USA Field Hockey Adds Lazarus to Board of Directors

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Field Hockey has filled the vacant independent seat on the Board of Directors with Lisa Lazarus, an equine law professional, who will serve until December 31, 2026.

“I am very excited to welcome Lisa to the USA Field Hockey Board of Directors,” commented Chip Rogers, USA Field Hockey’s Board of Directors Chair. “Her service to international sporting organizations will most definitely add to our knowledge base and her experience in law and national boards will provide great depth to enhance our mission of serving and inspiring our members. Lisa will help us to provide great oversight to a solid staff that is focused on growing this great game and succeeding internationally.”

Lazarus has an extensive legal background after earning her law degree from Fordham University of Law in 1994. She went on to work at the United States District Court (1994-1995) and Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld L.L.P. (1995-1999).

For a decade, starting in 1999, she fused two passions of sport and law and worked for the National Football League (NFL) as a labor relations counsel (1999-2005), senior director of business affairs (2005-2007) and senior director of partner development (2007-2009).

In 2009 she shifted to the sport of equestrian where she became the general counsel for the International Equestrian Federation (FEI). There she led and managed a seven person legal department which oversaw all anti-doping disputes, commercial negotiations, litigation, and regulatory matters for the international federation, including liaising with the 133 national federations and Board of Directors. Four years later she became the chief of business development and strategy where she led the commercial department responsible for all the commercial activities, strategy, and revenue generation of the FEI, including media production, distribution and sales; partnership development and sponsorship sales, partnership marketing, and licensing and branding.

Lazarus transitioned to LFL Consulting in Singapore in 2016 and for two years provided consulting and athlete representation services in all areas of equestrian. 

In early 2018, Lazarus launched and built an equine law practice into a highly successful department of Morgan Sports Law. She represented equestrian athletes, owners and trainers in all types of disputes, including but not limited to equine and human anti-doping rule violations, health and safety issues, disciplinary proceedings, challenges to the Equine Prohibited Substances List, and sports eligibility matters.

Lazarus established the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) in February 2022 following the bipartisan passing of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (2020). She led its development from inception to a national regulatory authority overseeing 47 thoroughbred racetracks across 19 states. She was hired as the first employee, named chief executive officer, and built the organization from the ground up, expanding to a staff of over 100 dedicated to improving horseracing safety and integrity for its equine and human athletes.

Lazarus resides in Montclair, N.J. with her husband Rob Coviello and their daughter, Stella, who is a rising sophomore at Montclair Kimberley Academy high school where she plays field hockey. Their son, Julian, is a rising Junior at Dartmouth College and a member the varsity football team.