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

"Fair Is Foul, And Foul Is Fair", But Are "Fair Value" And "Fair Market Value" Synonymous?

Last Friday, I wrote in this post about a recent Nevada Supreme Court decision that provides a modicum of guidance on how "fair value" is to be determined for purposes of Nevada's dissenters' rights law.

Nevada Supreme Court Adopts Delaware Approach To Fair Value Burden Of Proof

Recently, the Nevada Supreme Court answered several questions concerning how to determine the "fair value" of shares under Nevada's dissenters' rights statutes (found in NRS Chapter 92A).  American Ethanol, Inc. v. Cordillera Fund, L.P. (May 5,...

Concurrent Jurisdiction Found For Covered Class Actions

In 1997, I testified at an oversight hearing before the United States Senate Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee regarding securities litigation abuses. At the time, Congress was considering whether to enact legislation to stop plaintiffs...

Plaintiff's Assertion of "L'état, c'est moi" Falls On Deaf Ears

A plaintiff will usually advance an alter ego claim against a defendant. When a plaintiff asserts an alter ego claim against itself, then you have a real "man bites dog" or perhaps a "man bites himself" case. Occasionally, however, a man does bite...

Ahistorical Bedfellows: The California Corporations Code And The Common Law

Unlike New York or Virginia, the State of California was never an English colony (although Francis Drake named it New Albion and claimed it for England on June 17, 1579). Rather than English, California's European historical roots are Spanish. Spain...

NY District Court Finds That Same Plaintiff In ARS Case Has No California Securities Law Claims

In this Friday the 13th post, I wrote about The Anschutz Corporation's (TAC) success in having California law apply to its negligent representation claims against the defendant New York rating agencies. Thus, it may come as a surprise to learn that...

Commissioner Announces Action To Alleviate Exempt Adviser Uncertainty

This afternoon, Commissioner Preston DuFauchard released this letter regarding the upcoming demise of the federal private adviser exemption (Section 203(b)(3) of the Investment Adviser Act of 1940). The Commissioner's letter is in response to...

Court Applies California Common Law To New York Rating Agencies

In another auction rate securities (ARS) case, The Anschutz Corporation (TAC) brought suit against several rating agencies alleging negligent misrepresentation.  The Anschutz Corp. v. Merrill Lynch & Co., Fed. Sec. L. Rep. (CCH) P96,258 (N.D. Cal....

Rule 134 And Suitability Disclosure

Recently, I came across the following Compliance and Disclosure Interpretation (C&DI) issued by the Division of Corporation Finance at the Securities and Exchange Commission: