Korean Biopharma Lawyer · Licensing · Tech Transfer · CRO/CDMO

Science & Law,
Spoken in
Both Languages

WL LAW | Woojin Lee Attorney at Law · Patent Attorney
PhD Neuroscience

From research collaboration to clinical trials, licensing deals to IP disputes —
Korea's pharma-biotech legal complexities, handled by a scientist-turned-lawyer.

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Woojin Lee, Korean Pharma Licensing Lawyer

"The precision of a scientist.
The strategy of a lawyer."

Woojin Lee · WL LAW

About · WL LAW

Woojin Lee
Attorney · Patent Attorney
PhD Neuroscience

Building on a PhD in Neuroscience from University College London (UCL) and pharmaceutical R&D experience, WL LAW provides specialized legal and intellectual property advisory services in life sciences, pharma-biotech, medical devices, and healthcare.

Founded in 2020, WL LAW advises domestic and international biotech companies, pharmaceutical firms, AI healthcare companies, and hospitals on pharma-biotech legal matters — combining attorney and patent attorney qualifications in a single engagement.

Practice Areas 

Licensing · Tech Transfer

IP rights, License-in/out, assignment

Clinical Trial Legal

CRO / CMO / CDMO contracts

Due Diligence

Deal structure, IP audit, Earn-out clauses

IP · Patent Disputes

Infringement, employee invention, trade secrets

BD Legal Advisory

Contract negotiation, global partnership, deal closing

Arbitration

Pharma-biotech disputes, co-counsel with overseas firms

EDU

Ph.D. Neuroscience — UCL (University College London)

Korean Government Scholarship, 30th Cohort · 2011
M.Sc. Oncology — University of Nottingham · 2006
B.Sc. Life Sciences — Ewha Womans University · 2004

BAR

Korean Attorney & Patent Attorney (2016)

KCAB (Korean Commercial Arbitration Board) Arbitrator — Pharma & Biotech (~2028.5)

EXP

WL LAW — Principal Attorney & Patent Attorney (2020–present)

Pharma, Biotech & Healthcare legal advisory
Y International Patent Law Firm — Attorney & Patent Attorney (2016–2020)
G Pharma — Clinical R&D Manager (2012)
UCL Institute of Neurology — Researcher (2009–2010)

LECT

J&J JLABS Korea · KoreaBIO Dealmaker Academy

BioPharma Workshop Colloquium · BioAcademy (BioI-Core)
KPBMA [Woojin Lee's Legal Talk] · and more

PUB

Peer-Reviewed Scientific Publications

Neurobiology of Aging (2014) · Brain (2013) · PLoS One (2012)

PRESS

The Pharma News [Woojin Lee's BioPharm Insight]

