Commercial Real Estate Development 2026
March 4, 2026 at 9:00AM PST
Downtown Vancouver and Live Webinar
Commercial Real Estate Development 2026
March 4, 2026
Overview
The commercial real estate industry is complex and dynamic. The sector is marked by ever-evolving market conditions, including interest rate hikes, a shifting political climate, and transformational housing-related legislation. Navigating the complexities of this dynamic sector demands a keen awareness of emerging issues and a discerning eye for creative opportunities. Advisors, developers, and industry leaders must stay abreast of the latest developments to thrive in the current economic environment.
Our one-day program assembles a distinguished cadre of seasoned experts, who will guide you through what you need to know in order to stay competitive. Join us for discourse that goes beyond the surface, and gain a nuanced understanding of the current climate that will empower you to navigate your project with finesse and success.
Key Areas to be Addressed:
An update on recent case law and legislative changes
Governmental programs impacting real estate development
Financing your project in a changing market
Tips for troubled and cancelled projects
The impact of the Cowichan decision on development
A case study
Who Should Attend:
Real estate lawyers and paralegals
Commercial real estate developers and advisors
Strata owners and operators
Municipal officials
Financial advisors
Agenda
9:00 - Welcome and Introduction by PBLI
9:05 - Chairs’ Welcome and Introduction
Sarah Batut
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Shauna Towriss
Dentons Canada LLP
9:15 Navigating the Legal Landscape: Recent Updates in Commercial Real Estate
Cassandra R. Enns
Farris LLP
Recent cases
Legislative changes
10:05 - Questions and Discussion
10:15 - Morning Break
10:30 - Governmental Programs Impacting Development
Cara Chu
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Sarah Batut
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Summary of provincial regimes
Affordable housing
BC Builds Homes/Build Canada
11:20 - Questions and Discussion
11:30 - Financing your Commercial Real Estate Project
Cherie Mah
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Kendall Andersen
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
CMHC financing
12:20 - Questions and Discussion
12:30 - Lunch Break
1:30 - Launching Projects in Uncertain Times
Alex Fane
Sampson Davie Fane Volpiana LLP
Working with tricky or troubled projects
Cancelled projects
REDMA ramifications
2:20 - Questions and Discussion
2:30 - Afternoon Break
2:45 - Impacts of the Cowichan Decision on Development
Saul Joseph
MLT Aikins LLP
Saravan Veylan
MLT Aikins LLP
Case overview and status
Submerged lands
Public infrastructure
Fee simple and constitutional scrutiny
Implications for practice
3:35 - Questions and Discussion
3:45 - Case Study
To be announced
4:35 - Chairs’ Closing Remarks
4:40 - Program Concludes
Meet the Co-Chairs
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Partner, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver, BC
Sarah Batut is a real estate Partner in the Vancouver office. In dealing with real estate transactions, Sarah’s clients appreciate her deep experience in a broad range of issues including acquisitions and sales, leasing, financings and commercial leasing. Sarah is also experienced in a variety of corporate and commercial transactions, including acquisitions, sales and reorganizations.
Legal advisor to property developers
Sarah acts for numerous property developers in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Surrey, Langley, Squamish, Richmond, Coquitlam, Port Moody and Victoria on all aspects of development projects including acquisitions, dispositions, rezoning, subdivision, disclosure statements and pre-sales of strata units. She is familiar with complex mixed-use developments including negotiation and preparation of development agreements such as easements, statutory rights of way and covenants, as well as navigating municipal processes such as subdivision, rezoning and servicing requirements. Her recent work includes various projects along the Cambie corridor, including “The Spot”, and the River District development in southeast Vancouver.
Sarah advises regularly on acquisitions and dispositions of all types of property, including development sites and income properties.
She also advises landlords and tenants on leases, subleases, lease assignments, lease terminations and offers to lease, including preparation of standard form lease documents for shopping centres, office buildings and industrial developments.
Sarah regularly writes on shopping centre leases and presents on leasing and development.
She stays on top of industry trends through her involvement in the International Council of Shopping Centers, Urban Development Institute, Urban Land Institute and Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Vancouver.
