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

Legislator Proposes Securities Law Exception For Digital Assets
California's Corporate Securities Law of 1968 defines "security" by providing a long list of financial instruments.  Cal. Corp. Code Section 25107.  Not included on the list are so-called digital assets.  In modern parlance, a digital asset is an asset...
A Farraginous Stew Of Share Certificate Legend Requirements

Section 418 of the California Corporations Code requires that the following six statements appear "on the certificate", to the extent applicable:

Why Your Stock Certificate Is Not A Security

Securities lawyers typically concern themselves with the federal securities laws (principally, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the two '40 Acts) and state "blue sky" laws (e.g., the California, the Corporate...

California Appellate Courts Have Yet To Address Caremark

Earlier this week, Professor Stephen Bainbridge wrote about another surviving Caremark claims. These are claims brought against directors alleging a failure of oversight on the part of directors. Chancellor Allen famously characterized this theory...

Court Rules That Whistleblower Must Face Trial On Former Employer's Claims

Life is not necessarily all skittles and beer for whistleblowers.  Sometimes, they are sued by the very companies on which they blew the whistle.  Such is the case in the ongoing row in Erhart v. Bofi Holding, Inc., 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 57137.  Judge ...

Can a breach of fiduciary duty suit be brought directly?

In a recent posting, Professor Stephen Bainbridge breaks down the question of whether breach of fiduciary duty claims by a shareholder may be brought as direct, rather than, derivative claims. The focus of his discussion is on breach of fiduciary...

Why Does DTC Need A Nominee?

Section 416 of the California Corporations Code contemplates that corporations may issue shares in either certificated or uncertificated form. If the corporations shares are not publicly traded, the holding system is likely to be direct - the shares...

Nevada Secretary Of State Orders Halt To Sports Wagering Program

Although the State of Nevada has long been famous for its legalized gaming industry, gambling has not always been legal in the state. In 1909, the Nevada legislature made games of chance illegal with the law taking effect in 1910. After the collapse...

Renegotiating A Limited Partnership Or LLC Agreement?  Don't Forget The California Corporate Securities Law

Twice-Sold Sales?