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

How Confused Is This? California Defines LLCs Subject To New Law To Include Foreign LLCs

The California Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. which took effect on January 1 of this year, provides the statutory framework for the formation and operation of limited liability companies. The law appears to distinguish between a...

If Fee-Shifting Bylaws Are Ever Put On Trial, This Case Should Be Exhibit A

Item 5.07(d) of Form 8-K requires issuers to disclose "the company’s decision in light of such vote as to how frequently the company will include a shareholder vote on the compensation of executives in its proxy materials until the next required...

Notes From The 2114 Securities Law Conference

Courtesy of Professor Emmett Brown, I recently attended the 2114 Securities Law Conference and I must say that I was heartened by what I heard there and then.  Here are some of my notes from the conference:

Why Biolase v. Oracle Partners, L.P. May Not Be The Last Word On Resignations

Yesterday, I mentioned the Delaware Supreme Court's recent holding in Biolase, Inc. v. Oracle Partners, L.P., 2014 Del. LEXIS 278 (Del. June 12, 2014).  In an opinion written by Chief Justice Leo E. Strine, Jr., the Supreme Court affirmed a finding...

May A Director Resign By Telling Another Director "I Quit"?

Suppose in a fit of pique, a director telephones a fellow director and announces that she is quitting the board.  Has the director resigned?  California Corporations Code Section 305(d) provides:

This Legislative Lacuna Looms Large In RULLCA

I expect that most limited liability company operating agreements specify how profits and losses are to be allocated among members. Sometimes, they may not. The now repealed Beverly-Killea Act provided a default provision for just this contingency,...

Commissioner Rings Pension Fund Tocsin

In a speech given late last month, SEC Commissioner Daniel M. Gallagher warned that "for years, state and local governments have used lax governmental accounting standards to hide the yawning chasm in their balance sheets." According to Commissioner...

Nevada Exculpation Statute Leads To Dismissal Of Claims Against Erstwhile Officer

Nevada, unlike either California or Delaware, exculpates corporate officers from liability to the corporation for any damages as a result of "any act or failure to act" in his or her capacity as an officer unless it is proven that (i) the officer's...

How A Public Records Act Request Can Be Better Than A Subpoena Duces Tecum

The California counterpart to the Freedom of Information Act (aka FOIA) is the Public Records Act, Government Code Section 6250 et seq.  In a recent unpublished decision, the Court of Appeal succinctly explains why submitting a Public Records Act...