South Korean esports agency Shadow Corporation has signed a legal advisory contract with the Shanghai-based Jinghuheng Law Firm to support its players and staff competing in the LPL.
Announced through the agency's official X account, the agreement tasks the firm with reviewing, amending, and negotiating contracts with Chinese teams, as well as providing local legal advice, preventing and resolving disputes, drafting documents, and managing risk on Chinese soil.
Founded in January 2020 by Park Jae-seok — a former LoL coach known by the in-game ID "Shadow" — the agency has grown into one of the largest player representation firms, with strong networks in China, North America, and Latin America. On the firm's side, Jinghuheng, located in Shanghai's Minhang District and established in October 2022, is making its first notable public move into esports legal advisory.
A Key Timing
The deal comes as Korean players increasingly compete in the LPL, in an environment with shifting rules and a foreign legal framework. Working in China exposes players to differences in labor and contract law, visa and work permit issues, and very concrete disputes over contested performance bonuses, buyouts, or delayed payments — often without immediate access to trusted local counsel.
Several high-profile cases have brought this need to light, the most striking being that of Korean mid laner Scout (Lee Ye-chan). After leaving EDward Gaming for LNG Esports, a Chinese court ordered him in 2025 to pay roughly $4.5 million in damages to his former team — a sum representing several years' salary even for an elite player. During the proceedings, he was even subject to travel restrictions and had to post bond to compete in international tournaments.
