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

If It's An LLC, Why Cite Corporate Law?

I continue to be surprised when courts refer to state laws governing corporations when the subject entity is a limited liability company.  A recent example of this confusion can be found in Piatelli Co. v. Chambers, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1556 (D....

In This "Unreliable" Opinion, Court Requires Privity For Action Against Unlicensed Broker-Dealer

Since California Corporations Code Section 25501.5 was enacted ten years ago, I've been repeatedly asked "What do it mean?". The statute provides that a person who purchases a security from, or sells a security to, an unlicensed broker-dealer may...

Defendants Owed No Duty, But Still Liable

In Am. Master Lease Llc v. Idanta, 2014 Cal. App. LEXIS 402 (Cal. Ct. App. 2014), the Second District Court of Appeal resolved the following four questions:

Is Nevada Free-Loading On The SEC?

Nevada's corporate law continues to attract attention from the academic community. In a recent paper, three professors of accounting at West Chester University of Pennsylvania undertook a forensic examination of Nevada's place in the market for...

Does Brewing Beer Positively Impact Society And The Environment?

California, like many other states, has enacted legislation allowing for the formation of benefit corporations.  Cal. Corp. Code § 16400 et seq.  Technically, a benefit corporation is a corporation formed under the General Corporation Law that has...

Meandering Through Minutiae - How The Type of Consideration Can Determine The Need For Shareholder Approval

Section 1001 of the California Corporations authorizes a corporation to sell all or substantially all of its assets when the principal terms are approved by the board of directors and the outstanding shares (unless the transaction is in the usual...

Governor Renews Drought Declaration And Orders Contract Provisions Voided

Soon after entering government service, California was hit by the Northridge Earthquake. As General Counsel to the Business, Transportation & Housing Agency, I received a call directing that I prepare draft executive orders for the Governor under...

Commissioner Signals Intent To Expand Authority Over Federal Bank Subsidiaries

Last month, Commissioner of Business Oversight Jan Owen issued an invitation for comment on two proposed rules that would subject non-depository operating subsidiaries, affiliates and agents of federal banks and other financial institutions to...

Bill Aims To Vary Corporation Tax Rate Based On Pay Ratio

If Senator DeSaulnier gets his way, the SEC's Summary Compensation Table could cost some corporations a lot of money. His bill, SB 1372, would if enacted change the corporation tax rate for publicly traded corporations, including wholly owned...