McLaren and Innovative Dispute Resolution Ltd. have been in business for over thirty years offering clients arbitration, mediation, facilitation, consulting and investigative services. For over thirty years, McLaren has been involved in labour arbitrations involving both federal and provincial matters.

McLaren has significant experience and expertise in anti-doping including cases involving nandrolone, anabolic agents, identical urine samples, r-EPO, equine growth hormones, blood transfusions, and various illicit substances.

Richard H. McLaren was a consultant to Senator Mitchell’s inquiry into doping problems and relationship to professional baseball (2007). Arbitrator more than 100 cases in anti-doping and sports disputes; 10 cases in international commercial and 25 cases in domestic commercial disputes.

Through the Ad Hoc Panel of the Court of Arbitration of Sport, McLaren has proudly participated in four Olympic Games during which he resolved disputes pertaining to, amongst other things, anti-doping cases, athlete eligibility, and intellectual property rights. Specifically, he acted as Arbitrator for the following summer and winter Olympic Games.

McLaren’s mediation practice evolved as a natural extension to his arbitration experience. Parties to disputes often comment on McLaren’s creativity, ability to encourage discussion and identify areas of commonality and, ultimately, to facilitate the resolution of their dispute.

• Former co-chief arbitrator for Sports Dispute Resolution Centre for Canada 2001 – 2006
• Acted as Chairman, President and sole arbitrator for CAS
• Arbitrator for: United States anti-doping agency
• AAA Dubai International Arbitration Centre
• ICC and Singapore International Arbitration Centre
• Mediator for: Federation Equestre Internationale Commission
• Acted as a mediator in both professional and elite sports disputes and international and commercial disputes
• Arbitrator for International commission for Holocaust era insurance claims (2001-2007)
• 30 years of Domestic labour and Commercial Arbitration experience.

• C. Arb. – Chartered Arbitrator, ADR Institute of Canada
  Barrister & Solicitor, Law Society of Upper Canada
• Member Strauss Institute council of distinguished advisors in dispute resolution (Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA)
• Vice-Chair of Sports Law Institute (Marquette University)
• American Arbitration Association
• Arbitrator’s Institute of Canada
• Publication include: Innovative dispute resolution; The Alternative!; Commercial Arbitration Law
• Awards: Lionel J. McGowan award for excellence in ADR in Canada (2010)

LL.M., London School of Economics & Political Science, University of London, 1972
LL.B., The University of Western Ontario, 1971
HB.A., Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, 1968