 54 of the mountain peaks in Colorado in honor of his father who was able to conquer 38 of the peaks. Boucher also enjoys skiing and cooking and is an avid traveler. In addition to his various hobbies, he also coaches little league and soccer. A collector of art too, Boucher has a collection that includes sports memorabilia passed down from famous athletes like Wayne Gretzky and pieces from and Carl Yastrzemski.
References
- ↑ "Payout Is Bittersweet for Victims of Abuse". The New York Times. 17 July 2007.
- ↑ http://lawmagazine.pepperdine.edu/content/spring2010.pdf
- ↑ "CAOC Past Presidents".
- ↑ "PresidentInterviews".
- ↑ Amanda Bronstad (15 December 2014). "New L.A. Plaintiffs Firm Focused on 'Social Justice'". National Law Journal.
- 1 2 "The 500 Lawyer Limelight: Ray Boucher". Lawdragon.com. 2013-11-18. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
- ↑ "Raymond Boucher Lawyer in Los Angeles, Attorney CA". Super Lawyers. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
- ↑ "The American Association for Justice - Homepage". Justice.org. 2014-03-01. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
External links
- Larry King Live, Priest Sex Abuse Scandal
- ABC 7 News, Priest Sex Abuse Scandal, December 2002
- CNN, Clergy Landmark Settlement
- The Today Show, Priest Sex Abuse Scandal, October 2005