Catherine A. Shaw
About Catherine
Catherine Shaw leads Miller Nash’s commercial lending team and is a trusted advisor to national and community banks and other financial services providers on sophisticated financing transactions. With more than three decades of experience, Catherine counsels lenders and borrowers across the full spectrum of commercial finance, including complex secured and unsecured credit facilities, tax-exempt bonds, affordable housing financings, and other capital projects.
Catherine regularly represents financial institutions in tax-exempt financings for housing, educational facilities, and nonprofit developments. As bank counsel, she manages all aspects of commercial lending transactions, including construction loans, term loans, revolving credit facilities, and syndicated financings. She also advises banks and institutional investors in the acquisition of tax-exempt bonds used to finance affordable housing and nonprofit projects.
A significant focus of Catherine’s practice is affordable housing finance. She guides lenders through the intricate regulatory and structural issues inherent in these transactions, including tax credits, tax-exempt bond structures, layered public funding sources, and complex multi-party and intercreditor arrangements. Catherine’s depth of experience allows her to deliver practical, risk-aware solutions that advance clients’ business objectives while navigating evolving market and regulatory demands.
Activities
- National Association of Bond Lawyers, Member
- Multnomah Bar Association, Member
- Oregon State Bar, Member
- Washington State Bar Association, Member
Recognition
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® (Portland, OR)
- Commercial Finance Law 2026-present
- Banking and Finance Law, 2022-present; “Lawyer of the Year” 2025
- Public Finance Law, 2007-present; “Lawyer of the Year” 2012, 2016, 2022, 2024, 2026
- Selected for inclusion as an Oregon Super Lawyer, 2024-present
- Rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell®
Insights from Catherine
- 19th Annual Affordable Housing Conference, Miller Nash (May 2012)
- 18th Annual Affordable Housing Conference, Miller Nash (May 2011)
- 17th Annual Affordable Housing Conference, Miller Nash (May 2010)