The days when a signature was not considered legally valid unless it was an original signature signed in blue ink are a thing of the past. Digital signatures have now surpassed handwritten ones as considered to be more reliable. How is that possible? In order to understand how this is possible, you must understand what a digital signature is and how it is created. Do not mistake a digital signature ...

As published in the Pacific Coast Business Times (December 12, 2014). For most people, it is hard enough to make ends meet during the year with all of their normal expenses. During the holidays, when people need to buy gifts, plane tickets to travel home and find themselves eating out more frequently, they often run short on cash. The quickest and easiest source of extra money for most people is ...

As published in the Pacific Coast Business Times (Vol. 15 No. 39, Nov. 28 - Dec. 4). Sometimes something that starts out with good intention can turn bad. This seems to be what has happened with the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970. Originally enacted with law enforcement in mind, the act’s original purpose was to aid investigations into an array of criminal activities, from tax evasion to money laundering, by ...

The Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, also known as BSA, was enacted to try and detect and prevent money laundering, tax evasion, or other criminal activities. It requires banks to file government reports for any deposits of cash over $10,000.00 as well as any cash purchases of negotiable instruments for over $10,000.00. However, there is now a highly controversial area of law known as civil asset forfeiture, which allows law enforcement ...

Many times you will have a client, customer, lessee or borrower (your "debtor") that has decided their money is better spent on something other than paying your company. What can your company do to make sure the debtor makes your company their "priority"? If multiple telephone calls and past due notices from you are not having an effect, a letter or a telephone call from your company's lawyer can often ...

As a participant in legal proceedings in California State courts, you may at some point be asked to sign a declaration. The declaration may be used as admissible evidence (your testimony) in certain proceedings without requiring your personal presence in court. For example, declarations can be used to support motions for summary judgment. When signing a declaration, the declaration form may require that you identify the city and state (the "place") ...