Sara A. Leiman, Ph.D.

Associate

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Sara A. Leiman, Ph.D.

Associate

+1 617 646 1651 +1 617 646 1651
sara.leiman@finnegan.com sara.leiman@finnegan.com

Two Seaport Lane
Boston, MA 02210-2001

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Sara Leiman, Ph.D., prosecutes and provides strategic counseling on U.S. and foreign patent portfolios in the biological and pharmaceutical areas, provides validity and patentability opinions, and manages and prepares landscape and freedom-to-operate analyses.

Sara has developed global prosecution strategies and prosecuted patent applications in fields spanning the life sciences, including antibodies, complement inhibition, controlled-release formulations, diagnostics and in vitro detection assays, dietary supplements, gene editing (e.g., CRISPR), gene therapy, immunology, immuno-oncology, metabolic disease, modified polynucleotides, neuroscience, nucleotide sequencing, protein purification, recombinant and fusion protein therapeutics, and vaccines.

Sara's technical expertise is in microbiology, bacterial genetics, and molecular biology. Her graduate thesis focused on the genetics and regulation of complex communities of bacteria known as biofilms.

Et Cetera

Coauthor and coeditor. "Patent Subject Matter Eligibility: A Global Guide,” Globe Law and Business, Sept. 2021.
Harvard CopyrightX Teaching Fellow, 2017-2019; co-head teaching fellow, 2017-2018.
Served as a startup mentor advising teams aiming to develop solutions for under-serviced medical needs at MIT Hacking Medicine, 2016.
Team leader for the Harvard Law Entrepreneurship Project, 2015-2016.
Lecturer and lecture coordinator for Science in the News, 2011-2013.
Coauthor. “Colony-Morphology Screening Uncovers a Role For the Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Nitrogen-Related Phosphotransferase System in Biofilm Formation,” Molecular Microbiology, 2016.
Coauthor. “Identification and Characterization of Mutations Conferring Resistance to D-Amino Acids in Bacillus Subtilis,” Journal of Bacteriology, 2015.
Coauthor. “SinR Is a Mutation Target for Fine-Tuning Biofilm Formation in Laboratory-Evolved Strains of Bacillus Subtilis,” BMC Microbiology, 2014.
Coauthor. “D-Amino Acids Indirectly Inhibit Biofilm Formation in Bacillus Subtilis by Interfering with Protein Synthesis,” Journal of Bacteriology, 2013.

Experience

Comprehensive patent transactions and strategic counseling for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world

Finnegan is lead and preferred IP transactions counsel for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, handling more than 50 diligence projects each year, including all IP and related transactional aspects of the matters. The transactions span the full gamut of technologies from small molecule through biologics such as antibodies, oligonucleotides, and gene therapies. Finnegan also provides extensive assistance with post-deal integration procedures and subsequent global prosecution and portfolio strategy, ensuring a seamless transition of IP assets to the company and maximum value from acquired IP.

Global prosecution and portfolio management for major pharmaceutical company

Finnegan is lead and preferred IP strategy counsel for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, handling all aspects of prosecution and portfolio management for multiple top-tier products for the client. The work spans the gamut from drafting and prosecution through larger strategic planning, patent term extension, and pre-litigation preparation on blockbuster small molecule and biologic products in the oncology, rheumatology, immunology, neuromuscular, and cell and gene therapy spaces.

Insights

Seminar

Life Sciences Workshop: Updates and Key Trends in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology IP Law Life Sciences Workshop: Updates and Key Trends in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology IP Law

May 1, 2025

Cambridge

Workshop

Life Sciences Workshop: Updates and Key Trends in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology IP Law Life Sciences Workshop: Updates and Key Trends in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology IP Law

May 2, 2024

Cambridge

Workshop

Life Sciences Workshop: Updates and Key Trends in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Patent Law Life Sciences Workshop: Updates and Key Trends in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Patent Law

April 27, 2023

Cambridge

Prosecution First Blog

ChromaDex Fails to Milk Its Patent for Subject Matter Eligibility ChromaDex Fails to Milk Its Patent for Subject Matter Eligibility

March 17, 2023

Virtual Seminar

Drafting Patent Applications Drafting Patent Applications

March 15, 2023

Virtual

Lecture

Emory University Patent Law Lecture on Inventorship and Ownership Emory University Patent Law Lecture on Inventorship and Ownership

March 14, 2023

Atlanta

News

Announcement

Finnegan Announces 2024 Mentors of the Year Finnegan Announces 2024 Mentors of the Year

December 31, 2024

Announcement

Finnegan Announces 2021 Mentors of the Year Finnegan Announces 2021 Mentors of the Year

December 28, 2021

Professional Activities

Boston Bacterial Meeting
(supervisor, 2014-2015; co-chair, 2013-2014; Organizing Committee finance chair, 2011-2013)
Boston Patent Law Association

Admissions and Education

Admissions

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Massachusetts

U.S. District Court, D. Massachusetts

Education

Harvard Law School: J.D., cum laude, 2018

Harvard University: Ph.D., Biochemistry, 2015

Duke University: B.S., Chemistry, cum laude, 2010

Sara's Practices

Diligence, Licensing, and Opinions: Freedom to Operate Opinions
Prosecution and Portfolio Management: Appeals to the PTAB; Copyright; Due Diligence; IP Portfolio Management; Opinions and Counseling; Patent Drafting and Prosecution

Sara's Industries

Life Sciences: Biologics; Biotechnology; Pharmaceutical