View Full Profile →

Press · Media Coverage

Law School Times Interview

Interview

Law School Times

From Neuroscientist to Attorney — The Story of Woojin Lee

Yakup Shinmun FDA Column

Column

Yakup Shinmun

FDA 3-Year Exclusivity: Reopened Through Clinical Design

Yakup Shinmun Parkinson Lecture

Lecture

Yakup Shinmun

Parkinson's Disease Colloquium — Panel Discussion

Korea University Times Lecture

Lecture

Korea Univ. Times

Ewha Women's Tech Startup Forum — AI Bio-Healthcare

전체 인사이트 · Blog & Insights

Blog Posts

All Case Law Contracts FDA/Regulatory IP/Patent M&A Eng. Contracts News

[Case] Return of Patent Injunctions — USPTO·DOJ Joint Statement

Patent enforcement landscape changes and signals for pharma-biotech companies

[Case] "Indefinitely" ≠ "Perpetually" — Zaha Hadid Ruling

Termination rights for indefinite licenses — practical implications

[Case] BioNTech v. Moderna — mRNA Vaccine Patent Infringement

Structure and issues in mRNA patent disputes

[Case] Jazz v. Avadel — Clinical Trial Drug & Patent Injunction

Reaffirming the defensive power of Hatch-Waxman Safe Harbor

[Case] Employee Invention Dispute Analysis

Tech transfer compensation dispute — pharma-biotech practice implications

[Case] Is Security Interest an "Assignment"? — Commave v. Zevra

Legal interpretation of license royalty security interest

[Case] Return of Patent Injunctions — USPTO·DOJ Joint Statement

Patent enforcement landscape changes and signals for pharma-biotech companies

[Case] "Indefinitely" ≠ "Perpetually" — Zaha Hadid Ruling

Termination rights for indefinite licenses — practical implications

[Case] BioNTech v. Moderna — mRNA Vaccine Patent Infringement

Structure and issues in mRNA patent disputes

[Case] Jazz v. Avadel — Clinical Trial Drug & Patent Injunction

Reaffirming the defensive power of Hatch-Waxman Safe Harbor

[Case] Employee Invention Dispute Analysis

Tech transfer compensation dispute — pharma-biotech practice implications

[Case] Is Security Interest an "Assignment"? — Commave v. Zevra

Legal interpretation of license royalty security interest

[Contract] Key Clause Review Guide for English Contract Practitioners

Comprehensive checklist of key risk items in contract review

[Contract] License Agreement Basics (1)(2)(3)

Complete guide to License Agreement structure, clauses and terms

[Contract] CDA/NDA Review · Personnel & Policy Management

How to manage NDAs after signing

[Contract] Indemnification Clauses (1)(2)

Indemnification concepts and cap practice

[Contract] Termination Letter — Contract Termination Notice

Key considerations for drafting contract termination letters

[Contract] Reviewing Related and Exclusive Multiple Contracts

Entire Agreement clause and establishing governing relationships

[Regulatory] FDA 3-Year Exclusivity Draft Guidance

Analysis of New Clinical Investigation Exclusivity

[Regulatory] FDA New Approval Pathway for Personalized Gene Therapy

Plausible Mechanism Framework guidance

FDA Drug Terminology Glossary

Key FDA terms: ANDA, NDA, 505(b)(2), and more

[IP] Exit-Ready IP Profile Q&A (Template Included)

IP ownership and transferability for investment/M&A

[IP] Patent Infringement Warning Response Procedure

Step-by-step response upon receiving patent warning letters

[Case] Employee Invention Dispute Analysis — 보상금 분쟁 판례

Employee invention compensation disputes after drug tech transfer

[Case] Is Security Interest an "Assignment"? — Commave v. Zevra

Legal interpretation of license royalty security interest

[판례] 2026년 AI 저작권 소송의 전환점

From training data to AI outputs — pharma-biotech implications

[Case] BioNTech v. Moderna — mRNA Vaccine Patent Infringement

Structure and issues in mRNA patent disputes

Licensing & M&A Transactions in the KOSDAQ Listing Environment

Deal structure considerations under clinical uncertainty

[Case] Why Earn-out Disputes Keep Recurring — J&J v. Fortis

Legal limits of Earn-out clauses and Efforts Clauses

[IP] Exit-Ready IP Profile Q&A

IP due diligence checklist before M&A or investment

[Case] Trade Secret Risk After M&A Talks Collapse — Propel v. Phillips 66

Scope of duty to prohibit use of information after negotiations end

[Contract] Key Clause Review Guide for English Contract Practitioners

Contract clause risk identification and practical framework

[English] Useful Expressions in Contract Negotiation (3)

Comprehensive practical phrases by negotiation stage

[Contract] Between Acceptance and Rejection in Contract Negotiation

Acceptance and rejection strategies in contract negotiation

[English] Legal Terminology

Definitions and usage of key legal terms in English contracts

[English] Contract Template Download Websites

Contract template sites including KCAB and LexisNexis

[Contract] Terminology for Pharma-Biotech Startups

Key English contract terms for researcher-entrepreneurs

Is Your Technology Leaking in China? Trade Secret Regulation June 2026

Responding to tech leakage in China — pharma-biotech company practice

[Press] FDA 3-Year Exclusivity Reopened Through Clinical Design (Yakup Shinmun)

