About Lisa A.
Lisa A. Amii brings an unusual combination of clinical training and legal education to intellectual property work. She trained as a physician before earning a law degree, and that blend shapes how she approaches patents and inventors. The path from medicine to patent practice is clear in her credentials and in the clients she serves.
Her academic record spans three institutions and three disciplines. She received a B.S. from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1992. She earned an M.D. from the University of Hawaii in 1996. A decade later she completed a J.D. at Santa Clara University School of Law in 2006. Those credentials give her both scientific fluency and formal legal training.
Amii is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. She works as a Senior Patent Agent at Morrison & Foerster LLP, where she drafts and prosecutes patent applications. Her day-to-day work involves translating technical ideas into claim language, responding to examiners, and coordinating filings across multiple jurisdictions. She often collaborates with patent attorneys, inventors, and corporate clients to move applications through the prosecution process.
Her medical background informs her technical judgment. Clinical experience gives her vantage on medical devices, diagnostics, and therapeutic systems. That perspective helps when evaluating patentability, crafting claims that capture inventive concepts, and explaining technical points to patent examiners. She also advises on prior art considerations and helps teams frame inventions in a way that aligns with legal standards.
Colleagues describe her role as bridging technical teams and legal counsel. She spends time in meetings with research scientists and in conference rooms with outside counsel. The work requires precise technical reading, careful claim drafting, and responsiveness during prosecution. It also requires managing deadlines and coordinating filings in stages as projects evolve.
Over the course of her career she has navigated patent practice at the intersection of law and medicine. Her combination of an M.D. and a J.D. positions her to handle complex life sciences matters. She remains based at Morrison & Foerster LLP, assisting clients on patent prosecution, technical analysis, and portfolio development for life sciences and medical technologies.
Her current practice focuses on patent prosecution for life sciences, medical devices, diagnostics, and related biotechnology innovations.
