This policy describes how this law firm collects, uses and protects personal information.
What is Personal Information?
Generally speaking Personal Information does not include what is considered business contact information: your name, title or position, business address, telephone number, facsimile number or e-mail address. In other words, it does not include the information that one would typically find on a business card.
Examples of the types of Personal Information that the firm may collect about you includes your name, home address, telephone number, personal e-mail address, billing and account information, information about a legal issue and other information incidental to providing legal advice and services.
Commitment
All of this firm’s information handling practices comply with federal and applicable provincial laws, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”), an initiative designed to further protect the privacy of Canadian consumers.
Consent
In the course of your consulting the firm, it is inferred that you consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information:
- to determine if the firm can represent you,
- to provide professional services to you,
- to represent you before the Courts, tribunals, government agencies and with third parties as may be required in carrying out our retainer, and
- for legal or practice updates.
Withdrawal of Consent
You may withdraw your consent to our collection, use and disclosure of your personal information at any time, subject to legal and/or contractual restrictions and upon reasonable notice.
How this Law Firm May Use Your Personal Information
The firm uses your personal information to provide advice and services to you, to administer time and billing databases and to communicate with you about recent developments in the law.
Disclosure of Personal Information
There are some situations where we will disclose your personal and other information without requesting your consent. For example, we sometimes require services from trade-mark agents or lawyers in other jurisdictions, investigators or expert witnesses. Before disclosing any personal information to such parties, we obtain their contractual commitment to keep all such information secure and confidential. In addition, personal and other information may be shared if the firm is subject to government tax reporting requirements, a legal proceeding or court order. In addition, we may disclose personal information to public authorities without an individual’s consent to protect the public interest.
In all cases, this firm will release only the information that is legally required.
This firm will not disclose your personal information to any third party to enable them to market their products and services.
Privacy Online
Like most other commercial websites, the firm may monitor traffic patterns, site usage and related site information to optimize your visit to our website. Our website server will automatically collect IP addresses. and view the IP log from time to time, for example, to maintain the security of our website. We do not link the IP addresses to other personally identifiable information.
Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention
Your personal information will only be retained for the period of time required to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected or as may be required by relevant laws, whichever is greater. Following this period of time, our record of your personal information will either be destroyed or erased.
Client Access
At any time, you can find out what personal information we have, what it is being used for and to whom it has been disclosed. You may verify the accuracy and completeness of your information, and may request that it be amended, if appropriate. However, in some specific circumstances, disclosure of your personal information to you can or must by law be denied, for example, when: (i) the information is protected by solicitor/ client privilege, (ii) disclosure of the information would also reveal personal information about another person, or (iii) disclosure would reveal confidential commercial information. The firm will provide the required information to you within a commercially reasonable period of time and will provide an explanation if are unable to meet your request. A fee may be charged for certain inquiries due to the time and resources required (particularly where files are stored in archives), in which case, the firm will provide an estimate of the amount in advance.
Accuracy
Client information must be as accurate, complete and up-to-date as possible in order to ensure the highest quality service, to ensure ease of communication and to maintain IP registrations. Please keep the firm informed of any changes in your personal or other information, such as if you move or change telephone numbers. If you find any errors in our information about you, let us know and we will make the corrections as soon as reasonably possible, and we will transmit the amended information to others, where appropriate.
Security
We will protect your personal information with appropriate safeguards and security measures. We will also retain your information only for the time it is required for the purposes we explain.
We use a variety of security measures such as restricting access to files and data centres, using secure file cabinets, and employing a variety of electronic security measures, such as passwords, personal identification numbers and data encryption techniques.
Updating the Privacy Policy
Any changes to our Privacy Policy and information handling practices shall be acknowledged in the Privacy Policy in a timely manner. We may add, modify or remove portions of the Privacy Policy when we feel it is appropriate to do so. You may determine when this policy was last updated by referring to the modification date found on our website
Questions
If you have any questions, or wish to access your personal information, please contact Lisa directly.
