Pilar Thomas Joins Quarles & Brady's Tucson Office as Partner

Tucson, AZ — The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP today announced that Pilar Thomas has joined the firm's Energy, Environment & Natural Resources and Real Estate practice groups in the Tucson office as Partner.

Ms. Thomas focuses her practice on tribal renewable energy project development and finance, tribal economic development, federal Indian Law, and natural resource development. She assists clients with strategic legal advice on tribal energy policy and planning; clean energy and infrastructure project development and finance; federal and state energy regulatory, programs, and policy efforts; and federal requirements for tribal lands development.

Prior to entering private practice, Ms. Thomas was the Deputy Director for the Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs at the U.S. Department of Energy. She was responsible for developing and implementing policy and program efforts within the department and throughout the federal government to achieve the office's policy objectives related to the promotion of energy development, electrification, and infrastructure improvement on tribal lands.

Additionally, Ms. Thomas is the former Deputy Solicitor of Indian Affairs for the U.S. Department of the Interior; served as the Interim Attorney General and Chief of Staff to Chairwoman Herminia Frias of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe; and was a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental and Natural Resources Division, Indian Resources Section.