As the chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Department and a member of the Emerging Companies and Life Sciences practice groups, Lisa Adams handles all aspects of patent and trademark law, including:
- Patentability Evaluations
- Preparation and Prosecution of Patent Applications
- Reissue and Reexamination of Patents
- Conducting Freedom to Operate Studies
- Performing Due Diligence and Clearance Studies
Lisa represents clients in the areas of medical and life science technology, mechanical products and processes, chemical and material science, and electrochemistry.
Candid, Team-Oriented, and Strategic
Lisa’s clients value her candor. She is respected as a straight-shooting patent attorney and experienced leader who is not afraid to be very frank with clients about, for example, the right to use a product or device in the market, rather than have them invest time and resources in something that might be successfully challenged.
In addition to her long-term vision, clients benefit from Lisa’s ability to think strategically and the emphasis she consistently puts on that approach. Rather than focus on merely building an IP portfolio, Lisa helps her clients avoid surprises and enhance their profitability by developing a roadmap that identifies an end-goal, the critical stage gates and how best to manage along the way.
Having a well-considered strategic plan is only one, albeit important, piece of the value Lisa adds to her relationships with clients and the service she provides. Lisa uses a team-oriented approach, encouraging frequent firm-client interaction and training, where the client team – lawyers and non-lawyers alike – is constantly learning about a client’s business, industry, and competition.
We are confident that our strategic outlook is one of the reasons Johnson & Johnson has repeatedly named Nutter a “Go-To” law firm in IP. In addition to advising Fortune 500 companies, Lisa and her team counsel early-stage technology companies to be strategic. With her help, clients develop IP strategies that maximize the value of IP by not only protecting their inventions but by blocking and gaining leverage over competitors – the “picket fence” approach.
Lisa also recognizes that a coherent strategy can demonstrate to investors that there is more to your company than a “one and done” approach to innovation. Experience has proven that this is key to successful funding and sustainability.
Value to Clients
- A start-up recently embarked on a written IP strategy plan, under Lisa’s direction. The plan lays out an IP roadmap congruent with its business goals, objectives and budget. The plan has raised the credibility of the venture and its attractiveness to investors by reducing the risk profile; focusing on a strong, comprehensive IP portfolio instead of a single, narrow patent; preserving future protection options; and allowing accurate legal budget projections.
- Lisa’s team built a patent portfolio for a mid-size company, with an eye toward covering a competitor product. The patents were asserted against the competitor and the result preempted launch of the competitor’s product and the successful sale of the client’s company.
- Several major medical device companies have turned to Nutter for “Freedom to Operate” opinions. Lisa’s team analyzed and assessed the claims of third-party patents and provided strategic counseling and advice for planned commercial launches. Following Lisa’s candid analysis, the client executives stated that they were more confident about making go/no-go decisions.
Service to the Community and Profession
Lisa understands the importance of civic involvement and of leadership in the legal community, in Boston and beyond. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the American Intellectual Property Law Association, and the Boston Patent Law Association. She serves on the planning committee for the AIPLA Mid-Winter Institute, and is responsible for planning the America Invents Act intensive training track.
In addition, she served as President of the Boston Patent Law Association in 2010. Lisa has held various other positions, including Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and the chair of the Pro Bono Committee, the Activities and Public Relations Committee, and the Young Lawyers Committee. As the Pro Bono Committee chair, she organized an annual Silent Auction to benefit local charities. Lisa also handles pro bono cases from the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts.
Lisa is also very active with the United Way, serving as a Vice Chair for the Education branch of the Women’s Initiative, which oversees the Healthy Child Development, Youth Opportunities, and Employment and Housing Committees. Lisa’s work with the Women’s Initiative involves offering educational series, volunteer opportunities, and fund raising events to help the United Way reach its goals. Lisa is also Vice Chair for the United Way Women’s Leadership Breakfast, which supports Today’s Girls and Tomorrow’s Leaders.