The legal issues in question arise from such events, activities, and actualities as the following, all of which are treated in this book: Eighteen outstanding authors, bankers, lawyers, and academics contribute their expertise to elucidate the issues and their implications. They draw their legal analyses from international norms such as the UNCITRAL Model Law, relevant EC directives and draft directives, the United States Uniform Electronic Transaction Act (UETA) and E-Sign Act and other national laws, as well as from numerous court decisions in Europe and the United States. The essays are based on papers originally presented at a conference sponsored by the Law Centre for European and International Cooperation (R.I.Z.) and held at Cologne in April 2001. will be of great value to anyone involved in banking or financial services. It could be said that what it'sets forth is nothing less than the future mode of financial transactions.