Privacy Policy
Last updated: November 18, 2024
Introduction
This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) explains Kugler Kandestin LLP (“KK”, or “we”)’s practices with respect to personal information concerning our clients and other persons (“you”), other than KK’s professionals, employees, law students, and applicants for employment (collectively, “KK Members”).
If you do not consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with this Policy, please do not provide us with any personal information or use the kklex.com website (“Website”).
The Personal Information we Collect and why we Collect it
This Policy applies to all “personal information” that we collect concerning individuals other than KK Members. The term “personal information” is broad and includes any information about an identifiable individual or that allows an individual to be identified. Generally, personal information does not include business contact information (such as your title, telephone number, or email address).
We may collect personal information from you whenever you interact with us, including when you communicate with us in person or by telephone, email, or other electronic means, or when you visit our office or Website.
The types of personal information we may collect will depend on the nature of our relationship with you, the services you hire us to provide, and the reason(s) for collecting the information. If you are a client or a potential client, we may ask you to provide personal information about yourself and/or other persons, including name, home address, occupation, personal contact information, tax, billing and other financial information.
We collect, use and disclose personal information only for the purposes identified in this Policy and at the time of collection, for the purposes to which you otherwise consent and as otherwise permitted or required by applicable law.
We use this information to: (1) determine whether we can act for you, including to prevent conflicts of interest; (2) offer and provide legal information and services to you; (3) communicate with you regarding the services you request and to respond to your inquiries; (4) manage our client time and billing, and issue accounts; (5) manage and administer our business; and (6) comply with legal, regulatory and self-regulatory requirements, and to fulfill our legal and professional obligations.
When we may Share Your Personal Information
We are subject to professional and ethical obligations. As such, we will not disclose personal information that is protected by solicitor-client privilege or otherwise protected from disclosure unless our client has waived privilege, or we are permitted or required by law to do so.
We disclose the personal information we collect about clients or others we deal with to third parties where: (1) the legal services we are providing require us to give your personal information to third parties; (2) we are required or authorized by law to do so, for example, where the court in a litigation matter issues a subpoena or order; (3) we hire an expert on your behalf in a litigation matter; (4) it is necessary to comply with regulatory (including self-regulatory) requirements or requests from governmental authorities, for example, disclosure of personal information reasonably requested or required by governing bodies of the legal profession in the course of its oversight of our practice; (5) you have instructed us to disclose your personal information to a third party for a specific purpose; and (6) we reasonably believe a third party requesting your information is your agent.
KK does not sell any personal information it holds.
Security
Your personal information is treated as private and confidential information. We take all reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information is protected and kept secure. Most methods of communication are not fully secure, and security measures may create challenges to the efficient exchange of information.
KK only retains personal information for as long as it is needed for the purpose(s) for which it was collected or to comply with the law or professional standards.
Your Consent
We will obtain your consent before collecting, using or disclosing personal information for any purpose, except where otherwise permitted or required by law. Your consent may be provided verbally or in writing, or may be implied, such as where you continue to provide personal information to us in the context of our ongoing relationship, or where you provide members of KK with non-business contact information in connection with our services. This includes providing personal information to KK during litigation matters, which may subsequently require disclosure as part of a litigation file. By providing personal information to KK, you consent to our collection, use and disclosure of such personal information in accordance with this Policy and as permitted or required by law. If you provide personal information of another person to KK, you represent that you have the necessary consent or authority to permit us to collect, use and disclose that personal information for the purposes set out in this Policy.
Our Website
By using our Website, you are providing your consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with this Policy.
You can visit our Website without informing us of who you are, or submitting any personal information. However, we collect the IP (Internet protocol) addresses of all visitors to our Website and other related information such as page requests and average time spent on our Website. We use this information to help us understand our Website activity.
Our Website uses a technology called “cookies”. A cookie is a small element of data that our Website sends to a user’s browser, which may then be stored on the user’s hard drive so that we can recognize the user’s computer or device when they return. You may set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie or to not accept certain cookies. However, if you decide not to accept cookies from our Website, you may not be able to use all the Website’s features.
We may use a third party such as Google Analytics to help us gather and analyze information about the areas visited on the Website (such as the pages most visited, time spent, search terms and other data) in order to improve the user experience and the Website. These third parties may use cookies and other tracking technologies. For more information about Google Analytics or to prevent the storage and processing of this data (including your IP address) by Google, you can download and install the browser plug-in available at the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en. You can also obtain more information on Google Analytics’ data privacy and security at the following links: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites and https://support.google.com/analytics/topic/2919631
Our Website may contain links to other websites that may collect your personal information. We do not control or assume any responsibility for the privacy practices of the third parties operating those websites. You should read the privacy policies of those websites and, based on those policies, decide whether you want to provide your personal information to the operators of those websites.
Accessing or Changing Your Personal Information
In providing any personal information to KK, whether through the Website or otherwise, you consent to our collection, use and disclosure of that information in accordance with this Policy. You have the right to verify and amend your personal information collected by us. You are also free to withdraw your consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information. You have rights to access your personal information. These rights are not, however, absolute. If we deny your request for access, we will provide reasons for doing so.
Please inform us of changes to your personal information.
Contacting Us
If you have any questions or complaints with respect to this Policy or our handling of personal information, please communicate with us at the following contact information:
Privacy Officer
Kugler Kandestin LLP
1 Place Ville-Marie, Suite 1170
Montréal, Québec, H3B 2A7
or
Updates to this Policy
We may change or update the terms of this Policy from time to time. Updates will be posted on our Website, and we will take reasonable steps to inform clients about any important changes before they take effect. Please check back regularly for the most current version of this Policy.