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Partner, Dentons Canada LLP, Vancouver, BC
Shauna Towriss is a partner in the Real Estate group in Dentons’ Vancouver office. She advises clients on commercial real estate acquisitions, dispositions, development, leasing and financing across office, retail, industrial, residential and mixed-use asset classes. Her practice includes acting for vendors, purchasers, developers, lenders, borrowers, landlords and tenants, with a focus on complex transactions and development projects both within and outside British Columbia.
Shauna brings significant experience in structuring and implementing ownership and investment vehicles, including co-ownership and joint venture arrangements, limited partnerships, unit trusts, syndicated mortgage structures and mortgage investment corporations. She negotiates and prepares letters of intent, purchase agreements, development agreements, easements, covenants and statutory rights of way, and she advises on land assemblies, municipal approvals, subdivisions, rezoning and servicing arrangements.
Shauna offers practical and commercially focused guidance rooted in a strong understanding of her clients’ business objectives. She also provides specialized insight at the intersection of real estate and corporate finance, having acted on a wide range of office, retail, industrial, residential and mixed-use projects involving syndicated partnerships, mortgage structures and real estate investment trusts.
Meet the Faculty
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Associate, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver, BC
Cara Chu is an associate in the Real Estate Law practice group. Cara assists clients on a variety of legal matters, including acquisitions and dispositions, financings, and leasing.
Cara graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Master of Laws (Common Law) and holds a Juris Doctor degree from Hong Kong. Prior to law school, Cara worked in banking and obtained a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons.) degree from the University of British Columbia. Outside of work, she enjoys travelling and experimenting with recipes.
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Partner, MLT Aikins LLP, Vancouver, BC
Saul is a partner in the firm’s Vancouver office. He works with Indigenous leaders and entrepreneurs to design commercial ventures informed by Indigenous worldviews, and he has extensive experience in Aboriginal, regulatory matters, on- and off-reserve real estate, and corporate/commercial law.
As an adviser to industry, he advises on how to effectively work with Indigenous Nations and navigate the Canadian Aboriginal and environmental law landscapes. He helps to build resilient partnerships between industry & Nations in a manner that is practical & effective.
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Associate, Farris LLP, Vancouver, BC
Cassandra is an associate in Farris’ Corporate Commercial and Real Estate practice groups. She maintains a broad practice, including real property transactions, asset and share transactions, developments and financing, leasing, partnerships, and general corporate and commercial matters.
Cassandra obtained her Juris Doctor from Thompson Rivers University and graduated on the Dean’s List. Cassandra remains a mentor to first year students entering the Faculty of Law at Thompson Rivers University. Prior to law school, Cassandra worked for a private real estate appraisal firm, as well as the Department of Indigenous Affairs as a negotiations assistant and obtained her Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columba.
Cassandra joined Farris as a summer student in 2017 and completed her articles with the firm in 2019.
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Partner & National Leader, BLG Beyond Lending, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver, BC
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.
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Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver, BC
Kendall practises in the areas of commercial lending, bankruptcy, insolvency and restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial transactions. He regularly acts for financial institutions, borrowers and private lenders in a wide variety of matters:
secured lending transactions, including syndicated loans
construction financing
cross-border financing transactions
asset-based lending
financing of residential and commercial developments
aircraft acquisition and financing
financing film and video productions
Ken also advises clients on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters and has experience with mergers and acquisitions, disposition and acquisition of businesses, and has experience in negotiating and structuring LNG projects and long-term Terminal Services Agreements. He also acts for debtors, creditors, trustees and monitors in a broad range of insolvency, realization and restructuring proceedings under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act and the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.
Kendall provides legal services through a Law Corporation.
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Founding Partner, Sampson Davie Fane Volpiana LLP, Vancouver, BC
Alex acts for a variety of developers, government bodies and non-profit organizations in connection with rezoning, complicated mixed-use developments and master planned communities throughout the Lower Mainland. He has built a reputation as a practical and results driven development lawyer. Alex also has extensive experience establishing limited partnerships and joint venture vehicles for the purposes of acquiring and developing real property in British Columbia.