Analysis article by WL LAW attorney Woojin Lee

[Regulatory] FDA 3-Year Exclusivity Draft Guidance: 신규 임상시험 독점권

Exclusivity practice analysis under amended Hatch-Waxman

[Regulatory] FDA: New Approval Pathway for Personalized Gene Therapy

Plausible Mechanism Framework guidance 분석

[News] OpenAI Deploys ChatGPT for Healthcare at Major Medical Institutions

Current state of medical AI adoption and legal/policy interpretation

[Regulatory] FDA Resets the Standard for Digital Health Regulation

Practical significance of revised CDS/SaMD guidelines

LinkedIn · Legal Insights

Legal Insights

FDA 3-Year Exclusivity Card

FDA · Exclusivity

FDA 3-Year Exclusivity Draft Guidance
New Clinical Investigation Exclusivity

LinkedIn에서 보기 →

Patent Injunction Card

USPTO · Patent Enforcement

Return of Patent Injunctions
Collision v. Samsung · USPTO·DOJ Joint Statement

LinkedIn에서 보기 →

China Trade Secret Card

China · Trade Secrets

China Trade Secret Regulation
Major Changes Effective June 2026

LinkedIn에서 보기 →

Indefinitely vs Perpetually Card

License · Contract Interpretation

"Indefinitely" ≠ "Perpetually"
Practical Lessons from Zaha Hadid Ruling

LinkedIn에서 보기 →

LinkedIn 전체 보기 →

BD Legal Navigator

What Legal Issue Can We Help With?

Select your issue to find relevant case law, contract analysis, and regulatory insights.

📄

Licensing Deal / Tech Transfer

License-in/out, Milestones, Efforts Clause

⚖️

Patent · IP Dispute

Infringement, employee invention, trade secrets

🤝

M&A / Earn-out

Acquisition agreement, Earn-out, Due Diligence

📝

Contract Review

NDA to pharma-biotech contract lifecycle review

🏛️

FDA / MFDS Regulatory

Biosimilar, exclusivity, generic, CGMP

🔒

Trade Secrets / IP Protection

Tech leakage, AI copyright, China risk

⚠️ Key Clause Review Recommended

Licensing deals contain high-risk clauses including Efforts clauses, milestones, and IP ownership.

[Case] $180M for Failing 'Commercially Reasonable Efforts' — Alexion

CRE clause violation — damages analysis

[Case] Why Earn-out Disputes Keep Recurring — J&J v. Fortis

Earn-out clause and Efforts Clause legal limits

[Case] "Indefinitely" ≠ "Perpetually" — Zaha Hadid Ruling

Termination rights for indefinite-term licenses

[Contract] License Agreement Basics (1)(2)(3)

License Agreement structure, clauses and terms

[IP] Exit-Ready IP Profile Q&A

IP ownership and transferability for investment/M&A

Licensing deals require attorney review from the contract structure design stage.

Request Advisory →

🔴 Immediate Legal Advice Required

Patent infringement and employee invention disputes can lead to litigation. Seek expert advice immediately.

[Case] BioNTech v. Moderna — mRNA Vaccine Patent Infringement

Structure and issues in mRNA patent disputes

[Case] Jazz v. Avadel — Clinical Trial Drug & Patent Injunction

Hatch-Waxman Safe Harbor clause analysis

[Case] Return of Patent Injunctions — USPTO·DOJ Joint Statement

Patent enforcement landscape changes

[IP] Patent Infringement Warning Response Procedure

Step-by-step response upon receiving warning letters

[IP] Exit-Ready IP Profile Q&A

IP due diligence checklist before M&A or investment

Early response is critical in patent disputes. Contact WL LAW immediately upon receiving a warning letter.

Request Advisory →

🔴 Immediate Legal Advice Required

M&A transactions require legal review from the due diligence stage onwards.

[Case] Why Earn-out Disputes Keep Recurring — J&J v. Fortis

Earn-out clause and Efforts Clause legal limits

[Case] $180M for Failing 'Commercially Reasonable Efforts' — Alexion

CRE violation — damages analysis

[Case] Trade Secret Risk After M&A Talks Collapse — Propel v. Phillips 66

Post-negotiation information use restrictions

[Contract] Representations & Warranties

M&A key clause — termination and damages

[IP] Exit-Ready IP Profile Q&A

M&A-focused IP structure review

M&A requires expert review of deal structure, IP due diligence, and Rep & Warranties before signing.

Request Advisory →

⚠️ Clause-by-Clause Review Recommended

High-risk clauses vary by contract type. Check the related articles below first.

[Contract] Key Clause Review Guide for English Contract Practitioners

Comprehensive checklist of key risk items

[Contract] CDA/NDA Review · Personnel & Policy Management

NDA management after signing

[Contract] Indemnification Clauses (1)(2)

Indemnification concepts and cap practice

[Contract] Representations & Warranties

M&A key clause — termination and damages

[Contract] Letter of Intent (LOI)

LOI, MOU, Term Sheet practical use

🟢 Review Info & Assess

For FDA/MFDS regulatory issues, review the articles below before requesting advisory.

