Tisha R. Black, Esq.

About Tisha R. Black, Esq.

Founding Partner

Tisha Black is a Founding Partner at Black & Wadhams.

From Tisha’s interview for the Masters of Business Law series on ReelLawyers.com.

Tisha Black is a native of Las Vegas and has practiced law for over 20 years, focusing primarily on real estate and business issues including cannabis businesses, regulatory compliance, corporate structuring, finance, real estate, business licensing and entitlements, acquisitions, and complex commercial transactions. In 2000 she co-founded the law firm of Black & LoBello, one of the first and only female owned law firms. In 2020, she founded the law firm of Black & Wadhams, which focuses specifically on the legal needs of business owners and developers.

Ms. Black has been an active participant and counselor in the Nevada marijuana industry since 2014. She has been, and continues to be, active in the Nevada State Medical and Recreational Cannabis Program and participate in the legislative process. Ms. Black filed applications with the state of Nevada for Dispensaries, Cultivation and Production. Each of her applications resulted in provisional certification for her clients. She is presently working with several cannabis businesses (in each class of certification) regarding structure, establishment, financing, compliance and ongoing operations. Ms. Black also represents clients in California, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arizona.

Due to her business acumen and extensive cannabis compliance experience, she currently serves on several cannabis Advisory Boards and as Compliance and Regulatory Director for a number of licensed marijuana establishments. She is a founding member of the Nevada Dispensary Association, a non-profit association which represents most licensed cannabis businesses in Nevada. Ms. Black also teaches a myriad of courses in cannabis law, representation, licensure, taxation and compliance to attorneys, cannabis businesses and other stakeholders. She is a founding member of the Cannabis Law Section of the Nevada State Bar for attorneys representing hemp and marijuana establishment businesses.

Utilizing her expertise in areas of business, Ms. Black has served as a panel member and teaches seminars in Business and Corporate Structure, Contracts, Regulatory Compliance, Landlord Tenant Law and Intellectual property; Fair Debt Collections Practices Act and serves as a mediator with the Nevada Foreclosure Mediation Program, presently. She has been published in several distinguished periodicals and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Huffington Post, Las Vegas Sun and Las Vegas Review Journal. She was a contributor to Nevada’s CBS affiliate KLAS for their Peabody award winning series Desert Under Water in 2008. Ms. Black has also earned an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest peer reviewed rating of professional excellence, legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards.

Community Involvement

Ms. Black is an active member of the community, participating in numerous charitable events and organizations. She has served as a member of several advisory boards, including University of Nevada Las Vegas’ (UNLV) Lied Institute of Real Estate Studies, and St. Jude’s Ranch for Children in Southern Nevada and has been an instructor with Greater Las Vegas Area Realtors and the Nevada Division of Real Estate.

She currently serves as the President of the Nevada Dispensary Association and Vice Chair of the Nevada State Bar Cannabis Practice Section. As a Founding Partner of the Black & Wadhams Law Firm, Ms. Black spearheads the firm’s community outreach initiatives, which include, without limitation, sponsoring families with hardship for Christmas, sponsoring toy and, school supply drives in low-income areas, and food drives, and donating to various non-profit organizations. She regularly provides her legal services gratis as a community service by assisting small businesses through COVID related issues.

Recognitions

  • 2021: Super Lawyers, Real Estate & Cannabis
  • 2020: Super Lawyers, Real Estate & Cannabis
  • 2020: 100 Most Influential Women, Nevada
  • 2019: Top Lawyers of Nevada
  • 2016: Legal Excellence Award; Vegas Legal Magazine
  • 2016: Top 100 Lawyers of Las Vegas; My Vegas Magazine
  • 2016: Legal Elite; NV Business Magazine
  • 2013: Top 10 Prominent Real Estate Attorneys; Las Vegas Business Press
  • 2012: Top Lawyer-Business; Vegas Inc.
  • 2012: Top Lawyer-Real Estate & Foreclosure; Vegas Inc.
  • 2011: Attorney of the Month-July; Las Vegas Lawyer Magazine
  • 2011: Rising Star; Mountain States Attorneys
  • 2011: Co-Author of Nevada State Assembly Bill 284

Boards

  • 2019-Present: Member of the Nevada State Bar Cannabis Section
  • 2016-Present: Nevada Dispensary Association
  • 2016-2018: United Citizens Fund
  • 2015-Present: Clear River, LLC d.b.a Nevada Medical Marijuana
  • 2014-Present: Nevada Dispensary Association
  • 2013-Present: Member Southern Nevada Home Builders Association
  • 2013-2018: Board Member Nevada Affordable Housing Assistance Corporation
  • 2013-Present: Speaker Eagle University
  • 2010-Present: Board Member United States Supreme Court Historical Society
  • 2009-Present: Faculty Member National Business Institute
  • 2009-Present: Member Clark County Bar Association
  • 1996-Present: Nevada State Bar Association
  • 1995-Present: Faculty Member American Trial Lawyers Association

What Our Clients Say

  • Lori B.
    Landlord/Tenant Dispute "Tisha helped me with a commercial property that I own. She assisted me in resolving issues with my tenants due to a poorly written lease. Tisha was recommended to me by a friend and I would recommend her to others."
    Lori B.
  • Leanna Ranieri
    Thank You Tisha! "I just wanted to thank you so much for everything you have done for my family, especially my dad, in the past couple of years. You truly have no idea how much of a positive impact you have made on my family and I will forever thank you. You continued to guide and help my dad, even when you had so much other stuff going on in your life and I am so grateful for that. I just want you to know how much I appreciate you and all of your hard work. You have allowed us to start fresh--while closing a chapter and beginning a new one."
    Leanna Ranieri
  • Gerald Erwin
    Tisha “speaks my language … She understands the big picture … She is willing to do whatever she can to make it right."
    Gerald Erwin
  • Muanfan Boorapan
    “She was very kind and took time with me … couldn’t have done it without her help. If you’re looking to open up a business … to get things done in a correct way, then Tisha Black is the person that can help you out.”
    Muanfan Boorapan
  • Brad Lea
    “A lot of attorneys I’ve worked with in the past didn’t really have the business acumen, or the teeth - the chops, to see through and identify the way through. With this law firm, they show you the way through, almost like a partnership.”
    Brad Lea
  • Brad Lea
    “They shined a light on things we were not aware of that we needed to be aware of.”
    Brad Lea