Keith Paul Bishop

Keith Paul Bishop

Keith Bishop works with privately-held and publicly-traded companies on federal and state corporate and securities transactions, compliance, and governance matters. He is highly-regarded for his in-depth knowledge of the distinctive corporate and regulatory requirements faced by corporations in the state of California. While many law firms have a great deal of expertise in federal or Delaware corporate law, Keith’s specific focus on California corporate and securities law is uncommon. A former California state regulator of securities and financial institutions, Keith has decades of experience navigating the regulatory-intensive state’s rules. For companies with substantial operations in California but incorporated elsewhere, Keith is an exceptional resource. He is frequently called in to help with issues arising under California’s “blue sky” and lender laws. An avid writer, Keith’s blog, www.calcorporatelaw.com, covers a diverse collection of California corporate and securities law issues and has served as a valued resource for other attorneys, business executives, judges, and media, nationwide.

Recent Posts

Puzzling CSL Exemption Proposed

California Assembly Member Al Muratsuchi introduced a bill, AB 511, which would add a new transactional exemption to the qualification requirement of the California Corporate Securities Law of 1968. As introduced, the exemption would be available...

DFPI Wants To Know: Whom Shall We Regulate?

Last year, California enacted AB 1864, Cal. Stats. 2020, Ch. 157, creating the California Consumer Financial Protection Law (CCFPL) under Division 24 of the Financial Code. Remarkably, the legislature left it up to the Department of Financial...

Is A Fair Statement Anything More Than Accurate?

I often hear lawyers ask witnesses X is a "fair statement". When I hear this expression, I wonder do they mean is X an accurate statement or something else? If they mean that the statement is literally "fair", as in just and equitable, then the...

It's Official! SEC Agrees "Shall" Is Ambiguous

Nearly a decade ago, I commented on the ambiguity that inheres in "shall":

California Bill Aims To Create Additional Conversion Options

The California General Corporation Law authorizes a corporation (Section 162) to convert into a domestic other business entity (Section 167.7). The GCL, however, does not permit a corporation to convert to a foreign other business entity (Section...

Straight Talk On Public Banks

Over the last two years, I have written about California's nascent entry into public banking.  See Would You Bank On Los Angeles?Governor Signs Bill Authorizing Public Banks - What Could Possibly Go Wrong?, and When, If Ever, Will California...

Nevada Begins 81st Legislative Session With Proposal For Significant Corporate Law Changes

On Monday, the Nevada legislature commenced its 81st session.   The legislature meets biennially in odd numbered years.  The Session is limited to 120 days.  Nev. Const. Art. 4, § 2.  Yesterday, Senator James Ohrenschall introduced SB 95 which would make...

Amending The Articles Without Approval By The Outstanding Shares

California Corporations Code Section 902 generally requires that amendments to the articles of incorporation must be approved by the outstanding shares and the Board of Directors. The statute lists three instances when the "board alone" may adopt...

Nevada Supreme Court Upholds Blue Penciling Of NonCompete

In Golden Road Motor Inn, Inc. v. Islam, 132 Nev. 476, 488, 376 P.3d 151, 159 (2016), the Nevada Supreme Court held that district courts cannot, on their own, blue-pencil a noncompetition agreement to remove unreasonably restrictive, and thus...