What’s New in Practical Guidance: March/April 2026

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Practical Guidance updates deliver tools for M&A, compliance, employment, family law, IP, and litigation. Highlights include fairness opinions, forced labour compliance, multi-jurisdictional comparisons, AI risk management, and trial prep. These additions streamline legal workflows, improve efficiency, and enhance strategic value.

Legal teams continue to manage increasing regulatory demands, cross-border considerations, and evolving expectations around efficiency. The March and April 2026 additions to Practical Guidance reflect a continued focus on delivering practical tools, jurisdiction-specific content, and structured resources that align with real legal workflows.

This bi-monthly update includes new drafting materials, compliance guidance, and resource kits across Capital Markets and M&A, Commercial, Employment, Family Law, Finance, Intellectual Property and Technology, and Litigation and Dispute Resolution.

Capital Markets and M&A Expands Deal Execution Resources

Capital Markets and M&A content additions focus on strengthening coverage in high-frequency transactional areas, particularly for debt securities and public M&A work.

New precedents and checklists support debt securities matters, including materials addressing satisfaction and discharge provisions, underwriting agreements for private placements, and transaction timelines with defined responsibilities.

Public M&A content has also expanded to cover additional transaction components, with new materials addressing interim operating covenants, fairness opinions, and agreement amendments and terminations.

These additions provide more complete support for deal execution and documentation across common transaction structures.

Commercial Content Adds Compliance and Procurement Guidance

Commercial content continues to expand with a focus on compliance obligations and infrastructure-related transactions.

New materials address requirements under the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act, including reporting requirements, checklists, and model clauses. These resources incorporate guidance from Public Safety Canada and address multi-jurisdictional reporting considerations

Additional guidance supports public infrastructure procurement, including practical tools and checklists to assist with delivery model selection and risk allocation in public-private partnership structures.

The updates also introduce analysis of potential disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, with materials addressing legal, commercial, and economic implications.

These additions support legal teams managing regulatory compliance and advising on complex commercial environments.

Employment Content Improves Navigation and Multi-Jurisdictional Support

Employment updates focus on improving access to commonly used materials and supporting multi-jurisdictional advisory work.

New resource kits, including the Leaves of Absence and Constructive Dismissal File kits, organize related guidance and precedents for both employer and employee matters.

A new cross-Canada comparison table on occupational health and safety committees provides a structured view of jurisdictional requirements, supporting national workforce management.

Québec and French-language content has also expanded, with additional clauses addressing compensation, remote work, and hybrid arrangements. These additions build on existing automated employment agreement tools and support bilingual drafting workflows.

Family Law Strengthens Trial Preparation Resources

Family Law content continues to expand in British Columbia with a focus on trial preparation and courtroom advocacy.

New materials support key stages of litigation, including examination questions, evidentiary tools, and procedural documents such as notices to admit and subpoena-related correspondence.

Additional resources are in development, including materials related to opening statements, expert evidence, and final court orders.

These additions respond to demand for practical, jurisdiction-specific tools that support litigation readiness.

Finance Content Adds Practical Tools and Cross-Border Guidance

Finance content additions focus on supporting drafting, diligence, and cross-border transactions.

New checklists, such as the lender’s title insurance policy checklist and Canadianizing U.S. guarantee provisions checklist, provide structured tools for recurring legal tasks.

A new precedent addressing Canadianized U.S. guarantee provisions supports cross-border transaction work.

Core lending and trade finance coverage has also expanded with foundational documents, including bilateral loan agreements, cash collateral agreements, and assignments of insurance proceeds.

These materials support both standard lending transactions and more complex financing structures.

Intellectual Property and Technology Expands Compliance and AI-Related Guidance

Intellectual Property and Technology content additions focus on compliance, data protection, and AI-related risks.

A new CASL Compliance Resource Kit provides structured guidance for identifying compliance issues and drafting compliant communications.

New materials address trade secret protection in digital and AI-driven environments, including guidance on maintaining reasonable safeguards.

Additional tools include a copyright assignment agreement for independent contractors and a cross-Canada privacy policy drafting checklist.

Québec-specific and French-language resources have also expanded, including copyright assignment templates and website terms of use materials.

Litigation and Dispute Resolution Addresses AI and Workflow Efficiency

Litigation content additions reflect increased focus on AI-related legal considerations and workflow efficiency.

Two new practice notes examine the impact of AI on lawyers’ professional responsibilities, including ethical obligations and disclosure considerations.

New resource kits, including E-Discovery and Contract Dispute kits, provide structured guidance for managing digital evidence and resolving contractual disputes.

These additions support litigation teams working with evolving technology and complex evidentiary issues.

Closing

The March and April 2026 Practical Guidance additions continue to build on a consistent approach to delivering practical, jurisdiction-specific legal content. Across compliance, transactional work, and litigation, the updates provide structured tools that support efficient and informed legal work.

Explore the latest Practical Guidance updates in the latest newsletter. 

FAQ's

What is included in the March–April 2026 Practical Guidance updates?
The updates include new precedents, checklists, and resource kits across multiple practice areas, with a focus on compliance, drafting tools, and jurisdiction-specific guidance.

Which practice areas saw the most significant additions?
Capital Markets and M&A, Commercial, Employment, Finance, and Intellectual Property and Technology all received notable updates.

Are the updates focused on Canadian legal requirements?
Yes. Many additions address Canadian laws, including federal legislation, Québec-specific content, and cross-Canada comparison tools.

How do these updates support legal workflows?
They provide practical tools such as checklists, precedents, and resource kits that help legal professionals complete tasks more efficiently and with greater consistency.