W. Glen How & Associates LLP recognizes the importance of privacy and the sensitivity of personal information. As lawyers we have a professional obligation to keep confidential all information we receive within a lawyer-client relationship. We are committed to protecting any personal information we hold. This Privacy Policy outlines how we manage your personal information and safeguard your 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, 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 W. Glen How & Associates LLP, to the extent our activities are commercial.
W. Glen How & Associates 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.
Why does W. Glen How & Associates LLP need personal information?
Personal information is required to properly provide you with legal services.
What personal information do we collect?
Personal information is any information that identifies you, or by which your identity could be deduced.
How do we collect your personal information?
We collect information only by lawful and fair means and not in an unreasonably intrusive way. Wherever possible, we collect your personal information directly from you, at the start of a retainer and in the course of our representation.
Sometimes, we may obtain information about you from other sources, for example:
- - from a government agency or registry;
- - your employer, if we are acting for you, at your request.
Consent
In most cases, we shall ask you to specifically consent if we collect, use, or disclose your personal information. Normally, we ask for your consent in writing, but in some circumstances we may accept your oral consent. Sometimes, your consent may be implied through your conduct with us.
Use of your information
We use your personal information to provide legal advice and services to you and to administer our client time and billing system.
W. Glen How & Associates LLP does not disclose your personal information to any third party to enable them to market their products and services. For example, we do not provide our client mailing lists to any outside organization.
Disclosure of your personal information
Under certain circumstances, W. Glen How & Associates LLP will disclose your personal information:
- - when we are required or authorized by law to do so, for example, if a court issues a subpoena;
- - when you have consented to the disclosure;
- - when the legal services we are providing to you requires us to give your information to third parties (for example, a government agency) your consent will be implied unless you tell us otherwise;
- - where it is necessary to establish or collect fees;
- - if we engage a third party to provide administrative services to us (for example, computer back-up services or archival file storage) and the third party is bound by our privacy policy;
- - if we engage expert witnesses on your behalf;
- - if the information is already publicly known.
Updating your information
Since we use your personal information to provide legal services to you, it is important that the information be accurate and up-to-date. If during the course of the retainer, any of your information changes, please inform us so that we can make any necessary changes.
Is your personal information secure?
W. Glen How & Associates LLP takes all reasonable precautions to ensure that your personal information is kept safe from loss, unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure. Among the steps taken to protect your information are:
- - premises security;
- - restricted file access to personal information;
- - deploying technological safeguards, such as security software and firewalls to prevent hacking or unauthorized computer access;
- - internal password and security policies.
Access to your personal information
You may ask for access to any personal information we hold about you. 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.
Correcting Errors
If W. Glen How & Associates LLP holds information about you and you establish that it is not accurate, complete, and up-to-date, W. Glen How & Associates LLP will take reasonable steps to correct it.
Can you be denied access to your personal information?
Your rights to access your personal information are not absolute. We may deny access when:
- - denial of access is required or authorized by law (for example, when a record containing personal information about you is subject to a claim of legal professional privilege by one of our clients);
- - granting you access would have an unreasonable impact on other people’s privacy;
- - our firm’s rights and property requires protection; or
- - the request is frivolous or vexatious.
If we deny your request for access to, or refuse a request to correct information, we shall explain why.
W. Glen How & Associates LLP does not use your Social Insurance Number as a way of identifying or organizing the information we hold upon you.
Can you request anonymity?
Whenever it is legal and practicable, we may offer the opportunity to deal with general inquiries without providing your name (for example, requests for information for legal research purposes). The Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act requires us to confirm the identity of all new clients. It may also require us to disclose information to FINTRAC in relation to certain large cash transactions.
Communicating with us
You should be aware that e-mail 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 W. Glen How & Associates LLP regularly reviews all of its policies and procedures, we may change our Privacy Policy from time to time.
Request for access
If you have any questions, or wish to access your personal information, please write to or email our Privacy Contact at:
W. Glen How & Associates LLP
c/o Mathias Rochette
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 40
Georgetown, ON L7G 4T1
Courier
13893 Highway 7
Georgetown ON L7G 4S4
Tel: 905-873-4545
Fax: 905-873-4522
E-mail: mrochette@wghow.ca
If you are not satisfied with our response, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada can be reached at:
112 Kent Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 1H3
1-800-282-1376
