Privacy Policy
Introduction
The Law Firm of George Murray Shipley Bell, LLP (“GMSB”) is committed to protecting the personal information that we collect, use and disclose in the course of providing legal services and operating our law firm, in accordance with all acceptable regulatory requirements, including applicable privacy legislation, and consistent with our professional obligations. AS practicing lawyers we have professional and ethical obligations to maintain information we have received within our client relationships in confidence. This Privacy Policy supplements our professional obligations of client confidentiality and sets out in general terms how we collect, use, disclose and protect the personal information of our clients, other individuals and our web site users (“you”).
Personal Information
Privacy legislation in Canada defines “personal information” broadly as any information about an identifiable individual. In general, personal information does not include business contact information, including your name, title or position, business, telephone or facsimile number.
Accountability
GMSB is accountable for the personal information provided to us and as such, has developed policies and procedure for the collection, use, disclosure and protection of personal information. We do not sell, rent or loan any information.
An Overview
GMSB clearly identifies the purpose for which personal information is gathered prior to, or at the time of collection. If you are unclear about the purpose for which we collect information, ask us. As well, if you feel that our purpose for collecting any information is not necessary to your particular matter, you do not have to provide us with that information.
GMSB informs and receives the consent of an individual for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, except as required by law. Private information is only provided if we are required to provide it by law or if public security is at stake.
GMSB limits the collection of personal information to the amount and type of information necessary for the purposes we identify. All information is collected by fair and lawful means.
GMSB only retains your personal information as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected. We limit the use of your personal information, and it is not disclosed for purposed other than those for which the information was collected, except with your consent, or as require by law.
GMSB keeps all personal information under its control accurate, complete and as up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes for which it is being used. If information needs to be updated, we make every effort to update our records and advise other parties having access to the information of these changes.
GMSB keeps personal information safe from loss, unauthorized use, change or disclosure. When we no longer need your information, we take the necessary precautions destroying the information just as we do while storing it.
GMSB is open and honest at all times, providing you with specific information about our policies and practices regarding the management of all personal information. If you have any questions or concerns, we provide the answers and help you understand.
GMSB provides access to information we have in our possession. It is your right to know what this information is and whom we have given it to. We respond to your requests as soon as possible and if we cannot respond right away, we advise you.
You have the right to challenge our compliance with PIPEDA.
GMSB has in place enquiry and complaint procedures, and we take the appropriate action to correct personal information handling policies and practices.
We have the right to refuse your request for information in certain circumstances. These circumstances include information that would reveal personal information about individual, confidential commercial information, instances where the security of another individual is at stake, information that is protected by solicitor-client privilege, or information collected is related to the detection and prevention of fraud. All of our employees are committed to upholding this Privacy Policy.
Privacy Information for Visitors to the GMSB, LLP Website
As a visitor to our website, you do not have to submit any personal information in order to use this site. By visiting our website, you agree that we may collect and use information for the appropriate purposes in accordance with our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with its terms, please do not access this site. Our Privacy Policy is regularly updated. Your continued access of the GMSB website following the posting of changes to the Privacy Policy will mean that you accept and agree to be bound by such changes.
We do not identify individual visitors to our website other than by their IP address. We only use IP addresses to help diagnose problems with our server, to administer our website and to gather broad demographic information using a standard website statistics software package. This helps us to understand what information is most useful so that we can make it easier to find out information and to provide the most up-to-date, relevant information to our visitors. We record the statistical information on the number of visitors to our site but no information about you in particular will be kept or used.
When you voluntarily provide information through contacting one of our lawyers or sending email to our contact information, you are consenting to providing us personal information about yourself and as such, are bound by the privacy principals outlined above. To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy and ensure the appropriate use of information, we have established physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safe guard and secure the information we collect online. Unfortunately, no data transmitted over the internet can be guaranteed to be 100 per cent secure. As a result, we cannot assure the security of any information transmitted to us and you do so at your own risk.