Clarence H. Tolliver

Clarence Tolliver focuses on energy regulatory, transactional and project matters, with an emphasis on nuclear fusion, nuclear fission, hydrogen, renewable energy, and aerospace and aviation industries.

Clarence has experience advising on regulatory, intellectual property, international trade and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-related work. Prior to joining Pillsbury, Clarence worked on a variety of intellectual property development, commercialization and international licensing matters involving energy, security and climate technologies at the Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories. Clarence draws from nearly a decade of experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research on energy sustainability, finance, technology and policy topics in graduate and post-graduate programs throughout Japan.

Representative Experience

Conducted multistate evaluation and advised multinational nuclear fuel corporation on NRC license renewal and reinstatement options.
Advised Japanese multinational on legal and regulatory mandates governing the U.S. fusion market under the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act of 2024 and the NRC 10 CFR Part 30 byproduct materials framework.
Advised leading artificial intelligence (AI) developer on technical, legal and policy aspects of global and U.S. AI datacenter landscapes and advanced energy options for meeting precipitous growth in domestic energy demand.

Engages startups, SMEs and large corporations navigating NRC, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and other federal agency regulatory processes affecting the research, development, demonstration and deployment of space nuclear power and propulsion systems.

Counsels NGOs and private nuclear technology developers on system- and component-level classifications under Department of Commerce and NRC export control regimes.

Advises U.S. utilities on general and specific export control authorization requirements under Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration regulatory frameworks.

Advised aviation startup on the FAA and Federal Communications Commission licensing and regulatory requirements for operating test flights at hypersonic speeds.

While at Sandia National Laboratories, served U.S. federal government agencies and national laboratories, federally funded universities, small-medium enterprises and foreign government entities in domestic and international technology transactions.

Assisted fusion industry client with patent prosecution and business development strategies.

Supports Fusion Industry Association (FIA) efforts to accelerate regulatory and legal reforms conducive to fusion energy commercialization and proliferation.

Provides pro-bono counsel to non-governmental organizations focused on energy, hydrogen and decarbonization initiatives.

Engages Japanese government, corporate and research entities seeking independent and partnership opportunities in Asia, North America and Europe.

Professional Highlights

Speaking Engagements

“Nuclear Realities in Outer Space,” American Bar Association (ABA) Forum on Air and Space Law 2025 Space Law Symposium, Hogan Lovells, Washington, DC, June 05, 2025. Panelist.
“To Infinity and Beyond: Unique Government Contracting Issues and the Space Industry,” ABA 2025 Federal Procurement Institute, The Westin Annapolis, Annapolis, MD, April 03, 2025. Panelist.
“Japan-U.S. Fusion Collaboration,” Fusion Nexus: Advancing Japan-U.S. Partnership, Embassy of Japan, Washington, DC, February 27, 2025. Coordinator.

“U.S.-Japan Nuclear Energy Workshop,” Embassy of Japan, Washington, DC, December 18, 2024. Master of Ceremonies.

“International Nuclear Retrospective 2024: Sanctions, Controls and Bans,” ABA Section of Environment, Energy and Resources, December 05, 2024. Webinar Moderator.

“U.S. Commercial Launches of Space Nuclear Systems – Insurance and Indemnification, Considerations and Potential Options,” Association of Commercial Space Professionals (ACSP) U.S. Space Nuclear Policy Summit, National Press Club, Washington, DC, October 04, 2024. Speaker.

“Justifications for Expanding the Price-Anderson Act (PAA) to Cover Private Sector Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion (SNPP) Systems,” Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Seminar (Virtual), Albuquerque, NM, August 17 and 31, 2023. Presenter.

“Drivers of Green Bond Market Growth,” Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies 24^th Annual Conference, Fukushima University, Fukushima, Japan, September 28 and 29, 2019. First author speaker.

External Publications
- “U.S. Commercial Launches of Space Nuclear Systems – Insurance and Indemnification Considerations,” American Nuclear Society (ANS), Proceedings of the Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space Conference, Huntsville, AL (May 2025). First co-author.
- “Getting Lithium for Batteries from Geothermal Brine to Where It’s Needed,” The Global Trade Law Journal (December 2024). Co-author.
- “Expanding the Price-Anderson Act (PAA) to Cover Private Sector Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion (SNPP),” ANS, Proceedings of Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space 2024 Conference, Santa Fe, NM (May 2024). First co-author.
- “Legal and Policy Update: Regulation,” Fusion Energy Insights Quarterly, (Q3 2024 – Present). Co-author.
- “Green Innovation and Finance in Asia,” Asian Economic Policy Review, (January 2021). First co-author.

Affiliations and Associations
- U.S. Nuclear Industry Council
- Fusion Industry Association
- American Nuclear Society
- Energy Bar Association
- ABA Forum on Air and Space Law
- ABA 2025 Space Law Symposium Program Planning Committee
- ABA Section on Environment, Energy and Resources
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Registered Patent Attorney
- Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme Alumni Association of Washington, DC
- Rotary Club Japan Yoneyama Fellow
- Kyushu University Urban Institute Fellow

Education

D.Eng., Kyushu University, 2020

J.D., University of Michigan Law School

M.Eng., Kyushu University, 2017

B.A., Colgate University

Admissions

District of Columbia

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Languages

Japanese

Areas of Focus

Practices

Representative Experience

Professional Highlights

Clarence's Insights