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 A Form LLC-1 May Be Only Half Right

Under California's new Revised Uniform Limited Liability Act, an LLC is formed when the California Secretary of State's Office files the articles of organization. Cal. Corp. Code § 17702.01(d). Only five items of information are required to be...

How Will The Courts Interpret This?

I recently commented on the awkwardness of Subdivisions (a) and (b) Corporations Code Section 17703.04 that seemingly are intended to establish that the members of an LLC aren't liable qua members for the obligations of the LLC. The statute also...

California's New RULLCA Provides Ample Potential For Member Liability

Recently, I wrote about Corporations Code Section 17703.04(a) which in singularly inept fashion attempts to establish the non-liability of members of a limited liability company under the California's new Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company...

Court Declines To Apply Rule 9(b) To Section 25401 Claim

A complaint alleging securities fraud under Rule 10b-5 must meet the stringent pleading requirements of Rule 9(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure as well as the requirements of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act.  In re Verifone...

The Securities Fraud Device That The Legislature Devised To Omit

Last year, Senator Jerry Hill authored a bill, SB 538, which rewrote Corporations Code Section 25401.  As I posted, the underlying premise was fanciful at best - that California's statute "has failed to keep up with similar language in federal...

What Exactly Was The Legislature Trying To Say?

Section 17703.04(a) is one of many bizarre provisions in California's new Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act:

Some Corporations Code Mysteries

While many disagree with the policy choices made by the drafters of the California General Corporation Law, I think many would agree that the GCL is well drafted from a technical perspective. I find it far better organized and accessible than...

Just What Does "Deem" Mean?

The Legislature likes to deem things, but what does it really intend when it does so?  Consider the following examples:

Before This LLC Was Formed, These Members Knew It

The new California Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act contains some weird inversions of time and logical order. For example, it allows for the formation of an operating agreement even before an LLC is formed. In defining "operating...