Bio

Paul Novak has 20 years experience as an investment banker and as a partner in a private equity fund. Before joining the CLA investment banking group, Paul was a partner at the St. Louis-based middle market private equity fund Capital For Business. Prior to his experience in private equity, Paul worked in the Minneapolis office of Lazard Middle Market LLC (middle market arm of Lazard Ltd) and for its predecessor entity Goldsmith Agio Helms. During his career, Novak has completed numerous buy- and sell-side advisory assignments, leveraged buyouts, fairness opinions, and private placements. As both a former private equity investor and current investment banker, Paul brings a unique skill set to CLA when it comes to understanding the dynamics and motivations of both buyers and sellers when selling a business. Paul has extential investment banking experience, advising on over 50 M&A assignments during his career. This experience covers a wide range of industries including industrial manufacturing, building products, consumer products, agri-business, medical practices, health insurance/HMO, industrial and educational distribution, material handling, printing, and packaging companies.