Overview
Robert J. Hilton is a partner in our San Diego office.
Dr. Hilton represents a wide array of clients in the pharmaceutical, chemical, biotechnology, and medical device industries related to patent prosecution and strategic counseling. He brings deep technical skills to clients’ work in therapeutics, diagnostics, antibodies, molecular biology, immunology, regenerative medicine, personalized and precision medicine, vaccines, drug delivery systems, cosmetics, and nutraceuticals, making him go-to counsel for patent protection issues of all kinds, and for complex patent portfolios. Dr. Hilton’s passion for the law and science allows him to appreciate his clients’ technical innovations and develop strategies for safeguarding and rewarding these advances.
Prior to graduate studies in biochemistry, Dr. Hilton was an ophthalmic assistant, specializing in retinal disorders. He has extensive experience in prosecuting portfolios related to diagnostics, therapeutics, and medical devices related to eye diseases, such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, and glaucoma.
Dr. Hilton has substantial experience in all aspects of patents, including drafting and prosecution, patentability, validity, and due diligence reviews. He also provides advice on risk management of intellectual property matters. Dr. Hilton offers honed skills in global patent portfolio creation and management and has guided companies from inception of ideas through building strong patent portfolios to secure business goals.
Dr. Hilton joined the firm in 2014 and became a partner in 2021.
Education
- Brigham Young University (J.D., 2014), cum laude
- Brigham Young University (Ph.D. Biochemistry, 2011)
- Brigham Young University (B.S. Biochemistry, 2006)
Recognition
- Named a “Patent Prosecutor of the Year” by World Intellectual Property Review’s Life Science Network (LSPN) (2025)
News & Insights
Articles
FDA Grants Breakthrough Status to Dthera Sciences’ Alzheimer’s Therapeutic
First Prosthetic Iris Approved
FDA Approves NorthStar’s Tc-99m Generator
RoundTable to Acquire Symmetry Surgical for $143 Million
FDA Approves the First Insulin Pump and Glucose Monitoring System for Children
Hilton, R. J.; Seare, M. C.; Andros, N. D.; Kenealley, Z.; Watt, R. K. Phosphate Inhibits In Vitro Fe3+ Loading into Transferrin by Forming a Soluble Fe(III)-Phosphate Complex: A Potential Non-Transferrin Bound Iron Species. J. Inorg. Biochem., 2012, 110, 1–7.
Hilton, R. J.; Zhang, B.; Martineau, L. N.; Watt, G. D.; Watt, R. K. Anion Deposition in Ferritin. J. Inorg. Biochem. 2012, 108, 8–14.
Hilton, R. J.; Andros, N. D.; Kenealey, Z.; Watt, R. K. The Ferroxidase Center is Essential for Ferritin Iron Loading in the Presence of Phosphate and Minimizes Side Reactions that Form Fe(III)-Phosphate Colloids. Biometals, 2012, 25(2), 259-273.
Snow, C. L.; Martineau, L. N.; Hilton, R. J.; Brown, S.; Farrer, J.; Boerio-Goates, J.; Woodfield, B. F.; Watt, R. K. Ferritin Iron Mineralization Proceeds by Different Mechanisms in MOPS and Imidazole Buffers. J. Inorg. Biochem. 2011, 105 (7), 972–977.
Keyes, J.; Hilton, R.; Farrer, J.; Watt, R. Ferritin as a Photocatalyst and Scaffold for Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis. J. Nanopart. 2011, 13, 2563–2575.
Johnson, J.; Kenealey, J.; Hilton, R. J.; Brosnahan, D.; Watt, R. K.; Watt, G. D. Non-reductive Iron Release from Horse Spleen Ferritin using Desferoxamine Chelation. J. Inorg. Biochem. 2011, 105, 202–207.
Biotechnology Blog
- District Court Finds the FDA Reasonably De-listed Eli Lilly’s Weight Loss Drug From Drug Shortage List
- New Tool From EPA, FDA, and USDA Guides Developers of Genetically Modified Microorganisms Through Regulatory Landscape
- District Court Finds Mylan (Viatris) Infringes Regeneron’s Eylea Patent
- Federal Circuit Says Extrinsic Evidence Should Have Been Considered in Claim Construction
- FDA Approves Qalsody™ for Treatment of ALS
Speeches & Seminars
A Negative Role for the Ferritin Nano-Cage: Anion Transport. nanoUtah Conference, Salt Lake City, UT, October 2010.
Maximizing the Efficiency of Ferritin as a Photocatalyst for Applications in an Artificial Photosynthesis System. International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE), San Diego, CA, March 2010.