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43 Law Prac. 50 (2017)
Enhancing Your Practice Efficiency with E-Signatures

handle is hein.journals/lwpra43 and id is 132 raw text is: Whether we realize it or not, our ociety is driven by electronic sig- natures (e-signatures). Everything from signing for grocery store pur- chases to signing engagement letteis can be handled with e-signatures. You might be surprised to learn that the first e-signature was transmit- ted as early as the 1860s through a antelegraph (an early form of a fax Machine More than a century ater, the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Conuerce Act and the states' adoption of the Unifo~rm Electronic Transactions Act have paved the way for e-signa- ture adoption across many industries since 1999. Despite the ubiquity of e-signatures, then, why do we rarely see them being used by the sig- nature-dependent legal industry? It's no secret that the legal industry resists change, especially when it comes to technology. However, the normalcy of e-signatures, coupled with the positive business impact, should quickly persuade law firms to replace their outdated print, sign and scan models with the streamlined e- signature alternative. In my experience as a patent attorney, I have discovered the benefits of e-signatures. For seven years I worked at a large patent firm and was immersed in a business that was dependent on the successful comple- tion of signed documents. I observed the amount of time and resources that went into the signing process, from preparing and aggregating doc- uments to be sent to clients for signature to the time spent waiting for them to be returned with all of the correct signatures. Realizing that a law firm bears the responsibility for the timely, proper execution of all forms and documents, I could not help but recognize the risk that a law firm assumes with the slow and burdensome traditional signing process. Later, when starting my own firm on a limited budget, I used these observations to devise a new way to distinguish my practice. Instead of renting an expensive office space or hiring support staff, I invested my resources in an in-house development team that would automate the administrative process. Of all the client-facing administrative tasks we automated, I found that integrating e-signature technology not only maximized our firm's operational efficiency but also provided a premier client experience. Simple automation technology has enabled my firm to grow exponen- tially, but the benefits of e-signatures are not just limited to small start- up law firms. They apply to BigLaw and boutique firms alike. Below I outline some of the benefits of e-signatures, as well as the considerations in selecting an e-signature provider, that can provide today's lawyers with the necessary tools to make their pending e-signature decisions. 50 Law Practice March/April 2017 www.Iawpractice.org

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