Melissa Waite
Cannabis Law
Cannabis Law
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Melissa is a Member in the firm’s Real Estate Department and practices in the areas of privilege licensing, business transactions and real estate transactions. She assists with licensing and regulatory compliance for businesses with liquor, marijuana, gaming and other privilege licenses. Melissa also provides counsel in real estate matters including the acquisition, disposition, leasing, development and financing of real estate in Nevada. Melissa has extensive experience with Nevada LLC and corporate law matters and routinely assists with all stages of a business’s life cycle including entity selection, formation of a business entity, and final disposition of the business or dissolution. She drafts and negotiates contracts for clients in a variety of industries providing valuable insight with regard to general contracting matters.Since 2013, Melissa has been advising clients on emerging legal issues related to marijuana establishments and ancillary marijuana businesses. She has assisted cultivators, producers, dispensaries, testing labs and distributors in maintaining compliance in a highly regulated market, obtaining state and local licenses, acquiring real estate and facilitating acquisitions and dispositions of operating cannabis establishments. Melissa is constantly working with state and local agencies, monitoring new policies and changes in the law in order to help clients stay at the forefront as the cannabis industry continues to evolve. Melissa is a Member in the firm’s Real Estate Department and practices in the areas of privilege licensing, business transactions and real estate transactions. She assists with licensing and regulatory compliance for businesses with liquor, marijuana, gaming and other privilege licenses. Melissa also provides counsel in real estate matters including the acquisition, disposition, leasing, development and financing of real estate in Nevada. Melissa has extensive experience with Nevada LLC and corporate law matters and routinely assists with all stages of a business’s life cycle including entity selection, formation of a business entity, and final disposition of the business or dissolution. She drafts and negotiates contracts for clients in a variety of industries providing valuable insight with regard to general contracting matters.Since 2013, Melissa has been advising clients on emerging legal issues related to marijuana establishments and ancillary marijuana businesses. She has assisted cultivators, producers, dispensaries, testing labs and distributors in maintaining compliance in a highly regulated market, obtaining state and local licenses, acquiring real estate and facilitating acquisitions and dispositions of operating cannabis establishments. Melissa is constantly working with state and local agencies, monitoring new policies and changes in the law in order to help clients stay at the forefront as the cannabis industry continues to evolve. Melissa is a Member in the firm’s Real Estate Department and practices in the areas of privilege licensing, business transactions and real estate transactions. She assists with licensing and regulatory compliance for businesses with liquor, marijuana, gaming and other privilege licenses. Melissa also provides counsel in real estate matters including the acquisition, disposition, leasing, development and financing of real estate in Nevada. Melissa has extensive experience with Nevada LLC and corporate law matters and routinely assists with all stages of a business’s life cycle including entity selection, formation of a business entity, and final disposition of the business or dissolution. She drafts and negotiates contracts for clients in a variety of industries providing valuable insight with regard to general contracting matters. Since 2013, Melissa has been advising clients on emerging legal issues related to marijuana establishments and ancillary marijuana businesses. She has assisted cultivators, producers, dispensaries, testing labs and distributors in maintaining compliance in a highly regulated market, obtaining state and local licenses, acquiring real estate and facilitating acquisitions and dispositions of operating cannabis establishments. Melissa is constantly working with state and local agencies, monitoring new policies and changes in the law in order to help clients stay at the forefront as the cannabis industry continues to evolve.
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2023
Andrew Kim
I engaged Melissa Waite at Dickinson Wright to help my investment group secure a cannabis retail license in Nevada. The process was daunting, involving intricate state and local regulations, real estate contingencies, and complex business structuring. Melissa's deep knowledge was immediately apparent. Her 18 years of experience, particularly her recognized work in cannabis and administrative law, gave us immense confidence. She expertly navigated the Clark County privilege licensing maze and structured the underlying real estate transaction to protect our interests. Her background in corporate transactions was also invaluable when drafting our operating agreement. We successfully obtained our license, and the business is now operational. Melissa is a sharp, strategic attorney who clearly knows the Nevada regulatory landscape inside and out. The only reason for not giving a full five stars is that during the peak of our application crunch time, there were a couple of instances where follow-up emails took a day or two longer than expected, though her associate was always responsive. Overall, I highly recommend her for anyone dealing with regulated industries or complex business/real estate deals in Las Vegas.