South Korea-based esports agency Shadow Corporation has signed a legal advisory contract with Shanghai-based Jinghuheng Law Firm (上海京沪衡律师事务所) to provide legal support for its players and staff active in China’s League of Legends Pro League (LPL).
The deal was announced through Shadow Corporation’s official X account. Under the agreement, Jinghuheng Law Firm will assist Shadow Corporation with reviewing, amending, and negotiating player contracts with Chinese LPL teams. The firm will also provide local Chinese legal advice, help prevent and resolve disputes, draft and review legal documents, and support overall risk management for the agency’s activities in China.
According to Shadow Corporation, the partnership is intended to create a stronger support system for Korean professional players competing overseas. The agency said the arrangement will help players receive quick and professional assistance on matters such as contract signing, disputes, and protection of their legal rights.
Founded in January 2020 by CEO Park Jae-seok, a former League of Legends coach and manager known by the in-game ID “Shadow,” Shadow Corporation has become one of the largest player representation agencies in esports. The agency has built strong networks in China, North America, LATAM and Brazil, and represents several League of Legends professionals.
Among the players represented by Shadow Corporation are Oner (Moon Hyeon-joon), Zeka (Kim Geon-woo), Viper (Park Do-hyeon), Delight (Yoo Hwan-joong), and Kael (Kim Jin-hong).
Jinghuheng Law Firm, on the other hand, is based in Shanghai’s Minhang District and was established in October 2022. The firm handles a variety of legal matters, including international trade. The agreement with Shadow Corporation appears to be its first major public move into esports legal advisory services.
The partnership comes at a time when more Korean players are competing in China’s LPL. However, working in China can also present legal and regulatory challenges, including differences in contract and labor laws, visa and work permit requirements, league regulations, and salary cap systems.
Foreign players can also face difficulties related to language barriers, performance bonus disputes, buyouts, delayed payments, benching decisions, and early contract terminations. In many cases, players do not have immediate access to trusted local legal counsel. Therefore, the importance of legal support in China has become more visible in recent years through several high-profile cases.
One of the most notable examples involved Korean mid laner Scout (Lee Ye-chan). After leaving EDward Gaming (EDG) and joining LNG Esports, Scout became involved in a contract dispute with his former team. In 2025, a Chinese court ruled in favor of EDG and ordered Scout to pay approximately $4.5 million in damages.
Another well-known example was the Kanavi (Seo Jin-hyeok) case in 2019, which involved issues surrounding loan agreements, contract terms, and alleged tampering between Griffin and JD Gaming. The controversy led to investigations by Riot Games and KeSPA (Korea eSports Association) and drew attention to weaknesses in player protections at the time.
The LPL has also undergone significant changes in recent years, including the introduction of free-agent bidding and auction-style systems, salary cap adjustments, and increasing financial pressure on teams. These developments have made player contracts more complex and have increased the need for specialised legal support.
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