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

Can Shareholders Sue CEOs For Corporate Social Activism?

In an August 17, 2017 opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal, Jon L. Pritchett and Ed Tiryakian had the following message for shareholders:

A Subsidiary Post

Not too long ago, I wrote about the Securities and Exchange Commission's confusing classification of subsidiaries.  See The Case Of The Wholly Owned, But Not Totally Held, Subsidiary That May Or May Not Be 100% Owned. Since this blog is concerned...

Under The Public Records Act, A Losing Party May Be The Prevailing Party

When the California legislature enacted the Public Records Act, it declared "access to information concerning the conduct of the people's business is a fundamental and necessary right of every person in this state". Gov't Code § 6250. The...

California Supreme Court Declines To Rehear Documentary Transfer Tax Appeal

In June, I wrote about the California Supreme Court's disappointing decision in 926 N. Ardmore Ave. v. County of L.A., 2017 Cal. LEXIS 4768 (Cal. 2017).  See California Supreme Court Affirms Novel M&A Tax. Readers may recall that the Supreme Court...

Inside And Outside Reverse Veil Piercing

UCLA Professor Stephen Bainbridge has published several posts commenting on my post discussing Curci Invs. v. Baldwin, 2017 Cal. App. LEXIS 698.  The issue in Curci was whether reverse veil piercing of a limited liability company is possible in light...

California Court Green Lights Reverse Veil Piercing Of Delaware LLC

Courts historically have applied the alter ego doctrine to "pierce the corporate veil" so that a shareholder may be held liable for the debts or conduct of the corporation.  California has extended the possibility of alter ego liability to members of...

Transfer To Non-Existent Corporation Held To Be A Transfer Nonetheless

Sometimes, the law is just weird.  The case of PGA West Residential Ass'n, Inc. v. Hulven Int'l, Inc., Cal. Ct. App. Case No. E064270 (Aug. 9, 2017) is weirder than most. The lawsuit alleged that the defendant had tried to insulate the equity in his...

How To Confer A $6.9 Million Benefit For Less Than A Half Dollar

In March 2011, the three-member compensation committee of EchoStar Corporation awarded options to purchase 1.5 million shares of company stock to its Chairman, Charles W. Ergen.  According to EchoStar's proxy statement for its 2012 annual meeting,...

Did The Co-Founder Of Alcoholics Anonymous Violate Rule 10b-5?

Recently, I enjoyed watching My Name is Bill W., a 1989 movie that starred James Woods, JoBeth Williams and James Garner. The film tells the story of Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder William Griffith Wilson (aka Bill W.). In telling his story, the...