Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor KC is the head of Bird & Bird’s market-leading Sports Group, a Sport Resolutions arbitrator, and co-editor (with Adam Lewis KC) of Sport: Law and Practice (Bloomsbury, 4th Edition 2021), the sports lawyers’ bible. He has represented a host of sports governing bodies in landmark cases before the CAS and domestic sports tribunals. In 2016, he chaired WADA’s Independent Observer team at the Rio Olympics. From November 2016 to January 2020, he chaired WADA’s Compliance Review Committee, an independent Standing Committee that reports to WADA’s ExCo and Foundation Board on issues relating to Code compliance by Signatories. From November 2018 to January 2021, he chaired the independent External Review Commission that investigated allegations of wrongdoing by the International Biathlon Union’s former president and secretary-general, and helped the IBU strengthen its constitution to avoid repetition. In 2019 and 2020, he conducted a review of the governance of the English Football League, and separately a review into the circumstances leading to the termination of Bury FC’s membership of the League in August 2018. He is currently the chair of the Advisory Council of the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit, which administers a comprehensive anti-doping and medication control programme for US horse-racing.