Third-party funding advisory firm LITIG Equity Partners drew attention on October 27 by co-hosting the “Global IP Strategy Forum for Bio-Pharma: Managing Global IP Dispute Risks through Third-Party Funding (TPF)” with the Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association (KPBMA).

Held as part of the Seoul ADR Festival (SAF) 2025, the forum aimed to explore practical strategies for responding more effectively to overseas patent disputes and intellectual property (IP) litigation, amid the industry’s accelerating globalization.

The event attracted strong interest, with about 200 legal, IP/patent, and international business professionals from over 100 KPBMA member companies in attendance.

Patent attorney Sun-Young Yoon of Kim & Chang opened the forum with a presentation on “Practical IP Issues in Overseas Licensing Agreements.” She was followed by Sang-Kyun Choi, attorney at Kim & Chang, who discussed “Essential IP Management Strategies in Cross-Border M&A and Investment,” highlighting key procedures for IP rights transfer and critical items in due diligence.

Next, Kyung-Ae Yoon, patent attorney at Yulchon LLC, delivered a presentation on “Building an IP Portfolio and Patent Dispute Response Strategies for Global Expansion,” analyzing major types of global patent disputes and tailored strategies for each case.

The final presentation was delivered by Tae Hun Lee, foreign attorney at LITIG Equity Partners. He introduced Third-Party Funding (TPF) as a practical solution for managing the financial and procedural risks faced by Korean pharmaceutical and biotech companies in overseas disputes.

Tae Hun emphasized that “global competitiveness in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors depends not only on technology but also on financial flexibility and dispute-handling capacity. Through TPF, companies can pursue overseas litigation or arbitration without having to prepay legal costs.” He further explained that “this model is particularly useful not only for large corporations seeking to manage litigation risks, but also for mid-sized and smaller pharmaceutical companies with limited capital resources — enabling them to preserve funds for R&D and market expansion while still securing dispute-response capability.”

Following the keynote presentations, a panel discussion was held under the moderation of Professor Joon-Hyug Chung of Seoul National University School of Law, on the topic “IP Strategies and Challenges for Korean Companies in the Global Pharma & Biotech Market.”

Panelists from Kim & Chang, Yulchon LLC, and LITIG Equity Partners, together with representatives from Yuhan Corporation and OMNI Bridgeway, discussed how, as Korean pharmaceutical and biotech companies expand their technological collaborations and investments globally, systematic management of IP risks has become increasingly vital. The discussion explored various approaches to building effective IP strategies that support Korean companies’ global expansion.

Particularly, the panel shared case studies of IP risk management in overseas co-development projects and examples of TPF (Third-Party Funding) being used in international pharma and biotech disputes, which drew strong interest from attendees.

A representative from one biotech company who attended the forum remarked, “I wasn’t familiar with TPF before, but the session provided a clear and practical explanation of how companies can consider funding structures and strategic options from the early stages of international disputes, which was very helpful.”

Tae Hun Lee, foreign attorney at LITIG Equity Partners, observed that “as Korea’s pharmaceutical and biotech industry rapidly expands onto the global stage, complex international disputes involving patents, technology transfers, joint ventures, and royalty issues are increasing. Recently, some overseas lawsuits have reached hundreds of billions of won, making the question of how to manage such high litigation costs a new challenge for the industry.”

He further emphasized that “TPF is evolving beyond merely providing financial support — it now offers an integrated legal and financial solution, where funders’ legal, financial, and enforcement experts work together with companies to develop dispute strategies. This allows businesses to maintain cash liquidity for their core operations while still responding proactively to disputes.”