Officer of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: November 19, 2015
• Invested on: September 23, 2016

For his contributions to sports law and arbitration, alternative dispute resolution and legal education as an internationally renowned lawyer and professor.

Richard McLaren is a legend in sports arbitration. A lawyer and professor of law at Western University, he is sought out by amateur and professional sports associations in Canada and abroad to resolve such issues as contract negotiations, athlete-coach disputes, and doping and corruption allegations. He co-founded the Sports Dispute Resolution Centre for Canada and has served for 25 years on the internationally renowned Court of Arbitration for Sport. Recently, he helped investigate allegations of systemic wrongdoing in the international track and field federation for the World Anti-Doping Agency.