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

How Many Errors Can You Make In 9,000 Words, More Or Less?

The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act) is a very modest 9,000+ words. In comparison, the Dodd-Frank Act is a hefty 360,000+ words. Thus, I find the number of technical errors in the JOBS Act to be surprising. One such error is likely to...

The Department of Real Estate And The Naturopathic Medicine Committee - Separated At Birth?

The Little Hoover Commission will be considering the Governor's Reorganization Plan at hearings next week in Sacramento.  I'm on the agenda to testify. The Governor is proposing a major reorganization of state consumer and business regulatory...

Reorganization Plan Dooms Dual Banking System And Diminishes The Availability Of Small Business Credit

Since the passage of the National Currency Act during Civil War, banks have had a choice. They could choose a national charter or state charter. I've long been a proponent of the dual charter system because I believe that it introduces regulatory...

"Public Offering" Defined!

Earlier this week, I wrote about the exemption in Corporations Code Section 25102(e) for offers and sales of evidences of indebtedness in transactions not involving a "public offering". This, of course, begs the question of what constitutes a...

The SEC's Form 10-K: "In Endless Error Hurled"

In February, I wrote that I had noticed several errors in the PDF version of the Form 10-K posted on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website.  Here's what I found:

Borrowing Money? The Legislature May Require You To Tell The DOC

California defines a "security" to include an "evidence of indebtedness" in Section 25019. Thus, when someone borrows money, they may be offering and selling a security in the form of an "evidence of indebtedness". I say "may" because "[d]espite...

"Hallelujah, I'm A Bum!" Bill Aims To Allow Tramp Corporations To Enjoy Their Home

At some point in their careers, many California corporate attorneys, and not a few lawyers outside the state, have had to confront California's explicit regulation of foreign corporations. Although many provisions of the General Corporation Law...

NASAA Slams The JOBS Act, But Have The States Really Been Handcuffed?

NASAA isn't in the business of firing off rockets but it did launch a missile yesterday targeted directly at the JOBS Act.  In this press release, NASAA's president, Jack E. Herstein, is quoted as saying:

No Need For "F" For Phantom Plans

When establishing a phantom stock plan, some issuers may erroneously believe that the only available exemption is the limited offering exemption in Section 25102(f) of the Corporations Code. While the "F" exemption is a viable option for some...