Sports Law and Sports Arbitration
Our expertise
Woods boasts a highly skilled team of litigators, arbitrators and mediators who are experienced in resolving sports-related disputes in Canada.
We are recognised both domestically and internationally for our team of arbitrators and mediators. They sit on a variety of sports-related cases for the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC), the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, as well as on ad hoc disciplinary committees as independent case managers.
We also represent and advise sports organizations, coaches, and professional and amateur athletes in various sports-related disputes. Our litigators appear before the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC) or the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, in the context of doping cases or disputes related to selection for national or international competitions, such as world championships or the Olympic Games. Our expertise is also frequently sought in internal investigations and before disciplinary committees in the field of sports safety (safe sport).
Representative work
Represented Weightlifting Canada Haltérophilie in several complex cases, including selection disputes and disciplinary investigations.
Represented the Board of Directors of a major provincial sport federation in the context of a crisis management related to Safe Sport issues, including in the context of an internal investigation and an investigation launched by the Government.
Represented Mr. Gabor Szauder, head coach of Canada Artistic Swimming (CAS), before the discipline committee in connection with allegations of abuse, neglect and harassment made against him. Following a six-day hearing in which 14 witnesses were heard, the discipline committee cleared our client of all charges.
Represented a high-level athlete in a doping case before the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC). The charges against our client were dropped in the middle of the trial. This is one of the rare cases world-wide where an athlete is completely exonerated of doping charges.
Represented an elite coach in the context of a Canada-wide disciplinary investigation.
Represented an Olympic athlete in cycling before an ad hoc panel in connection with his participation in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Representing the World Anti-Doping Agency in several cases before the CAS involving several sports.
Representing the Moncton Wildcats in a dispute with the QMJHL.
Mediator in a dispute between the CPC and a number of Canadian Paralympic athletes.
Arbitrator or mediator in numerous disputes – doping, team selection, carding, harassment, among others – involving various sports before the SDRCC in Canada and the CAS in Lausanne.
