Case Study: Superior Court of California achieves enforceable, court-admissible e-signatures with DocuSign

DocuSign E-Signature Upheld in Court as Legal and Enforceable in Common Law Jurisdictions

DocuSign was central to a Superior Court of California dispute over two lease agreements for units at 3300 Clay Street, where a defaulting co-owner allegedly backdated leases to frustrate a forced sale. The case boiled down to conflicting witness accounts about whether the leases were signed on March 1 (as the defendants claimed) or after the owner had been divested — a question of precise timing that would decide the leases’ validity.

Using DocuSign’s certificate of completion and audit trail, and expert testimony from DocuSign’s Damon Dean, the plaintiffs demonstrated the documents were created, delivered and signed on March 18, not March 1, proving the leases were backdated and securing a judgment for the plaintiffs. The case highlights DocuSign’s court-admissible evidence, digital sealing and detailed audit history that support enforceability under common-law jurisdiction standards and e-signature laws.

Superior Court of California