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

California Believes Clams, Crabs and Bumblebees Are Fish, Does It Now Believe That Joshua Trees Are A Type Of Asparagus?

California law sometimes adopts an odd view of the natural world.  For example, California considers clams and crabs to be fish.  Cal. Fish & Game Code § 45.  See In California, A Snail Is Sometimes A Fish And A Goldfish Isn't. Then the Court of Appeal...

Nevada Adopts M&A Broker Exemption Rule

Readers may recall that last December, President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, HR 2617. This legislation included a statutory exemption for mergers and acquisition brokers. 15 U.S.C. § 78(o)(b)(13). That exemption took...

Are All Lawsuits Against "Woke" Directors "Nonstarters"?

In a recent post, UCLA Professor Stephen Bainbridge concludes: "And the law is that suits claiming woke directors breached their fiduciary duties by their decisions about how the corporation behaves in the political arena are non-starters". While I...

Who Votes Pledged Shares?

Under the California General Corporation Law, a shareholder whose shares are pledged is entitled to vote those shares until the shares have been transferred into the name of the pledgee.  Cal. Corp. Code § 702(c).   There are at least three exceptions...

Was "Principal Executive Office" A Grave Tautology?

Last week, I wrote about legislation, 2022 Cal. Stats. ch. 617, that among other things eliminated the word "executive" from the numerous sections of the California Corporations Code containing the phrase "principal executive office".   See Do These...

With Series LLC, Whom You Sue May Be Decisive

Last week the Nevada Supreme Court answered the following question that was certified to it by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals:

Do These 2022 Legislative Changes Require A Bylaw Refresh?

During the 2021-2022 legislative session, the California Secretary of State sponsored legislation, 2022 Cal. Stats. ch. 617, making numerous changes to the Corporations Code in anticipation of the implementation of its California Business Connect...

Pre-Merger Non-Solicitation Ban Yields No Antitrust Claim

It is rare that for an employer to instruct its employees not to try to lure aware a competitor's customers. It is rarer still when an employer fires an employee for doing so. These may be rare events, but apparently (or at least allegedly) they...

They Claim To Be From The Government, But They Are Definitely Not Here To Help

It seems as if using the Internet has become as dangerous as walking alone down a dark alley in a crime infested area of the city. Today, the California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation issued the following warning about yet another...