Perry Law LLP is committed to preserving the privacy of our clients and their information and recognizes the value of privacy in both personal and professional contexts. Like all law firms, we have a professional obligation to maintain confidentiality. The following policy document provides guidelines for the protection of our client’s privacy.
Our firm’s Privacy Officer is:
Megan Perry – Partner
5006 50th Street
Barrhead, AB T7N 1A4
P: 780 674 2002
E: reception@perrylawllp.ca
Contacting Perry Law LLP re: Privacy Matters
If clients wish to contact our firm with questions or concerns relating to this policy document or other privacy related matters, they should contact our above-named Privacy Officer. Specifically, clients should contact our Privacy Officer if they wish to access their personal information, provide or alter their consent regarding our already collected personal information, voice concerns regarding our handling of personal information or request additional measures be taken to protect the privacy of specific information.
1. Legislative Requirements
As a business engaged in commercial activities in Alberta, Perry Law LLP must comply with relevant provincial and federal privacy legislation. The Personal Information Protection Act (“PIPA”) and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”), respectively, set out the obligations and rights of businesses and clients when dealing with personal information. Consequently, this policy document will reflect the requirements of the PIPA and the PIPEDA where necessary. Privacy legislation does not alter the existing protections afforded to client information through solicitor client privilege
2. Personal Information
As set out in the PIPA, any identifying information about an individual is personal information, excluding business contact information. Business contact information is essentially the information contained on a business card such as an individual’s name, position name or title, business telephone number, business address, business e‑mail address or business fax number.
Collection of Personal Information
While providing legal services to our clients, we will necessarily acquire and collect personal information. Sometimes this information will come from third parties, but if at all feasible we will collect necessary information directly from our clients. Where other sources of information are needed, we will obtain your consent before acquiring information in this way. It is possible, depending on the context, that information may be obtained from third parties including (but not limited to): government agencies such as the CRA, public government registries such as Land Titles or the Corporate Registry, financial institutions, or other professional service providers such as accountants.
Consent
We will obtain consent before acquiring personal information. Consent will preferably be given in writing, but verbal or implied consent is often sufficient. Consent will usually be obtained at the beginning of our involvement in a client matter. A client’s volunteering of personal information relevant to a client matter, either verbally or in writing, will be taken as consent to the collection of that information, as well as its reasonable use and disclosure.
Disclosure Without Consent
There are situations in which Perry Law LLP will be obligated or choose to disclose a client’s personal information without their consent. These include being forced to provide information under a subpoena, if a failure to disclose jeopardizes the life or health of an individual or the public, or if the information is available to the public.
3. Use of Personal Information
All uses or disclosures of a client’s personal information by Perry Law LLP will occur only to perform legal services on behalf of the client. Any personal information we collect will not be shared with or sold to any individual or business to further the marketing of products or services. We may, with the consent of a client, disclose personal information to our partners and employees, as well as to third parties. These third parties may include but are not limited to: government agencies such as the CRA, public government registries such as Land Titles or the Corporate Registry, financial institutions, any Court in Canada, or other professional service providers such as accountants.
Maintaining Accurate Personal Information
To provide competent legal services in a professional manner, we require up to date information on our clients, particularly with regards to contact information. While we may make efforts to ensure out client information is current and accurate, we are reliant on our clients to provide us with up to date information and notify us of changes to contact information. We will work with clients to maintain accurate records, including allowing clients to review and correct collected personal information.
Client’s Access to Their Own Personal Information
At all times, clients may submit a written request to our firm’s Privacy Officer to access the personal information we have collected about them. Our staff are not obligated to fulfill verbal requests of the same nature. We may charge a reasonable fee for retrieval and copying of the requested information. We are unable, by operation of law, to provide personal information to a client that: is inseparable from private information of a third party, or would require the breach of solicitor-client privilege with respect to another of our firm’s clients, or is anticipated to be related to a legal proceeding against the client, including a claim for unpaid legal fees.
4. Protection of Personal Information
Protecting the personal information of clients is a priority for Perry Law LLP. We will engage the following best practices to protect client information:
- We will not obtain, use, or disclose personal information for any reason unless the client has given us permission to do so or it is reasonable to do so in the context of the provided legal services.
- We will not collect, disclose, or maintain records of personal information unnecessarily, doing so only for the providing of legal services or storing records as required by law.
- We will endeavour to keep our records of personal information accurate and up to date, while respecting the privacy of our clients.
- We will use appropriate physical and technological safeguards to prevent unauthorized access to personal information.
- We will transmit private information using methods of communication that are appropriately secure. This means email may not be an appropriate method of communication for some types of sensitive information.
5. Updates to Our Privacy Practices
Our policies and practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information may change from time to time and without notice to ensure our handling of personal information complies with relevant privacy laws and maintains client privacy.
