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

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 The now repealed Beverly-Killea Act provided a default provision for just this contingency,...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...

Those Who Hold Themselves Apart Seem To Be Getting All The Attention

Who knew that abstentions were so newsworthy?  Here are three recent news stories involving abstentions at annual meetings:

This Ruling Appears To "Unravel The Very Fabric Of The Space-time Continuum"

In prior posts, I've cast a jaundiced eye on last year's amendment of California's general securities fraud statute, Corporations Code Section 25401.  See Die Verwandlung: How The Legislature Likely Raised The Bar On Securities Fraud Actions and ...

Do You Want Your Lawyer To Be Horatius Or Atticus Finch?

I was profoundly disheartened by these recent remarks by SEC Commissioner Kara M. Stein: