Jim Lawson (sports executive)
James J. Lawson is Chair of the Board of Governors of the Canadian Football League, a businessman and lawyer. Lawson has served twice as interim Commissioner of the Canadian Football League.
Jim Lawson is a graduate of Brown University and the University of Western Ontario and signed with the Montreal Canadiens after being drafted by the Canadiens as the 120th selection overall in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft, playing for two seasons with their affiliated American Hockey League team, the Nova Scotia Voyageurs, before retiring to pursue a career in law.
Lawson was appointed CFL Board Chair in 2013 and served as interim Commissioner of the Canadian Football League from January to April 2015 following the departure of Mark Cohon and until the hiring of Jeffrey Orridge. Lawson served again as acting Commissioner of the CFL upon the departure of Orridge on June 15, 2017 until the appointment of Randy Ambrosie on July 5, 2017.
Lawson is also currently the Chief Executive Officer of Woodbine Entertainment Group, Canada's largest racetrack operator, having previously served as its Chair.
A lawyer by profession, he has been partner at Torys LLP and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP.
He has served as a director of Algoma Steel, Zargon Energy Trust, Countryside Power Income Fund, Sleep Country Canada.
He was fired from Westerkirk Capital amid a variety of allegations including that he used his office equipment to view hard, misogynistic and racist pornography and allegations of self-dealing and forgery. Lawson commenced legal action for unfair dismissal against Westerkirk and its owner, Sherry Brydson. All legal proceedings were discontinued in September 2017, and Lawson "apologized unreservedly to Ms. Brydson for the circumstances that led to his departure from Westerkirk" as well as withdrawing all allegations he had made involving Ms. Brydson, her family, employees and advisors.
