


Education & Professional Affiliations
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut
B.S. Materials Engineering, University of Connecticut
J.D. University of Connecticut School of Law
Member, Lebanon County Bar Association
Member, Pennsylvania Bar Association
Former Adjunct Professor of IP Law, Lebanon Valley College
Board Member, Central PA Tool Library and Makerspace
Chair, Women in Business Lebanon Valley Chamber
Advisory Board Member, Think Pink Lebanon Family Health Services
Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce

Hilary J. Sumner
Registered Patent Attorney
I began my career in the early 1990s working as an engineer in the Labware Division of Becton Dickinson, where I focused on regulatory compliance and quality assurance issues. In the early 2000s, with three young sons at home, I transitioned to a home-based consulting business, developing custom database solutions and technical documentation for a wide range of manufacturing clients. This work exposed me to a broad set of technologies and sparked an interest in intellectual property protection.
A growing enthusiasm for patents eventually led me back to the University of Connecticut, where I concentrated my studies in business and intellectual property law. That foundation, combined with years of hands-on experience, has allowed me to develop a practice that goes beyond IP, encompassing entity formation, contract drafting and negotiation, and estate planning alongside patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and IP licensing matters. I have spent years building a practice rooted in trust and integrity, and the close client relationships developed along the way remain my greatest reward.
Outside the office, I am active in the local community, serving on the Central PA Tool Library Board, volunteering in Lebanon Family Health's Think Pink breast cancer awareness program, and participating in Wills for Heroes, which provides free estate planning services to first responders and service members. That same commitment to community carries into every client relationship I establish.
The individuals whom I serve are builders. They are builders of businesses, brands, original works, and inventions each requiring protection. Having created a small business from the ground up, I have a firsthand understanding of the challenges of entrepreneurship and I look forward to helping you safeguard what you have worked so hard to cultivate.