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

Must The Board Approve All Corporate Giving?

When a corporation makes a gift, it is handing out money that belongs to the shareholders.  Therefore, it should come as no surprise that shareholders may sometimes object to corporate largess at their expense.  In this posting from six years ago, I...

This Blue Sky Law May Cast A Shadow On Promissory Note Amendments

The California Corporate Securities law requires qualification of three categories of transactions: issuer, recapitalization/reorganization transaction, and nonissuer. Cal. Corp. Code §§ 25110, 25120 & 25130. The second category includes "any change...

Neither Member Nor Manager And Yet Still An Agent Be

"Let every eye negotiate for itselfAnd Trust no Agent;"

To File Or Not To File Under Rule 260.103?

California's limited offering exemption (Cal. Corp. Code § 25102(f)) requires an issuer to file a notice of transaction with the Department of Business Oversight with 15 calendar days after the first first sale of the security in California. 10 CCR...

Secretary Of State Resumes Expedited/Preclearance Services  For Business Filings Today

The closing of a business transaction often depends upon a timely filing with the California Secretary of State's Business Programs Division.  Therefore, I was very pleased to see that the Secretary of State's office today will be resuming 24-hour ...

What Authority Exactly Does The Governor Have Under The Emergency Services Act?

California's state government is generally organized into three coequal branches - the legislative, executive and judicial. The legislature has the power to make laws and the executive has the responsibility to execute those laws. The legislature...

Something You May Not Think About When Choosing Another State's Law

California courts generally will apply Section 187 of the Restatement Second of Conflicts of Laws when deciding choice of law questions.  Nedlloyd Lines B.V. v. Superior Court, 3 Cal. 4th 459, 465 (1992). Until now, it hasn't been known whether a...

Internal Affairs Doctrine Blocks Indemnity Claim

Section 78.7502 of Nevada Revised Statutes broadly authorizes, but does not require, a corporation to indemnify its directors, officers, employees or agents. NRS 78.751 requires the corporation to indemnify directors, officers, employees or agents...

Study Finds That Nevada Has "Vastly Outperformed" Delaware In Attracting These Corporations

In a recent study, William J. Moon at the University of Maryland School of Law tackles the question of "Delaware's surprising weakness competing in the emerging international market for corporate law". He finds that less than 5% of Chinese companies...