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

Bill Proposes Expanded Definition Of "Independent Contractor"

Currently, the California Corporations Code does not define the term "independent contractor".  A bill introduced last month by Assembly Member Chris Norby would change this.  AB 2373 proposes to add a new Section 22 to the Corporations Code to define...

Blue Sky And Rule 144A

Rule 144A is a non-exclusive safe harbor rule under the Securities Act of 1933. The rule exempts reoffers and resales of securities from the registration (but not the anti-fraud) provisions of the Securities Act. Many securities practitioners are,...

Jobs Or Bucket Shops?

Last week, New York Times columnist Gail Collins wrote this Op-Ed piece criticizing the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (aka JOBS) Act (H.R. 3606).  Dave Lynn provided a good summary of the bill in this posting on TheCorporateCounsel.net blog.

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