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

Court Declines To Impose Alter Ego Liability On LLC's President

In general, the debts, obligations, or other liabilities of a California limited liability company do not become the debts, obligations, or other liabilities of a member or manager solely by reason of the member acting as a member or manager acting...

When "The Check Is In The Mail" Extinguishes A Debtor's Obligation

Most creditors likely assume that they have not been paid unless and until they receive checks from their debtors.  In many cases that assumption may be correct, but in some cases it won't be.  Section 1476 of the California Civil Code provides:

California Finders Exemption Regulations Are Now Effective

The Commissioner of Business Oversight's final regulations implementing a new exemption for finders from the broker-dealer provisions of the Corporate Securities Law took effect on June 21, 2017.  See 10 CCR §§ 260.211.4, 260.211.5, 260.211.6 and...

CalPERS And Securities Lending - Waiting For Godot?

California Government Code Section 7603 is short and unambiguous:

California Judge Honors Delaware Forum Selection Bylaw

In May, I wrote about Judge Peter H. Kirwan's ruling in Drulias v. 1st Century Bancshares, Inc., (Cal. Super. Ct. Case No. 16-CV-294673, Nov. 18, 2016).  As readers may recall, Judge Kirwan declined to approve a disclosure only settlement based on In...

California's Regulation A Notice Filing Requirement

Two years ago, I posed the question: Will California Require Notice Filings For Regulation A Offerings? Corporations Code Section 25102.1(a) provides that offers and sales of to "qualified purchasers", as defined by the Securities and Exchange...

Investment Companies And Intrastate Offerings

Recently, my eye caught the following statement in the SEC's Intrastate Offering Exemptions: A Small Entity Compliance Guide for Issuers:

A Field Guide To Distinguishing Directors From Officers

A colleague who is not a corporate lawyer recently noted that in common parlance directors and officers are often simply lumped together as the "same thing". He suggested that I devote a post to a primer on the differences between directors and...

California Lags Behind The SEC In Permitting Testing Of The Waters In Regulation A Offerings

In 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted amendments to Regulation A and other rules and forms to implement Section 401 of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act. One significant enhancement to Regulation A was to permit...