The onslaught of COVID-19 has required that most businesses now
work remotely. This materially changes the dynamic of the office
and leaves employees uncertain as to how they will complete tasks,
such as executing contracts, which they had, up until then, taken
for granted. Businesses should be aware that federal and state laws
allow for certain contracts to be executed via electronic signatures and notarized
electronically.
What are the electronic signature and notarization legal
requirements?
Federal and State Electronic Signature Laws
On June 30, 2000, President Bill Clinton signed the Electronic
Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act ("E-SIGN")
into law, giving electronic signatures the same legal effect as
handwritten signatures under federal law. The E-SIGN Act defines an
electronic signature as "an electronic sound, symbol, or
process attached to or logically associated with a contract or
other record and executed or adopted by a person with the
