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

Stock Option Exercise – Sale or No Sale?

The Corporate Securities Law prohibits the offer and sale of a security in an issuer transaction "in this state" unless the sale is (a) qualified; (b) the security is exempt from qualification; (c) the transaction is exempt from qualification; or...

Yes, There is no “S” in California

Regulation S has been available for two decades. The rule establishes nonexclusive safe harbors for offers, sales and resales of securities outside the United States. Over the years, many foreign and domestic issuers have relied upon the rule to...

The DOC’s Fiscal State

Last week, I mentioned that the Department of Corporations' source of money is a special fund in the state's budget. This special fund is known as the "State Corporations Fund" and it typically receives the bulk of its cash inflows from licensing...

A California Take on the SEC’s Pay-to-Play Rule

Earlier today, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued its final pay-to-play rule. Among other things, the rule prohibits investment advisers from providing advisory services for compensation to a government client for two years after the...

How to Avoid a Filing Fee

When forming a subsidiary corporation, many lawyers rely on the exemption contained in Corporations Code Section 25102(f) or upon federal preemption via Corporations Code Section 25102.1(d). Both of these sections require the filing of a notice with...

Will DOC Employees be Reduced to Minimum Wage?

As noted in a post last Friday, employees at the Department of Corporations have returned to working on the first three Fridays of each month. This is good news for state employees because they will now get paid for those days. However, this good...

Happy New Year!

California began a new fiscal year on July 1 without a budget (again).   The California Constitution (Art. IV, Sec. 12(c)(3)) is very clear:  "The Legislature shall pass the budget bill by midnight on June 15, of each year."

It’s Gut AND Amend (GANDA) Time and Your Bar Card May be at Risk!

In recent blogs, I've attempted to explain the reasons for a phenomenon that we'll be seeing from now until August 31. Why August 31? We are in the second year of the biennium of the legislative session. Under the California Constitution (Art. IV,...

Will Your Next Construction Contractor be an LLC?

Speaking of professional services, the Beverly-Killea Limited Liability Company Act generally does not authorize domestic and foreign limited liability companies to engage in professional services. Consequently, a limited liability company cannot...