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

When A Director May Not Be Interested In Director Compensation

Suppose that a corporation has three directors, A, B & C, each of whom is compensated by the corporation. Is director A financially interested in a resolution fixing the compensation of director B? Corporations Section 310(a) provides the following...

Is The SEC's Universal Proxy Proposal A Product Of Agency Capture?

More than six decades ago, the late Professor Marver H. Bernstein published his theory of regulatory capture in Regulating Business By Independent Commission (Greenwood Press 1955). According to his theory, agencies follow a life cycle of birth,...

Court Addresses "Fair Value" Determination In Statutory Buyout Proceeding

When when a shareholder sues for involuntary dissolution, the corporation, or the holders of 50% or more of the voting power of the corporation, may avoid the dissolution by purchasing for cash the plaintiff's shares at their “fair value.” Cal....

When Non-Voting Shares Have The Right To Vote

The California General Corporation Law authorizes a corporation to "issue one or more classes or series of shares or both, with full, limited or no voting rights". Cal. Corp. Code § 400(a). Thus, it may be reasonable to assume that when a...

SEC Hands Out Millions While Leaving The Public In The Dark

Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued a press release announcing its decision to award $20 million "to a whistleblower who promptly came forward with valuable information that enabled the SEC to move quickly and initiate an...

Incorporating In Delaware May Not Eliminate Director Liability Under This California Statute

Some readers may have skipped this week's posts discussing director liability under California Corporations Code Section 316 on the theory that the statute applies only to directors of corporations incorporated under the General Corporation Law....

Does The Foolish Director Abide Whilst The Wise Director Flees?

Never fear? Smith Is No Longer Here

In California, Directors Who Abstain May Still Face Liability

Section 316(a) of the California Corporations Code imposes joint and several liability on directors who approve any of the following actions:

More Silliness In California's Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act

Readers will know that I have been a frequent critic of California's Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.01 et seq. In many cases, it is simply hard to believe that the legislature really intended what it enacted. ...