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

Lost Writings And The Statute Of Frauds

In 1677, the English Parliament enacted a law establishing a legal principle that was eventually adopted by all of the future states of its nascent colonies - the Statute of Frauds.

Contractual Provisions Disclaiming Attorney-Client Relationship Fail To Let Lawyer Off The Hook

Suppose a contract includes the following provisions:

Supreme Court Decision Underscores The Importance Of Administrative Law

Administrative law is one of the most useful subjects that someone can take in law school. I say that as someone who has taught the subject. Earlier this week, the California Supreme Court issued an opinion that illustrates exactly why it can be...

Don't Bank On Being Able To Use "Bank" In Your Corporate Name

"Bank" is a good example of a homonym (same spelling and pronunciation but different meaning), a homograph (same spelling but different meaning) and a homophone (same pronunciation). I can think of at least three different meanings of the word in...

I Don't Want To Express A Preference, But I Want My Vote To Count

I've always considered majority voting to be a profoundly illogical concept that evidences a fundamental misunderstanding of the mechanics of shareholder voting.

Ninth Circuit Says Say-On-Pay Suit Should Stay In California Court

In enacting the Dodd-Frank Act, Congress made it clear to everyone, other than the plaintiffs' bar, that say-on-pay votes were advisory only, did not create or imply any change in fiduciary duties of directors, or create or imply any additional...

Beware Of Fraudulent On-Line Escrows

From time to time, the Department of Business Oversight posts warnings about fraudulent on-line escrow companies. According to the Department, these fraudsters use stolen identities and credit card numbers to open a Web hosting account. They then...

Nevada Cracks Down On "Nominee" Directors And Officers

Over the years, some have promoted the use of so-called "nominee" directors and officers as a means to hide the ownership and control of a corporation. As I mentioned yesterday, the U.S. government has become increasingly focused on the use of...

The Diminishing Privacy Of Private Corporations

In 2000, what was then known as the General Accounting Office (now, the Government Accounting Office) warned of possible money laundering by Russian entities using U.S. corporations. The report was addressed to Senator Carl Levin who was then the...