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

FTB Fights Underground Regulation Determination - Why Won't It Simply Do What's Right?

Just last week, the California Taxpayers Association reported:

If You Pay More, Do You Actually Get More?

The typical private fund is organized as a limited partnership or limited liability company that is managed by a general partner or manager. The fund manager is usually compensated in three ways - an annual management fee (often 2%), a carried...

Movie Production Loans Result In 27-Year Stay At The Greybar Hotel

In 2007, the Department of Corporations issued this Desist & Refrain Order against Mahmoud Karkehabadi and others for violations of the Corporate Securities Law of 1968. The Department also made a criminal referall to the California Attorney...

Conversion Is Not So Easy, And So Smooth A Thing . . .

Entity conversions are a relatively new phenomena. The legislature first provided for conversion in 1999 when it enacted AB 197 (Ackerman), which provided for the conversion of partnerships and limited liability companies to other types of business...

Court Holds Parol Evidence Admissible

As generally understood, the parol evidence rule prohibits the introduction of extrinsic evidence to alter, vary or add to the terms of an integrated agreement. "Parol" is derived from the French word, "parole" meaning speech. The parol evidence...

The CSL And Implied Rights Of Action

The California Corporate Securities Law of 1968 includes numerous "thou shall nots". One might assume that a violation of any of these statutory prohibitions leads ineluctably to civil liability. However, the drafters of the CSL explicitly eschewed...

When Officers Must Indemnify The Corporation

Much attention is focused on the power of corporations to indemnify corporate officers and other agents. In California, this is addressed by Corporations Code Section 317, which establishes the power to provide indemnification, and Section...

Grand Theft Auto Meets The Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Arthur Andersen was one of the many casualties of the collapse of Enron Corporation. In 2002, a jury found the once well respected firm guilty of violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 1512(b)(2)(A) and (B). These sections make it a crime to "knowingly use...

9th Circuit Holds Section 10(b) Violations Sufficient For ERISA Breach Of Duty Claims

A decision issued yesterday by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals illustrates the peril that can inhere in offering a company stock alternative in a plan governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).