JON FESTINGER, K.C.

Jon Festinger, K.C. has over 40 years’ experience as a lawyer, strategic advisor, and educator in the areas of video games, digital media, creative freedoms, entertainment, communication, and sports.

A graduate of McGill University’s Faculty of Law, Jon began his legal career in private practice, in turn becoming General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of WIC Western International Communications Ltd., Senior Vice President of the CTV Television Network and EVP Business & General Counsel of the Vancouver Canucks and GM Place. He has held leadership positions with various organizations including Chair of viaSport BC, a Trustee of the BC Sports Hall of Fame, Chair of Ronald McDonald House British Columbia, Director of the eatART Foundation, Director of City Opera Vancouver, and Director of the Vancouver Board of Trade.

Jon has taught video game, intellectual property, media, entertainment, communications, administrative, sports, and corporate law topics for almost three decades.  Currently, he is an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia’s Allard School of Law and Faculty in Residence of the UBC Emerging Media Lab. As well he is and Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Law, Thompson Rivers University and Honorary Industry Professor, Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London School of Law.

Jon is the author of the first edition of Video Game Law published by LexisNexis in 2005, and co-author of the second edition published in 2012, and was a founding Co-Editor & Chief of the Interactive Entertainment Law Review (Edward Elgar).

Jon has been member of the Law Society of British Columbia’s Ethics and Lawyer Independence Advisory Committee (and predecessors) since January 2014.