For nearly three decades, Terry Wike has fought for clients in Nevada’s courtrooms. Few attorneys have seen a case from as many angles as he has: as insurance defense counsel, as a plaintiff’s trial lawyer, as the founder of his own litigation firm, and as the head of a statewide investigations division. At Paul Padda Law, Terry puts that experience to work for people whose lives have been turned upside down by someone else’s carelessness, and he stays focused on what matters most to them: their recovery.
Terry began his legal career at Thorndal Delk Balkenbush & Eisinger, one of Nevada’s established insurance defense firms, where he defended personal injury and construction defect claims. Working on the other side of the table taught him exactly how insurance companies evaluate claims, set reserves, and build their defense. Today, he uses that inside knowledge to anticipate the insurer’s next move and to press for the full value of his clients’ cases. He went on to Mainor Harris, where he represented injured people and property owners in personal injury and construction defect litigation from pre-litigation through resolution.
In 2003, Terry founded The Law Offices of Terry L. Wike, a full-service civil litigation firm he led for more than twenty years. He represented clients in complex matters in both state and federal court and tried high-exposure cases as first chair before Nevada juries. Running his own firm also gave him a practical, business-minded approach to every case, from building the strategy to managing costs and timelines on his clients’ behalf.
From 2021 to 2025, Terry served as Director of Investigations and Counsel for the Nevada State Contractors Board. In that role, he led statewide criminal and compliance investigations of licensed contractors, supervised the Board’s investigative staff, coordinated with prosecutors and regulators, and served as counsel in administrative hearings and disciplinary proceedings. He also introduced procedural improvements that made enforcement more efficient and shortened case resolution times. That work gives him rare insight into how contractors are licensed, regulated, and held accountable, which is a real advantage for clients harmed by construction defects, unsafe work sites, or contractor misconduct.
Terry handles his cases personally from the first meeting through trial, including investigation, discovery, depositions, motion practice, mediation, and courtroom advocacy. His experience spans personal injury, medical malpractice, construction defect, contract disputes, and class actions. Clients and colleagues know him for sound judgment, careful preparation, and a willingness to take a case to verdict when a fair settlement isn’t on the table.
Terry is licensed to practice in both Nevada and California, and he is admitted before the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he also completed graduate-level coursework at the Anderson School of Management. He received his Juris Doctor from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, where he served as an editor of the Law Review, Vice President of the Student Bar Association, and Lieutenant Governor of the American Bar Association Law Student Division.
Outside the office, Terry brings the same grit to endurance competition that he brings to the courtroom. He regularly takes on Spartan races and Tough Mudder events and stays committed to high-intensity training, Pilates, and yoga. Above all, he values time with his family and his Las Vegas community.