Pilar Thomas (Pascua Yaqui) is a partner in Quarles & Brady’s Energy, Environment & Natural Resources Practice Group. She focuses her practice on tribal renewable energy project development and finance, tribal economic development, federal Indian Law, natural resource development and cultural resource protection. Pilar 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.
Pilar previously served as the deputy director for the Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs at the U.S. Department of Energy, where she was responsible for developing and implementing policy and program efforts within the department and federal government to promote energy development, electrification, and infrastructure improvement on tribal lands. She also is the former deputy solicitor of Indian Affairs for the U.S. Department of the Interior, where she advised the Secretary, Assistant-Secretary for Indian Affairs, and other Department officials on matters related to tribes, tribal law, and federal Indian law. She was Of Counsel at Lewis Roca, representing tribes on gaming, economic development and energy development matters. She also served as the Interim Attorney General and Chief of Staff for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and was a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental and Natural Resources Division, Indian Resources Section.
Pilar serves on the boards for the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law and Western Resources Advocates, and serves as Vice-Chair at large for the Indigenous Resources Committee for the ABA Section on Energy, Environment and Resources. She is a former board member of the Native American Bar Association of Arizona, where she served as President and Secretary. In her spare time, Pilar teaches Indian Energy Law at both the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and the University of Arizona James Rogers School of Law (but not at the same time).
Pilar received her Juris Doctorate from the University of New Mexico School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Stanford University.
