About

As with many other in-house lawyers in Canada, Chantal Thibault started her legal career in private practice, initially working as an associate at Goodmans in Toronto in the corporate and securities law practices. Thibault has been with OMERS Private Equity since April 2007, initially starting as their general counsel working on corporate transactions and subsequently becoming managing director, legal. Since joining OMERS, Thibault has contributed immensely to the growth of the legal department, which was necessary to facilitate the changing strategy within the company. She has made exceptional hiring decisions that have led to the formation of a strong team that demonstrates the high levels of flexibility and commitment necessary to support business activities across three separate offices. Thibault has managed a number of impressive transactions in her career, but takes particular pride in her work to ensure that the legal department is used to support all of the activities of the company, she says: ‘We are in the business of buying businesses, so I don’t think any transaction is more important than the next one. What I’m really proud of is building the right team and ensuring that our team is used to the best of our abilities, so that we can add the most value’. As a result of Thibault’s efforts, the legal department is being used as a close partner to the investment teams, allowing them to actively impact the strategic direction of the business. ‘We’re not just a rubber stamp at the end of the process’, she explains but ‘work with the investment teams from the beginning of a transaction; analysing the best way to balance the legal risks against the commercial priorities and while doing so we help shape the transactions and the direction of our investments’.