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

Stock Repurchases: "We Can't Think Of Anything Better To Do With Your Money"

The Wall Street Journal took aim yesterday at stock repurchases and dividend payments, citing a commissioned study that concluded:

Does Mandated Unbundling Deprive Stockholders The Right To Vote On The Whole?

A forthcoming academic paper looks for bundling in more than 1,500 management proposals between 2003 and 2012.  Bundling occurs when multiple matters are combined into a single proposal.  The authors, James Cox, Fabrizio FerriColleen Honigsberg, and

Doing The Math On Delaware Derivative Settlements

Last Friday, Delaware lawyer Francis G.X. Pileggi wrote about Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster's recent decision to award more than $72 million in attorneys fees in costs in connection with the settlement of a derivative action challenging the...

What The Legislature Doesn't Know About Bees Could Fill A Blog

As a once and future beekeeper, I'm bemused by the California legislature's inept efforts to legislate apiculture. Section 29414 of the California Food & Agricultural Code, for example, defines "honeybees" as " honey-producing insects of the genus...

California's Other Investment Adviser Law

California's Corporate Securities Law of 1968 defines and provides for the comprehensive regulation of most, but not all, investment advisers. Some investment advisers are subject to an entirely different law found in the California Civil Code -...

Assembly Committee Seeks To Fix Securities Fraud Statute

Readers of this blog will be familiar with my criticism of the 2013 amendment of California's basic securities fraud statute, Corporations Code Section 25401.  See California Creates Complete Chaos By Rewriting Anti-Fraud Statute, But “We Are Against...

DBO Defeats Preliminary Injunction Files Suit Against Prorater

Last month, I wrote about Judge Lucy Koh's decision not to preliminarily enjoin the Department of Business Oversight's investigation of Nationwide Biweekly Administration, Inc. for unlicensed activity under California's Check Sellers, Bill Payers...

Shares "Of" Or "In" The Corporation?

A colleague recently asked: "Which is correct - shares in the corporation or shares of the corporation?"  There are two approaches to answering the question - prescriptive and descriptive.

SEC Is Sued Again For Doing Nothing

Yesterday, Broc Romanek wrote about a lawsuit filed earlier this week against the Securities and Exchange Commission due to its failure to respond to a petition asking the Commission to adopt political spending disclosure requirements.