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

Director Claims That She Ne'er Consented, Court Finds Consent

Last April, I warned that October 1, 2014 would be a critical day for directors of Nevada corporations.  See Why October 1, 2014 Is An Important Date For Management Persons Of Nevada Entities.  Now, we have a case giving proof to my warning.  Advanced...

Unregistered Foreign LLCs - Are They In Violation?

The California Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (RULLCA), which took effect on January 1 of last year, is fraught with drafting mysteries. Why, for example, did the legislature deem it necessary to change the default rules with respect...

Chairman, Chairwoman, or Chair?

To someone who is not familiar with the English language, many words must seem bizarre. One such word, is "chairman". Does this refer to a chair made into a man or a man made from a chair? What should be made of a law that solemnly proclaims "All...

Nevada Supreme Court Finds No Jurisdiction In Suit By Nevada Client Against Texas Law Firm

In an opinion issued yesterday, the Nevada Supreme Court considered whether a Nevada client had made the requisite prima facie showing of personal jurisdiction over its erstwhile Texas-based law firm.  Fulbright & Jaworski LLP v. Eighth Jud. Dist. Ct.

Court Refuses To Break Board Deadlock By Appointing A Provisional Director

Section 308 of the California Corporations Code provides for the appointment of a provisional director when a corporation has an even number of directors who are equally divided and cannot agree as to the management of the corporation's affairs, so...

You Say Collectable, I Say Collectible

Recently, I circulated a draft agreement that included a representation that a party's receivables were collectible.  The other side returned a draft that modified the representation and changed the spelling to "collectable".  Which is correct?

Court Of Chancery Rejects Delaware Choice Of Law

The public policies of California and Delaware both espouse freedom. Ironically, the freedoms that they espouse are antithetical to each other. California embraces the freedom of people to pursue any lawful and employment of his or her choice....

Applying Today's Statute To Yesterday's Offer And Sale

In September 2013, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 538 (Hill) into law. This bill fundamentally rewrote a key anti-fraud provision of the Corporate Securities Law of 1968 - Corporations Code Section 25401. At the time, I cast a chary eye on the...

These Data Show Nevada Rising And California Sinking

A recent paper by Matthew D. Cain, an economic fellow at the Securities and Exchange Commission, Stephen B. McKeon, an Assistant Finance Professor at the University of Oregon, and Steven Davidoff Solomon, a Professor of Law at the University of...