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e -Matters, Privacy, and More: What YOU Need to Know!. Presented by:. Brian T. Casey, Partner Patrick J. Hatfield, Partner. October 13, 2009 Association of Corporate Counsel – Georgia Chapter Monthly Luncheon. ATL Doc# 381372_3. Agenda. Preliminary Comments 6 Point Risk Framework
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e-Matters, Privacy, and More: What YOU Need to Know! Presented by: Brian T. Casey, PartnerPatrick J. Hatfield, Partner October 13, 2009 Association of Corporate Counsel – Georgia Chapter Monthly Luncheon ATL Doc# 381372_3
Agenda • Preliminary Comments • 6 Point Risk Framework • Case Law Update • Overview of e-Payments • e-Delivery • Assurances for your e-Sign vendor/IT Department • Telemarketing Rules Updates • Privacy & Security Laws Updates • Q & A
Preliminary Comments • A reasonably well designed process, supported by solid technology, can actually reduce risk, relative to traditional process • It’s more about process and workflow than it is about technology, but technology plays important role
Preliminary Comments • In designing where the records will be stored and which records will be kept, consider long-term e-discovery implications • Use of e-signatures for existing customers still presents a huge opportunity for savings and customer retention
Preliminary Comments • Consider use of e-sign process for your workforce for various acknowledgements, authorizations, enrollments, elections and deliveries • Consider buying the solutions rather than building - the choice of vendors continues to improve
Preliminary Comments • See link for more info: http://www.lockelord.com/services/ServiceDetail.aspx?service=371 • Occasionally we will send out an e-Matters alert on this and related topics, refer to last slide for more information
Basics of e-Sign Laws in the U.S. • Federal e-Sign law effective Oct 1, 2000 • 47 states have adopted UETA (not IL, NY or WA) • Preemption in fed law limits state variation • Companies can implement a national e-sign process
Basics of e-Sign Laws in the U.S. • “e-Signature”: electronic sounds, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a contract or record and executed or adopted with intent to sign the record - Many different forms of e-sign technologies - Clicking “I AGREE” or saying “I AGREE” - One may sign electronically a tangible document - May use a voice signature to sign a “hard copy”
Basics of e-Sign • e-Sign laws don’t elevate e-signatures, just that signatures and records may not be denied because they are electronic • All other contract principles apply, such as evidentiary rules, unconscionability, fraud, etc.
Basics of e-Sign • Documents required to be provided in writing may be e-delivered • Consumer disclosures may be e-delivered, with an extra step
Voice Signatures • Single call to do it all • “4 Corners” principle • Consumer disclosure challenge • Need to audit • Viable alternatives • Shroyer v. New Cingular Wireless
e-Signature Mock Trials • Why we did it? • Online customer purchase scenario • Key Lessons: • Challenge of conveying complex testimony about technology system and process • Proper e-signature process and audit trail may reduce risks existing in current processes
6-Point Framework • Developed over time from risks identified by clients and attendees at sessions like this • Framework helps distinguish the risk, to match the mitigation strategy with level of paranoia • Helps multi-disciplinary team communicate
6-Point Framework: Risks • Authentication Risk – “That’s not my signature” • Repudiation Risk – “That’s not what I signed” • Admissibility Risk – “Objection, your honor!” • Compliance Risk – “I never saw that” • Adoption Risk – “Am I done yet?” • Relative Risk – “How does it compare to the traditional way?”
6-Point Framework: Mitigants • Authentication Risk – Use “shared secrets” or other ways to affirm identity • Repudiation Risk – Hash each document and hash the audit trail • Admissibility Risk – Determine who is able and willing to testify – upfront, read Markel • Compliance Risk - Varies • Adoption Risk – Test, adjust, test, repeat • Relative Risk – Still important
Sample Project 1 - Life Insurance Application E-Signed on PDA • Scenario: “Turbo App” - Face-to-Face home life insurance solicitation; no consumer required device • Document at Issue: Life insurance application and life insurance replacement notice and other consumer disclosures with delivery receipt
Sample Project 1 - Life Insurance Application E-Signed on PDA • Key Law in Play: Insurance code governing insurance application, replacement notice • Process Design: content provided in paper form but embedded in PDA; customer reads physical content, agent inputs answers in PDA with interactive pop-ups using stylus, customer signs on PDA and signed documents printed for customer on site or mailed
Sample Project 2 – e-Delivery Notices of GLBA Privacy Notices • Project A - Website delivery of e-privacy notice by national personal lines property & casualty insurance agency • Project B - Telephonic IVR system for written consent to disclosure of non-public personal financial information of personal lines property & casualty insurance customer
Case Selection Criteria • Some are employer/employee cases – employees and consumers may be viewed alike by the courts, esp. in area of disclosures • Our review, based on broad Lexis net, is current • Receive our e-Matters updates (see last slide)
Long v. Time Insurance Co. • Federal Court in OH, decided in mid 2008 • Application for health insurance signed by the agent, after reviewed and confirmed by insured (health insurance) • Policy issued, with app attached • Based on pre-existing condition discovered at claim time, Time denied coverage • Insured (rep of insured) claimed insured verbally disclosed pre-existing condition to the agent
Long v. Time Insurance Co. • Very helpful case for insurers looking for support of use of e-signature in application process, especially where the signed application is provided with the policy issue • Court discusses various other traditional reasons to hold for Time • See our extensive write-up in on this case
General Dynamics Line of Cases • Kerr v. Dillard (D. Kansas) • Verizon Communications v. Pizzirani (Federal Court in PA, 2006) • Bell v. Hollywood Entertainment Corp. (Ohio Appeals Court, 2006) • Campbell v. General Dynamics (Federal Court of Appeals 1st Circuit, 2005)
