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

More On Asset Sales And The Attorney-Client Privilege

Last week, I dipped a toe into the difficult topic of what happens to the attorney-client privilege in merger and acquisition transactions.  In that post, I framed a definitional question - is the attorney-client privilege an asset? If the...

When It Comes To Proxy Statements, The U.S. District Courts May Not Be So Exclusive After All

A recent ruling by Vice Chancellor Donald F. Parsons, Jr. caused me to ponder why a case involving alleged misstatements in a proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission wasn't immediately tossed out on jurisdictional grounds. ...

Does Failure To Qualify Deprive A Foreign LLC Of Standing Under The SSFMJA?

The U.S. Constitution enjoins each state to accord "full faith and credit" to "the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other State". U.S. Const. Art. IV, § 1. However, a judgment creditor can't directly enforce a judgment...

Foreign Corporations: "It's like déjà vu all over again."

Public companies like to have have their homes in California, the just don't like to incorporate here.  It seems that there is nothing new this situation.

Failure To Name Primary Violator Doesn't Doom Class Action Against Secondary Actors

One might expect plaintiffs to always name the primary violator in a securities fraud suit. However, what if suing the primary violator is not an option because the primary violator is in bankruptcy or the subject of a court ordered stay? Can there...

Is The Attorney-Client Privilege An Asset?

Suppose that a corporation decides to sell all of its assets. Do all assets include the attorney-client privilege? In considering this question, I think it is useful to distinguish between the documents or other media that contain the privileged...

Delaware Embraces General Solicitation

Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller has been a tireless promoter of Nevada's private corporation law.  Over a year ago, he announced an on-line business entity search tool for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch users.  See Business Entity Search Now...

Are Corporations Profitable?

Do corporations make a profit?  I think it is beyond peradventure that some corporations make a profit.  But do most (i.e., more than half) make a profit?  If more than half do make a profit, how many more than half?

An Unexpected Impasse Revisited

Last week, I wrote about how a shareholder who owns 60% of the voting power could find herself in a deadlock situation under cumulative voting. A former colleague on the Corporations Committee of the Business Law Section of the California State Bar,...