Corporate governance in Canada: What businesses need to know

This article was originally published in Global Legal Post's Law Over Borders: Corporate Governance Comparative Guide 2026, a multi-jurisdictional guide examining corporate governance frameworks, regulatory developments and emerging trends around the world.

As governance expectations evolve, boards and management teams must navigate a complex legal, regulatory and stakeholder landscape. Across jurisdictions, organizations face many of the same challenges, including technological disruption, increased stakeholder scrutiny and activism and heightened investor and stakeholder expectations.

In their contribution to the Canada chapter of the guide, Jennifer Longhurst and Samantha Pettinato, Partners in our Mergers & Acquisitions Group, provide an overview of Canada’s corporate governance framework, including the laws, regulations, institutions and market forces that shape governance practices for public companies, as well as current challenges and emerging trends. It also answers questions about the key stakeholders and external factors informing Canadian corporate governance practices, the top concerns facing businesses today, and the impact of M&A and activism on governance.

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Read the Canada chapter

An overview of Canada’s corporate governance framework

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Looking for insights into emerging corporate governance issues in Canada?

Read our companion Market Insights: Canada chapter, where we examine key governance issues, including AI governance, board diversity, auditor independence, shareholder activism and ESG disclosure. It highlights the need for Canadian leaders to build and maintain effective and adaptive corporate governance frameworks, and the tools that can support that work.

Related reading: New to the Canadian market?

Explore Doing Business in Canada 2026: A Practical Guide for Global Investors for an overview of Canada’s legal, regulatory and business environment, including corporate structuring, securities regulation, taxation and competition law, as well as other key considerations for businesses investing or operating in Canada.

Considering taking a Canadian public company private? Our Canadian Going Private Transactions guide outlines the key steps involved in a going-private transaction.