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

A Good Meal, A Good Time And A Good Securities Offering?

A well-used sales technique is to offer prospective purchasers a free meal.   In fact, the North American Securities Administrators Association has issued this alert to seniors about the dangers associated with a "free lunch". I've sometimes wondered...

The Corporations Code Can Make Suing Your Former Employees Costly

Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter once told the following story about Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. and Ralph Waldo Emerson. When Holmes at the urging of his father visited the great author, Emerson asked "Young man, have you read Plato?" When...

SEC Marks The Ides By Bringing Actions Involving Secondary Market For Private Company Shares

Nearly two years ago, I began writing about some of the issues related to secondary trading in private company shares. 

U.S. Supreme Court Asked To Determine Constitutionality Of General Solicitation Ban

Federal and state securities laws are premised on the belief that the government can constitutionally prohibit or limit speech in connection with the offer or sale of securities. At least one issuer has aggressively challenged this premise and has...

Teveia Barnes Appointed To Succeed DFI Commissioner William Haraf

Yesterday, Commissioner William R. Haraf announced that he will be leaving the Department of Financial Institutions at the end of this week. Former Governor Schwarzenegger appointed him to the post in 2008. California's profile as a financial...

FINRA's Suitability Rule Is No Match For California's Rule

FINRA's New Rule

CFL Annual Report Form Presents A Subterranean Problem For DOC

Every person who was licensed under the California Finance Lenders Law as of December 31, 2011 must file an annual report with the Department of Corporations. The report is due on or before March 15, 2012. Cal. Fin. Code § 22159(a). The Department...

Why The Word "Includes" Conflates The Separation Of Powers

There are many ways to define a term. Many definitions are "intensional definitions". An intensional definition lays down all of the properties required to meet that definition. For example, Corporations Code Section 185 provides that "Shareholder"...

Ban On Corporate And Union Contributions To Candidates Qualified For The November Ballot

In December, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced that she has certified the first initiative for the November 6, 2012, presidential election ballot. Among other things, this initiative would ban corporations, labor unions and public...