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

"One Man Is As Good As Another Until He Has Written A Book"

A few years back, I had the great pleasure of serving with Bruce Dravis as Co-Chairman of the Corporations Committee of the Business Law Section of the California State Bar.  The American Bar Association's Business Law Section will soon be releasing...

"It must be confessed! It WILL be confessed! There is no refuge from confession . . ."

In 2003, California Senator Martha Escutia introduced a bill to make "technical nonsubstantive changes" to a provision of the California Civil Code dealing with construction defects. The bill passed out of the Senate and the Assembly without...

Just What Is An Initial Transaction Statement?

When shares of a California corporation are subject to a restriction on transfer or other specified conditions, Section 418 of the California Corporations Code requires that this fact "appear on the certificate, the initial transaction statement,...

Secondary Trading In Private Company Shares

In this blog posting from last June, I mentioned briefly the phenomenom of secondary trading in the shares of companies not subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  In this article for the Daily...

"This Is Not The Way Criminal Law Is Supposed To Work."

Last week, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion in U.S. v. Goyal, No. 08-1436 (Dec. 10, 2010). This case involved an appeal by the former Chief Financial Officer of Network Associates, Inc. (now known as McAfee, Inc.). This...

Today is St. Lucia's Day

In Scandinavia, December 13 is celebrated as St. Lucia's day. I my wife's family, this means the oldest daughter dressing in a white gown with a red ribbon, wearing a crown of candles (electric) and bringing a tray of saffron buns and coffee....

California's Phantom Stock Plan Exemption

Some issuers prefer not to issue actual shares to their employees but want their employees to share in any appreciation in the value of their shares. A phantom stock plan is one way to achieve this result. Of course, their are tax (including IRC §...

Supreme Court Weighs Opening The Janus Gate of Secondary Liability

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Janus Capital Group, Inc. v. First Derivatives Traders on Tuesday.  You can read the transcript here.  The SCOTUSblog posts transcripts of oral arguments. If you are not up to reading the entire transcript,...

A Brief Rumination On Metaphysics, Trusts and Accredited Investors

I know that the practice of law requires a bit of abstract thinking. However, sometimes this abstract thinking takes a sharp turn into the metaphysical, if not the absurd. One such example is the SEC Staff's Compliance and Disclosure Interpretation...