[5] As a lawyer, Lyons was a pioneer in Canada of the use of class action lawsuits, successfully arguing a case in the 1970s against Ford Motor Company which led to a 5-year anti-rust guarantee for consumers.
[1] His niece, Sue Anne Levy, led a massive defense of her uncle in the pages of the Toronto Sun.
Justice Denise Bellamy was appointed to lead an inquiry into the computer leasing scandal and described Lyons in her report as the city's "most sought-after lobbyist" during the mayoralty of Mel Lastman.
In 1999 Lyons had helped two firms, MFP and Dell Financial Services (DFS), compete for the same city computer-leasing contract.
The inquiry report concluded that it was "plausible" Lyons tried to solicit the fee on behalf of himself or city budget chief Tom Jakobek.