Market Intelligence

With the coming into force of the new obligations under Bill 16, expectations placed on boards of directors have increased. Between the maintenance log, contingency fund study (assessment), new documentation obligations and building maintenance requirements, the issue of directors’ liability has never been more relevant. Yet many directors may be tempted to believe that, due to the often voluntary nature of their role, they are protected from any personal liability.

Saskatchewan’s new franchise legislation regime came into force on June 30, 2026. As franchisors review their new Saskatchewan disclosure obligations, they should also consider a separate corporate compliance issue: whether they are required to be extra-provincially registered in Saskatchewan under The Business Corporations Act, 2021 (Saskatchewan) (the “SBCA”).

When the government first announced the modernization project in its Spring Economic Update and in the CRA’s quarterly update, the project appeared to be administrative rather than transformational, focusing more on service delivery and operational efficiency than on fundamentally rewriting Canada’s charitable framework.

Most Ontario business owners do not have a proper succession or estate plan in place. Succession planning often takes a back seat to the more pressing day-to-day matters of running the company, managing staff and keeping customers happy. Many business owners assume that there will be time to deal with the succession and estate plan later.

Explore the latest legal insights and professional updates from Devry Smith Frank LLP, covering career opportunities, firm announcements, and expert legal commentary across multiple practice areas.

The British Columbia Securities Commission recently dismissed an application to set aside a significant share issuance made during a heated proxy contest, establishing a modified framework for evaluating whether such transactions constitute an abuse of shareholders or capital markets. The decision examines when boards can proceed with defensive-seeming financings during control contests, even when they cannot prove the transaction was clearly not defensive in nature.