About

Editor’s note: This interview was conducted prior to March 2020.

Bruno-Étienne Duguay has acted as chief legal officer for Novacap since 2008. He brought a wealth of experience to the role, drawing on a background that included 10 years as a litigation lawyer with a large national firm, and seven years of commercial transaction experience at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. Novacap is a leading Canadian private equity fund with over C$3.2bn of assets currently under management, an astonishing 40% increase from C$2.25bn in the last year. Novacap announced in November the closure of its largest private equity fund, Novacap Industries V, with total commitments of C$940m. Innovation is also top-of-mind for Duguay and his team as Novacap, at the end of 2019, was the first private equity firm to launch a fund dedicated to financial services. The fund of C$250m will address a significant need in the Canadian market. The number, significance and complexity of these landmark transactions, along with the recognition they have gained in the industry, are truly impressive. Bruno-Étienne Duguay is a remarkable dealmaker combining business acumen with outstanding legal expertise. The profession has recognised Duguay’s contribution for over a decade, and in 2017 he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Civil Law Section, Faculty of Law of the University of Ottawa.

Duguay is a very talented lawyer with a business acumen. No wonder why he succeeds so well at Novacap. My relationship with him started before he joined Novacap and, over the years, I was a privileged witness of his skillset in negotiating deals but also in building the legal team that now supports Novacap’s investment activities.