General Dynamics Line of Cases • Cases are instructive in designing a process (for employees or consumers in the new business process). - e-Delivery can be effective, regardless of whether the person to be bound actually opens or reads the substantive new terms - Critical to the process is masking the significance of the e-Delivered document very clear and requiring an affirmative act to signify acceptance, such as “clicking” I agree
Point of Sale Process • Labajo v. Best Buy Stores (Federal Court NY, 2007) • Process involved selling subscriptions by including not-so-conspicuous notices on printed receipts, when the consumer used the electronic signature pad to sign for purchases • Case was a class action based on improper charges when plaintiff did not timely cancel “free” subscription
Point of Sale Process • The court held the process was flawed because BB did not show the keypad made clear to the consumer the consequence of signing for a “free” subscriptions • BB compounded by not responding to consumer complaints very well • Case is noteworthy on the process of making the significance of certain actions very clear and the class action risk
Voice Signature • Shroyer v. New Cingular Wireless (Federal Appeals Court, 2007) • Process involved printed terms and conditions in the box with the phone – to activate the phone, consumer dials a number and electronically accepts the printed terms in the box • The court held that the process was just fine • The terms in the box can of course be signed in this fashion
Voice Signature • The court refused to enforce the terms of the contract signed in this fashion, they were unconscionable • Case is instructive because, as we have helped clients do, one can use an electronic signature (including saying “I agree”) to sign a document in hard paper
Class Action Risk • Brueggemans v NCOA Select, et al. (Federal District, June 29 2009) • Process involved website sale of insurance-extended warranty insurance for a phone • Website T’s&C’s – mandatory arbitration • By clicking to proceed, consumer accepted T’s & C’s • Court enforced the T’s & C’s, including arbitration
Class Action Risk • Automated e-sign processes will result in greater consistency and more accessible record of each person involved • Consistently right, or consistently wrong • Possibly greater class action risk • Options for mitigating the greater class action risk • Seriously consider the class action risk
Absent Cases • The opinions re: the processes used in Time, Bell, Verizon and Kerr are helpful for the financial services sector broadly • We have yet to see the case where the consumer claims he never signed the application for insurance or the loan (Long in Time may have come close) – to do so admits no coverage
Summary • We’ve yet to see a bad case, but there are a few bad processes • The courts are not struggling to recognize electronic signatures can be enforceable • Take-away: Courts continue confirming e-Delivery and e-Signatures in the employee/consumer settings, as long as it is made clear to the person the significance of the action accepting new terms • Plan for admissibility, we suspect there will be more disputes in this area
e-Payments • Remember the other payment laws and rules: - ACH – Reg E and NACHA rules and the contract with your bank - Credit cards and debit cards – merchant aggreements, PCI standards • Rules vary by payment type (ACH vs. card) and whether one-time vs. Recurring payment • Consider using payment processor better equipped to handle some of these compliance burdens
e-Delivery • Yes – e-Delivery is permissible • Requires clear consent from recipient • Consider obtaining consumer’s consent for e-delivery for all permitted notices, such as: - GLB annual notices - FCRA opt-out notices - Security breach notices - Other notices that may be required
e-Delivery • e-Delivery method can reduce risk: - proof of delivery of complete package - proof of when delivery occurred • e-Delivery can also present a quandary: what happens if consumer does not retrieve package/notice?
e-Delivery • Better method appears to be: - email alert that something is ready - consumer logs into secure site to access materials
What Assurances Should You Get From Your e-Sign Vendor or Internal IT Shop?
Assurances from e-Sign Vendors/IT • Avoid surprises- ask now who will be there to testify on critical points: • System creates an Audit Trail • Audit Trail is securely archived • What is generated and available as evidence • One credible source reports significantly improved settlement conferences
Assurances from e-Sign Vendors/IT • Audit Trail and each document/record presented, including each that was signed, are unaltered without detection • Who will testify as to the above? • Requires specific opt-out mechanisms for customers
Assurances from e-Sign Vendors/IT • In sum, ask for full sample of what would be generated to prove: - To a judge, how the company is sure the application with the misrepresentations is in fact what the customer signed; and - To a regulator, how you are so sure that each and every required disclosure was in fact provided to the PI/PO
Telemarketing Rules Updates:Prerecorded Telemarketing Callsand Automatic Telephone Dialing Systems
FTC Telemarketing Sales Rules (TSR) Amendments • Prerecorded Telemarketing Call Amendment (16 C.F.R. 310) • Prerecorded = Not defined, but should mean any message not delivered by a live human voice • Requires specific opt-out mechanisms for customers (effective December 2008) • Requires prior written consent for placing pre-recorded calls to consumers, including those with established business relationship (effective September 2009) • Preempts less restrictive state laws but does not preempt more restrictive state laws • Healthcare/HIPAA exemption
Prerecorded TelemarketingOpt-Out Requirement Rules • Minimum 15 seconds/4 rings before disconnecting an unanswered call • Within 2 seconds of end of greeting, call must identify seller, state purpose is to sell, describe product/service followed immediately by: • In Person answered calls- provide opt-out via IVR or keypad usable anytime during call, which must add caller’s number to DNC list and disconnect call • Answering Machine/Voice Mail answered calls- provide toll-free phone number for opt-out that connects to opt-out via IVR or keypad, which must add caller’s number to DNC list and disconnect call
Prerecorded TelemarketingPrior Written Consent Rules • Request for written consent must be preceded by a “clear and conspicuous” disclosure to consumer that agreement authorizes seller to make prerecorded sales calls to consumer • Consent must be in writing and cannot be condition to buying product or service • Consent must have callee’s telephone number and signature • E-signature for consent expressly recognized by amended rule