Many countries around the world are using electronic signatures, and millions of users are comfortable signing their documents electronically. But questions around the software still arise. Electronic signatures are broadly accepted throughout the industrialised world as equivalent to a written “wet” signature.
For most use cases, customers, and locations, an electronic signature is sufficient. However, regulated industries, governmental entities or specific European use cases may require or prefer digital certificate-based signatures, which offer a heightened level of identity verification and assurance compared to electronic signatures.
In this webinar the panel will discuss:
- The different types of digital signatures and their most common use cases, including a discussion of digital certificates
- The role and function of the Trust Service Provider
- Trends in digital signature law (including trends in the UK and upcoming changes to eIDAS)
Presenters:
Patrick Van Eecke, Partner at Cooley LLP
Prof. dr. Patrick Van Eecke is a partner in the Cyber/Data/Privacy Department of Cooley in Brussels. Patrick is a member of the Brussels bar and is an associate member of the American Bar Association.
Dr. Van Eecke advises both public administrations and companies on the legal compliant implementation of e-signature solutions and is experienced in drafting and negotiating PKI related legal documents, such as Certification Practice Statements, Certificate Policies, Signature Policies and Relying Party Agreements.
He is extensively involved in diverse research and consulting projects for the European Commission, international bodies and several national governments, including the European Commission, the United Nations (UNCITRAL), the European standardisation body ETSI, the American Bar Association (ABA), the UK government, the Belgian government, the Luxembourg government, the Romanian government and the Economic and Social Committee of the European Communities.
Pete Seeger, Director, Product Legal, DocuSign
Pete Seeger leads the Product Legal group within DocuSign and has been a member of DocuSign’s Legal team since 2018. Pete is a member of the State Bar of California and also holds a Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E) certification.
Pete counsels DocuSign’s global Product, Developer and Engineering teams on DocuSign’s entire product line, with a focus on electronic and digital signature products and services. Pete routinely advises DocuSign on digital signature issues globally and with an emphasis on the EU market. Pete is DocuSign’s primary subject matter expert on legal issues involving electronic and digital signatures globally and regularly provides guidance to DocuSign’s global customer base on digital signature issues, helping them to optimally deploy DocuSign’s digital signature solutions in a wide array of use cases.
Matt Byrne, Deputy Editor, The Lawyer
Matt joined The Lawyer in 2003 as features editor and became deputy editor in 2014. He has written on a wide range of topics related to the business of law and management of legal services organisations. In particular, Matt leads the editorial teams for major market reports such as the UK 200, the US Top 50 and the Global Litigation 50.
