Meet Paula

Paula Collins is a cannabis tax attorney. Originally from Louisiana and Texas, Paula moved to New York City in 2009 to join the New York City Teaching Fellows. She taught Special Education for 11 years in some of the most difficult schools in Harlem and Brooklyn.

Paula attended Brooklyn Law School at night while teaching. In January 2020 she made the leap to the private sector, working for a Big Four accounting firm as a senior tax associate in the real estate partnerships group. During the Covid stay-at-home orders, New York passed the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) and, thanks to the excellent health care extended through the teachers' union, Paula was able to establish herself as a solo cannabis attorney. Paula's primary focus is in helping small- to mid-sized entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of licensing, regulation, and compliance in New York's newest industry. 

Paula has one daughter, who is a graduate of the London School of Economics in politics and European studies. 

Other interesting fact: Paula is a classical pianist, who spent her early career in Houston, Texas, where she maintained an ambitious roster of piano students, performed regionally, and served as the church musician for All Saints Catholic Church in the Houston Heights. Paula holds masters degrees in piano performance and music composition from the University of Houston. She still performs with the chamber music group, Triolinas, and has become a regular attendee of the Adult Chamber Music Institute in Maine, formerly at Kneisel Hall. Combining her legal profession with her music profession, Paula has served as the chair person of the New York City Bar Association Chamber Music Committee for the past three years. 

Read her blog here.