TERMS & CONDITIONS
YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF ANY MATERIAL ON THE RE-LAW LLP WEBSITE IS CONDITIONAL UPON YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF AND COMPLIANCE WITH, THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS:
No lawyer-client, advisory, fiduciary or other relationship is created by accessing or otherwise using the RE-LAW LLP website or by communicating with our lawyers by way of email.
The material provided on the RE-LAW LLP website is for general information purposes only. It is not intended to provide legal advice or opinions of any. No one should act, or refrain from acting, based solely upon the materials provided on this website, without first seeking appropriate legal or other professional advice.
While RE-LAW LLP has made reasonable efforts to ensure that the materials contained on this website are accurate, it does not warrant or guarantee: the accuracy, currency or completeness of the materials; that the website will be available without interruption, error or omission; that defects will be corrected; or that the website and the server(s) that make it available are free from viruses or other harmful components. The website and the materials provided on the website are provided “as is” and “as available” without representations, warranties or conditions of any kind, either express or implied.
In no event shall RE-LAW LLP, its partners, agents or employees be liable for any loss, cost or damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for harm to business, loss of profits, programs or data, interruption of activities or any other pecuniary or economic loss) whether direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, special, exemplary, consequential or otherwise arising out of any use or misuse of, or any defects, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in this site without regard to the form of action, even if RE-LAW LLP has been advised of the possibility of damages.
RE-LAW LLP does not guarantee the confidentiality of any communication via email that relates to a matter for which the firm does not already represent you. In matters that RE-LAW LLP does represent you, email may not be secure.
The laws of the province of Ontario and the laws of Canada applicable therein shall govern use of this website and the interpretation, validity and effect of this agreement, notwithstanding any conflict of laws provisions or your domicile, residence or physical location. You hereby consent and submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the province of Ontario in any action or proceeding related to this website and agree not to commence any such action or proceeding except in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
PRIVACY
RE-LAW LLP RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIVACY AND THE SENSITIVITY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION. WE OFTEN NEED TO COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN SERVE OUR CLIENTS. WE ARE COMMITTED TO OBTAINING, USING, PROTECTING AND DISCLOSING PERSONAL INFORMATION RESPONSIBLY AND CAREFULLY.
RE-LAW LLP is responsible for the personal information we collect and hold. To ensure this accountability, we have developed this policy, and trained our lawyers and support staff about our policies and practices. This privacy policy describes how we manage our clients’ personal information and safeguard their privacy.
YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS
From January 1, 2004, all businesses engaged in commercial activities must comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”), and the Canadian Standards Association Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information, which it incorporates. These obligations extend to lawyers and law firms, including RE-LAW LLP. PIPEDA gives our clients rights concerning the privacy of their personal information.
WHY DO WE OBTAIN PERSONAL INFORMATION?
As a law firm, we obtain, use, and disclose personal information in the course of providing legal services. We require personal information so that we can contact our clients, obtain information about their legal concerns, and develop and implement effective strategies to address those concerns.
WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?
Personal information is information about our clients’ personal characteristics that identify them or by which their identity could be deduced, including their name, age, ethnic origin, marital status, religion, education, contact information including home address, telephone, fax and email, and health information.
If you apply to RE-LAW LLP for a job, we need to consider your personal information as part of our review process. We normally retain information from candidates after a decision has been made, unless you ask us not to retain the information. If we offer you a job, which you accept, the information will be retained in accordance with our privacy procedures for employee records.
On our website, like most other commercial websites, we may monitor traffic patterns, site usage and related site information in order to optimize our web service. We may provide aggregated information to third parties, but these statistics do not include any identifiable personal information.
HOW DO WE COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION?
We collect information only by lawful and fair means, and not in an unreasonably intrusive way. Wherever possible we collect our clients’ personal information directly from them, both at the start of a retainer and in the course of our representation. Sometimes we may obtain information about our clients from other sources, for example:
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an insurance company;
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a government agency or registry;
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an employer, if we are acting for you, at its request; or
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an accountant or other professional advisor.
CONSENT
In most cases, we ask our clients to specifically consent before we collect, use, or disclose their personal information. Normally, we ask for their consent in writing, but in some circumstances, we may accept their oral consent. Sometimes, consent may be implied through conduct.
WHAT STEPS DO WE TAKE TO PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION?
At RE-LAW LLP, we ensure that our clients’ personal information is gathered, accessed, used and disclosed appropriately, including by:
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ensuring lawyers and staff understand the importance of maintaining the security and confidentiality of personal information;
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developing and implementing policies for the collection and use of personal information;
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protecting personal information against loss or theft; and
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safeguarding personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification by:
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restricting access to the office and files;
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using technological tools such as passwords to limit access to computer data; and
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ensuring that third parties who may have access to personal information in the course of services they provide to us follow proper privacy principles.
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DISCLOSURE OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
RE-LAW LLP may disclose our clients’ personal information:
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when they have consented to the disclosure;
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when we are required or authorized by law to do so, for example, pursuant to a court order;
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when the legal services we are providing require us to give personal information to third parties (such as expert witnesses);
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where it is necessary to establish or collect fees;
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if we retain other law firms on our clients’ behalf; or
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if the information is already publicly known.
RETENTION
We retain personal information only as long as it is needed by us to provide our services. In some circumstances, personal information may be stored in an off-site storage facility until we determine it is no longer required.
CAN CLIENTS ACCESS THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION
FROM RE-LAW LLP?
Yes. Clients may ask for access to any personal information we hold about them and have a right to know how it is or has been used. Summary information is available on request. More detailed requests which require archive or other retrieval costs may be subject to our normal professional and disbursement fees.
The right to access personal information is not absolute. We may deny access to non-clients of the firm, as in most cases that information was collected in the course of advising a client, in which we case we have a legal obligation to preserve privilege and maintain the confidentiality of the information, absent our client’s consent to its release.
If we deny a request for access to information, we will explain why.
WHAT IF I THINK THERE IS AN ERROR IN MY PERSONAL INFORMATION?
If RE-LAW LLP holds information about you and you can establish that it is not accurate, complete and up-to-date, we will take reasonable steps to correct it.
WHO SHOULD I CONTACT
AT RE-LAW LLP?
If you want to access personal information, or have questions about our personal information policy, please contact Aaron Rosenberg at telephone: 416.840.7316; fax: 416.429.2016 or email: arosenberg@relawllp.ca. You should be aware that email is not a 100% secure medium, and you should be aware of this when contacting us to send personal or confidential information.
CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
Since RE-LAW LLP regularly reviews all of its policies and procedures, we may change our Privacy Policy from time to time.