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

Nevada Corporate Law: What's Wrong With Expedition?

As someone who has been writing about Nevada corporate law for over two decades, I've been somewhat amused by the recent "discovery" of the Silver State as an alternative to Delaware.  Writing for The Wall Street Journal, Liz Hoffman observed that...

SEC Staff Declares Performance History Is Not Factual

The Securities and Exchange Commission staff recently issued a series of additional Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations with respect to what might constitute a "general solicitation" under Regulation D. These interpretations illustrate the...

Why The SEC's Pre-Existing Relationship Test Is The Mirror Image of California's

One significant condition to California's limited offering exemption is that all purchasers have a "pre-existing relationship":

Does The Power To Choose Not Include The Power To Remove?

Last week I wrote about Vice Chancellor John W. Noble's ruling in Gorman v. Salamone, C.A. No. 10183-VCN (Del. Ch. July 31, 2015) that a stockholder adopted bylaw empowering stockholders to remove officers is invalid. The stockholder grounded his...

Did You Ever Wonder What You Might Do In California But Not Delaware?

A recent decision by the Delaware Court of Chancery tackles the question of whether a stockholder may adopt a bylaw granting stockholders the right to remove officers.  In Gorman v. Salamone, C.A. No. 10183-VCN (Del. Ch. July 31, 2015), Vice...

50% Shareholder Denied Say In Defense Of Corporation

If two shareholders each own one half of the outstanding shares of a corporation, one might expect that they would have an equal say in just about everything.  It turns out that in some circumstances they won't.

Do De Facto Officers Owe Fiduciary Duties?

A recent ruling by Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley addressed the interesting question of whether a consultant might owe a fiduciary duty as a de facto officer.  Music Grp. Macao Commer. Offshore, Ltd. v. Foote, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81415...

Will You Be Gulled By This Notice?
CalPERS And Pay For Performance

A few weeks ago, CalPERS' Director of Corporate Governance, Anne Simpson, sent a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission in support of the SEC's proposed pay for performance disclosure rule. Her letter notes CalPERS' belief that...