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

SEC Alleges LLC Names Were "Deceptively Similar", But What Would The California SOS Do?

Yesterday, the SEC announced that it had filed a complaint against a securities professional alleging that he had defrauded "two institutions he solicited to invest in a shell company he controlled whose name was deceptively similar to that of a...

Does Anyone Remember Y2K - California Does!

In the closing years of the last millennium, many were concerned about the "Year 2000 Problem" (aka Y2K).  According to this Securities and Exchange Commission interpretive release:

Designated Lender's Counsel

Doug Cornelius at Compliance Building writes today about borrowers paying the legal fees of lender's counsel:

Legislature Tries Again To Put Citizens United On California Ballot

Nearly two years ago, I wrote that the California Supreme Court had blocked an effort to include an advisory vote in the statewide ballot. Proposition 49 asked whether the United States Congress and California Legislature should approve an amendment...

Court Finds Plaintiffs Are Not Privies

Yesterday's post noted that the plaintiff in a derivative suit is bringing claims on behalf of the corporation. Thus, when a derivative suit is dismissed, does that dismissal have any effect on other pending or subsequently filed derivative suits?...

Compromising and Settling of Derivative Suits In California

When a shareholder sues derivatively, the shareholder is seeking relief not for itself, but for the corporation. Therefore, it should be expected that the shareholder is not free to compromise or dismiss the suit absent court oversight. For example,...

Is The SEC On Schedule To Violate Another Law?

Last December, President Obama signed into law the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (aka the “FAST Act“). Buried in the FAST Act were several provisions intended to lighten the load of Securities and Exchange Commission compliance....

California And Nevada Corporations Can Do This But Not Delaware Corporations

Sometimes it's nice to tidy up the corporate stock book. For example, a corporation may effect a stock split and want to collect the outstanding certificates and exchange them for new certificates reflecting the change. California and Nevada provide...

Three Questions To Ask Before Incorporating In Delaware

In the business world it was once commonly said that "no one ever was fired for buying IBM". Given Delaware's preeminent market share, the same thinking may underlie a recommendation to incorporate there. Before making that recommendation, I...