Iris Tam is a Partner of the Blakes Commercial Real Estate Group, one of the largest and most comprehensive real estate practice groups in Canada.

Iris has experience in a broad range of complex and sophisticated real estate transactions, with an emphasis on mortgage financing. Having developed broad-based expertise in her practice, Iris has further broadened her experience and worked on transactions involving the enforcement of security, real estate investment trusts, loan restructurings and workouts, as well as transactions involving the renewable energy sector. Iris has recent experience advising lenders on debtor-in-possession and exit financings.

Iris works closely with the Firm's corporate, restructuring and banking practices to ensure that every aspect of a transaction is evaluated and successfully completed. Iris holds an M.B.A. in addition to an LL.B. and brings her business acumen to bear on her clients' real estate needs.

Iris received the Past Presidents' Award for Cross-Border Investments in Real Estate and its Finance - Banking and Finance Issues from the International Association of Young Lawyers/ Association Internationale des Jeunes Avocats at the 42nd Annual Congress in Naples, Italy. A total of 39 papers were submitted on this topic.

The following financing transactions are representative of Iris's practice:

• CDPQ - CAD 405-million loan to Starwood Capital secured by five Westin Hotels



• Legacy Hotels REIT - CAD 335-million loan from CDPQ secured by seven Fairmont and Delta Hotels



• Primaris Retail REIT - CAD 85-million loan from CDPQ secured by Place du Royaume shopping centre, Chicoutimi, Quebec



• Primaris Retail REIT - CAD 83-million loan from CDPQ secured by Midtown Plaza shopping centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan



• Primaris Retail REIT - CAD 45-million loan from MetLife secured by Cornwall Centre shopping centre, Regina, Saskatchewan



• Mass Mutual - Financing of Victoria Marriott Hotel and Railway Street Corporate Centre in Calgary

Iris has also worked on a number of significant acquisitions and dispositions, including:

• DB Real Estate, subsidiary of Deutsche Bank - CAD 181-million acquisition of 5000 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario from Menkes and Transamerica
• Primaris Retail REIT - CAD 129-million purchase of Place du Royaume shopping centre, Chicoutimi, Quebec
• Investors Group - CAD 117-million purchase of a portfolio of 24 industrial and office buildings
• Primaris Retail REIT - CAD 114-million acquisition of 3 shopping centres in Ontario and one in New Brunswick
• Morguard REIT - CAD 108-million acquisition of 11 retail, office and industrial properties in Alberta
• Primaris Retail REIT - CAD 85-million purchase of Place Fleur de Lys shopping centre, Québec, Quebec
• Investors Group - CAD 32-million purchase of Brampton Supercentre shopping centre, Brampton, Ontario
• Investors Group, Orlando and Orion - sale of a portfolio of 45 office and industrial properties

Iris is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, the Toronto Commercial Real Estate Women (Toronto CREW) and the Women's Executive Network. She is also a member of Toronto CREW's Governance and Programs Committees.