[Regulatory] FDA 3-Year Exclusivity Draft Guidance

New Clinical Investigation Exclusivity analysis

[Regulatory] FDA New Approval Pathway for Personalized Gene Therapy

Plausible Mechanism Framework guidance

[Case] How Far Can Skinny Labels Go? — U.S. Supreme Court

Generic marketing and patent infringement liability

[Case] Jazz v. Avadel — Clinical Trial Drug & Safe Harbor

Hatch-Waxman system analysis

FDA Drug Terminology Glossary

ANDA, NDA, 505(b)(2) key terms

🔴 Immediate Legal Advice Required

Immediate expert advice required if trade secret leakage or infringement is suspected.

[Case] Trade Secret Risk After M&A Talks Collapse — Propel v. Phillips 66

Post-negotiation information use restrictions

Is Your Technology Leaking in China? Trade Secret Regulation June 2026

China tech leakage response — pharma-biotech practice

[Case] 2026 AI Copyright Litigation Turning Point

AI copyright disputes — pharma-biotech implications

[Contract] CDA/NDA Review · Personnel & Policy Management

NDA management after signing

Evidence preservation is critical. Contact WL LAW immediately if leakage is suspected.

Request Advisory →

⚠ Note: Recommended articles are for reference only. Always seek professional legal advice for actual contracts and transactions.

Contract Checklist · Self-Diagnosis

Contract Clause Self-Diagnosis

Select contract type to check key clauses before requesting legal review. This tool is for reference only and does not replace professional legal advice.

Term Sheet

"Are Earn-out conditions defined with objective, measurable metrics?"

CDA / NDA

"Have you checked whether a Residuals clause (permitting use of retained information) is included?"

License Agreement

"Is the Licensee's development and commercialization obligation (Diligence Obligation) defined with specific standards?"

Clinical Trial (MSA/CTA)

"Is ownership and usage rights of clinical trial data clearly defined?"

Joint Research Agreement

"Is ownership of joint research results clearly defined for each party?"

SEC EDGAR · Global License Deal Data

Check Market Terms
Before You Negotiate

Real licensing deal terms from publicly listed pharma-biotech companies — Upfront · Royalty · IP structure, automatically updated weekly based on SEC EDGAR filings.

Based on SEC EDGAR filings · Auto-updated weekly

Global License Deal Database

Upfront · Milestone · Royalty · Territory · IP Structure — AI extracted

AstraZeneca × Daiichi Sankyo

2019

Exclusive

Upfront$1.35B

Total Value$6.9B

ModalityADC

IndicationOncology (HER2)

Novartis × Argo Biopharma

2024

Exclusive

Upfront$185M

Total Value$4.165B

ModalitysiRNA (RNAi)

IndicationCardiovascular

Representative cases · Based on publicly available data. Always verify original filings before making investment or negotiation decisions.

View Full Deal DB →

Education · Lecture · Activities

Speaking & Activities

Featured · KPBMA YouTube Channel

Video · KPBMA (Korea Pharma & Bio Association) · 2023–2024

Woojin Lee's Legal Talk
Serious Accidents Punishment Act

A YouTube legal lecture series in collaboration with KPBMA. Covers key issues in the Serious Accidents Punishment Act that pharma-biotech companies must understand.

The same channel also features lectures on pharma-biotech licensing transactions and M&A key issues — covering contract structures and legal risks directly applicable in practice.

View KPBMA Channel →

Yakup Shinmun · 2026.02

Parkinson's Disease Colloquium
Panel Discussion

BioPharma Workshop · Yonsei Univ.

Lecture · Ewha Womans Univ. · 2025

5th Women's Tech Startup Forum
AI Bio-Healthcare

Ewha Womans University

Lecture · BioAcademy · 2025

Pharma-Biotech English Contracts
Review & Negotiation Strategy

BioI-Core · 237th Session

강의 · J&J JLABS · 2025.08

K-BIC Venture Café
Legal Strategy for Global Expansion

J&J JLABS Korea · KHIDI

View All Activities →

Contact WL LAW

Start Your
Consultation Today

Contract review, deal structure advisory, dispute response — pharma-biotech legal matters are best handled with expert counsel from the earliest stage. WL LAW works with international clients in English.

Schedule 30-min Call Email Inquiry Consultation Guide

📍 #1705 Songdo Centroad A, 323 Incheon Tower-daero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, Republic of Korea 22007 · ☎ 032-833-1217 · [email protected]