Kanaga began his career at Mallesons in Perth and Sydney. Kanaga was a partner at Corrs, Counsel with Mitsubishi Corporation, Tokyo, and Counsel with the United Nations in Geneva. In these roles, and in firms in Asia, he worked on corporate, resources, and international arbitration matters. Kanaga is a Visiting Fellow at the UWA Law School, teaching International Commercial Arbitration. He is on the board of editors for the Australian Energy and Resources Law Journal, and is the General Editor of the Australian Resources Law Reports.