Prior to entering law, Alex garnered valuable experience with his family-owned business. This provided an appreciation and perspective on the importance of delivering quality and practical legal services that can be relied upon by Davie Fane clients.
After many years practicing law and helping shape Vancouver’s real estate landscape, Alex believes a strong regional firm of professionals, sharing the same vision and commitment to their clients, is key to delivering cost-effective results.
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Partner, MLT Aikins LLP, Vancouver, BC
Saravan J. Veylan is a partner at MLT Aikins whose practice spans the full spectrum of commercial real estate law. He advises developers, lenders and institutional clients on acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, financing and development of commercial and industrial properties across British Columbia and Western Canada. His experience includes complex, multi-jurisdictional transactions, land assemblies, air space subdivisions and commercial leasing for office, retail and industrial spaces. Saravan is known for his practical approach to navigating municipal approvals, title encumbrances and construction-related matters.
In addition to his real estate practice, Saravan has developed an in-depth understanding of Indigenous economic development and on-reserve real estate. He works closely with First Nations and Métis communities on governance matters, additions to reserve, designation processes and the structuring of economic development corporations and Nation trusts. His work emphasizes strategic advisory support, including board governance, corporate structuring and the negotiation of long-term ground leases and commercial arrangements that reflect community priorities.
Saravan is a faculty member of Indigenous real estate education programming and an active member of the firm’s Indigenous practice group. He is committed to reconciliation and to supporting Indigenous clients in building sustainable, self-determined economic futures.
Registration Form
Program:
Commercial Real Estate Development 2026
Date:
March 4, 2026
Location:
UBC Robson Square (800 Robson Street - Classroom level), Vancouver, BC
Registration:
The registration fee is $990.00 plus GST of $49.50 totalling $1039.50 for webinar and in-person attendance. Registration fee covers your attendance at the program and electronic materials. In-person attendance includes a catered lunch and refreshments throughout the day.
Early Bird Discount:
Register by February 4, 2026 and receive a $100 discount on the registration fee ($890.00 plus GST). Discounts cannot be combined.
Group Discount:
Register four persons from the same organization at the same time and you are entitled to a complimentary fifth registration. Discounts cannot be combined.
If you would like to register a group, please fill out this form and email it to registrations@pbli.com:
Payment:
You may pay by VISA, Mastercard or cheque. Cheques should be made payable to the Pacific Business & Law Institute and mailed to Unit 2-2246 Spruce Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 2P3. Please do not send cheques via courier with signature required.
When and Where:
Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. The program starts at 9:00 a.m. (PST). UBC Robson Square is located at 800 Robson Street in Vancouver, BC, and our event will take place on the classroom level. Please visit https://robsonsquare.ubc.ca/find-us/ for directions.
Materials:
The faculty will prepare papers and/or other materials explaining many of the points raised during this program. Materials will be distributed electronically. Please contact us at registrations@pbli.com if you are unable to attend the program and wish to purchase a set of materials.
Cancellations/Transfers:
Refunds will be given for cancellations (less a $60.00 administration fee) if notice is received in writing five full business days prior to the program (February 25, 2026). After that time we are unable to refund registration fees. Substitutions will be permitted. We reserve the right to cancel, change or revise the date, faculty, content, availability of webinar or venue and transfer in-person registration to webinar registration for this event.
To register by phone:
Telephone us: 604-730-2500
Your Privacy:
We will keep all information that you provide to us in strict confidence, other than to prepare a delegate list containing your name, title, firm and city for our faculty and the program delegates. We do not share our mailing lists with any non-affiliated organization.
Course Accreditation:
Attendance at this course can be listed for up to 6 hours of continuing professional development credits with the Law Society of BC. For practitioners in other jurisdictions, please check your governing body’s CPD requirements.
If you would like to register a group, please fill out this form (DOWNLOAD FORM) and email it to registrations@pbli.com (*This form is for registrations of 5 or more and cannot be combined with any other promotions/discount codes.)
For individual registration, please continue with form below.