Cherie Mah

Partner, National Leader of BLG Beyond Lending

Vancouver
[email protected]
604.632.3532

Cherie acts for lenders – both private lenders and financial institutions - and borrowers in a variety of debt-financing and lending transactions.

She provides lending and financing expertise to clients looking to complete corporate mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations, and involving operating and term credit facilities across all market levels . She has experience in:

  • real estate financings
  • leveraged buy-out financings
  • multi-jurisdictional lending transactions
  • syndicated loans transactions
  • mezzanine and subordinated debt financing
  • asset-based lending

Cherie focuses on real estate and construction financings related to the acquisition, development and refinancing of various real estate assets such as land acquisitions, shopping centres, office buildings, industrial and mixed-use residential properties.

She advises on issues relating to the Land Title Act and the Personal Property Security Act, and has assisted lenders with developing standard forms for loan, security and related agreements, as well as establishing lending practices and procedures for commercial mortgage and other real estate-based lending programs.

She regularly acts for sureties in connection with deposit protection facilities and advises on the Real Estate Development Marketing Act.

Cherie is also a member of the Alberta Law Society and routinely acts on transactions with both a B.C. and Alberta component.

Cherie is conversational in Cantonese. Cherie provides legal services through a Law Corporation.

Experience

  • Acted as counsel for borrower in a $700 million refinancing of a portfolio of hotels across Canada.
  • Acted as BC local counsel for a syndicate of lenders in a $100 million refinancing of a forestry products company.
  • Acted for surety in $218 million deposit protection insurance facility for a luxury, residential strata and rental social housing development.

Beyond our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • Past Co-Chair, Risk Management Association, Young Professionals Group (Vancouver chapter)
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association, Banking Section
  • Member, Law Society of British Columbia
  • Member, Law Society of Alberta

Community Involvement

  • Board Director, Boys and Girls Club Foundation of South Coast BC, 2022 – Present
  • Speaker, University of British Columbia, Allard Law Women’s Caucus, Mothers in Law Panel, January 2022
  • Mentor, Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, 2014-Present
  • Volunteer, Vancouver Food Runners, 2020 – present
  • Division Ambassador, H1 & H2 Vancouver Thunderbirds Minor Hockey Association, 2021 - Present
  • Team Manager, H1, H2 & H3 Vancouver Thunderbirds Minor Hockey Association, 2019 – 2022
  • Team Manager, Jericho Little League Baseball, 2018 – 2020
  • Volunteer, Access Pro Bono's "Pro Bono Going Public", September 2020
  • Volunteer, BLG Reads to Kids Program (Literacy Program for Inner-City Kids), 2011-2020

Awards & Recognitions

  • Recognized in the 2024 edition (and since 2022) of The Best Lawyers in Canada® (Asset-Based Lending Practice) and since 2021 (Banking and Finance Law)
  • Recognized in the 2024 edition (and since 2022) of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory for Banking & Financial Institutions
  • Recognized in the 2023 edition of Lexpert Rising Stars
  • Recognized in the 2023 edition of Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A

Bar Admission & Education

  • British Columbia, 2011
  • Alberta, 2010
  • LLB, University of Saskatchewan, 2009 (included exchange programs in 2007 at Oxford University in the U.K. and the University of Victoria in B.C.)
  • BA in English Literature, University of British Columbia, 2006