Lisa Hillman

Lisa Hillman advises clients at the forefront of scientific and technological innovation on building and protecting complex patent portfolios.

Her practice spans advanced biotechnology platforms, including AI-driven proteomics, CRISPR gene editing technologies, next-generation therapeutic antibodies, medical devices, diagnostics, and pharmaceuticals for both human and veterinary applications.

For more than two decades, Hillman has combined deep scientific fluency with strategic legal insight, supporting clients operating in highly complex and rapidly evolving areas of intellectual property law. She is known for translating breakthrough science into commercially meaningful patent protection, particularly in life sciences and advanced diagnostics.

Her experience includes drafting comprehensive intellectual property policy frameworks for a Fortune Global 100 company, aligning IP processes across business units in more than 80 countries and regions.

She has also built and managed international patent portfolios from early-stage development through to acquisition, including an siRNA company acquired for over $1 billion, as well as a technology company with a global portfolio exceeding 400 patents that contributed to a successful acquisition valued at over $40 million.

Her notable matters include long-term patent strategy work for Arthrex, supporting innovation in minimally invasive surgery, orthopedics, and medical education; foundational patent work for Helus Pharma (formerly Cybin) in psychedelic-based therapeutics for mental health conditions; and IP portfolio development for Astrin Biosciences, focusing on AI-enabled diagnostics, proteomic analysis, and early cancer detection technologies.

She has also supported a global veterinary diagnostics company for more than 20 years, securing patents central to its product pipeline, and has worked with a major research university for more than 15 years on biotechnology inventions spanning CRISPR technologies, immunotherapeutics, engineered microorganisms, bioscaffolds, biosensors, and diagnostics.

In addition to client work, Hillman is active in thought leadership within the life sciences IP field, including speaking engagements at ACI’s 13th Summit on Biosimilars & Innovator Biologics, the USPTO AI and Emerging Technologies Partnership Series, and ACI’s Advanced Summit on Life Sciences patents.

She holds leadership roles within Women in Bio (WIB) Greater Boston Chapter, where she has served as chair (2023–2025). Through this work, she has contributed to expanding the chapter’s membership from approximately 450 members in 2020 to more than 700 in 2025, making it the largest WIB chapter in the US.