Jeffrey J. Thomas, Of Counsel to Leger & Shaw, is a New Orleans attorney with over fourteen years of public policy and legal experience focused on international, federal, and state laws addressing natural resource protection, oil and toxic substance control, community development, land use planning, and public participation in governmental decision-making. Jeffrey's subject-matter experience in these arenas includes litigation and business transactional representation on behalf of business, non-profit, and individual clients; public administration leadership within the City of New Orleans; and policy development and advocacy experience before Congress, various governmental agencies, and in affiliation with the United Nations.

Jeffrey is Principal of Thomas Strategies, LLC, a consulting firm providing organizational strategic planning, regulatory compliance, community development, and public-private financing solutions for a wide-range of small business, non-profit, and property developer clients. For example, Thomas Strategies, LLC recently assisted Seedco Financial develop a statewide plan to aid fisheries and coastal businesses safeguard against natural disasters and coastal erosion through affordable financing and technical assistance.

Previously, Jeffrey served as Special Assistant to the Mayor's Office of Recovery & Development Administration and directed policy development in furtherance of the City's long-term disaster-recovery plan. Among other contributions, Jeffrey authored the City's legal framework for securing over $400 million in federal grants; authored a new municipal code chapter to expand blight enforcement; and supervised development of policy guidance for over $35 million in economic development programming, "tax incremental financing districts," and local disbursement of $1.2 billion in "Gulf Opportunity Zone Bonds" and other public financing incentives.

Prior to his work on behalf of the City, Jeffrey was an attorney with the New Orleans law firm, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, and counseled clients on environmental, insurance, disaster-recovery, and property laws and regulations. Specifically, Jeffrey's litigation and transactional experience involved several environmental statutes, including NEPA, CERCLA, EPCRA, the Oil Pollution Act, Clean Water Act, and Clean Air Act.

Jeffrey also has international and domestic policy experience focused on expanding citizen rights to access government information, participate in public decision-making, and enforce those rights as necessary. Prior to moving to New Orleans, Jeffrey worked in Washington, DC as a policy analyst and public-interest lobbyist. He regularly testified before federal agencies, organized Congressional lobbying campaigns, and conducted community policy trainings focused on "community right-to-know" and "access to justice" issues. Jeffrey's work in this arena was incorporated into a United Nations guidance manual for post-Communist Eastern European nations redeveloping their environmental and public laws.

Jeffrey is a frequent speaker and author on issues related community and economic development, environmental quality, and public participation in government. In addition, he has served on numerous related boards and organizations, including the New Orleans Young Leadership Council, Sierra Club's National Political Committee, and the Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education.

For his efforts, in 2007, Jeffrey was honored to have been named as one of the top fifty lawyers in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area by CityBusiness Magazine for his efforts in the City's disaster recovery. He has also named as one of Gambit Magazine's "Forty Under Forty."