Privacy Statement
1. Introduction and Commitment
At Conform Legal ("the Firm," "we," "us," or "our"), we understand that the foundation of the attorney-client relationship is trust. As professionals engaged in the provision of legal services to clients worldwide, we are committed to protecting the privacy of confidential and "Personal Information" (information that directly or indirectly identifies individuals).
This Privacy Statement outlines how we collect, use, share, and protect information in the course of our business. It applies to our clients, prospective clients, website visitors, job applicants, and other third parties who interact with us.
It has always been and remains the policy of Conform Legal to comply strictly with the rules of professional conduct, which impose a duty to preserve and protect confidential client information. This Statement is based on privacy and data protection principles common to the jurisdictions in which we operate, applied in light of our overarching obligations to comply with the law and preserve client confidentiality.
2. Scope of this Policy
This policy applies to Personal Information collected through:
Legal Services: Information provided during the engagement and representation of clients.
Digital Interactions: Use of our websites, social media channels, extranets, and mobile applications.
Direct Communication: Emails, telephone calls, and physical correspondence.
Recruitment: Data submitted by applicants for employment or partnership.
3. Collection of Personal Information
We may collect Personal Information from you directly, from third parties, and automatically through your use of our digital services.
A. Information You Provide to Us
Depending on your relationship with us, we may collect:
Identity Data: Name, date of birth, passport details, driver’s license, and other identification documents required for Know Your Client (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks.
Contact Data: Postal address, email address, and telephone numbers.
Financial Data: Bank account details, payment information, and income details relevant to your legal matters.
Professional Data: Job title, employer, and professional background.
Sensitive Personal Data: Where necessary for a specific legal matter (e.g., litigation or employment law), we may collect data regarding health, trade union membership, political opinions, or criminal records.
B. Information We Collect from Third Parties
We may receive information about you from:
Publicly accessible sources (e.g., Companies House, land registries, sanctions lists).
Third-party due diligence providers.
Other law firms, barristers, or professional advisors involved in your matters.
C. Automated Collection
When you visit our website, we may automatically collect technical data, including:
Internet Protocol (IP) address.
Browser type and version.
Time zone setting and location.
Operating system and platform.
4. Use of Personal Information
We process your Personal Information only where we have a lawful basis to do so. These bases include:
Performance of a Contract: To facilitate the provision of legal services and advice to you.
Legal Obligation: To comply with statutory requirements, such as tax reporting, AML checks, and conflict of interest checks.
Legitimate Interests: To manage our business relationship, improve our services, ensure network security, and for marketing purposes (where permitted).
Consent: Where you have explicitly agreed to the processing (e.g., subscribing to specific newsletters).
Attorney-Client Relationship & Fiduciary Duty: The Attorney-Client relationship is a fiduciary relationship involving a high degree of trust. Any information provided by you to us or our employees is treated with the utmost discretion and will not be disclosed or used under any circumstances except with your prior approval, or as required by law.
5. Disclosure and Transfer of Personal Information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your Personal Information. We disclose Personal Information only in limited circumstances:
Service Providers: We may share data with trusted third-party agents, data processors, or contractors (e.g., IT support, cloud storage providers, auditors) acting on our behalf and at our direction. These parties are subject to strict confidentiality and security commitments.
Professional Advisors: We may disclose information to barristers, local counsel, experts, mediators, or opposing counsel as necessary to represent you effectively.
Regulatory & Law Enforcement: Consistent with our professional obligations, we may disclose information to regulatory authorities, courts, and law enforcement officials when we believe in good faith that such disclosure is required by law, or to protect our legal rights.
Internal Transfers: As a firm capable of providing services globally, we may transfer client data among our various offices. We have implemented Standard Contractual Clauses (or equivalent mechanisms) to ensure that data transferred across borders remains protected.
6. Security of Personal Information
We maintain reasonable and appropriate physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards intended to maintain the confidentiality of Personal Information. These measures include:
Encryption of data in transit and at rest.
Strict access controls and authentication mechanisms.
Regular security assessments and staff training on data protection.
While we strive to protect your data, no transmission over the internet is infallible. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of data transmitted to our website, though we employ industry-standard practices to minimize risk.
7. Retention of Data
We retain Personal Information only for as long as necessary to:
Fulfill the purposes for which it was collected.
Comply with legal, regulatory, accounting, or reporting requirements.
Defend against legal claims (typically generally linked to the limitation period for legal actions in the relevant jurisdiction).
Once the retention period expires, your data is securely deleted or anonymized.
8. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your Personal Information:
Access: The right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Correction: The right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Erasure: The right to request the deletion of your data ("Right to be Forgotten"), subject to our legal retention obligations.
Restriction: The right to request that we restrict the processing of your data.
Portability: The right to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Objection: The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the details provided below.
9. Updates to This Statement
We reserve the right to update this Privacy Statement at any time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. The effective date will be updated at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this Statement periodically.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Statement, or if you wish to exercise your rights regarding your Personal Information, please contact our office with regard to the same.