It is the policy of Cassowary Legal PLLC to deal with your personal information in accordance with the requirements of applicable data protection laws. This notice explains how the Firm does that. In this notice, “the Firm” refers to Cassowary Legal PLLC, a professional limited liability company registered under the laws of the State of Michigan.
Nothing stated in this notice is intended to, nor will it, establish a client-attorney relationship with persons reading it. Information provided to the Firm in the course of any attorney-client relationship enjoys a special status and may be protected by confidentiality, the attorney-client privilege, and other similar protections. Nothing in this notice detracts from any of the protections that attach to such information.
The personal information the Firm collects
The Firm may collect personal information from you in the course of its business, including through your use of its website, when you contact or request information from the Firm, or when you engage the Firm to provide legal services.
The personal information that the Firm processes includes:
- Basic identifying information, such as your name, your preferred form of address, the company you work for, your job title or position, and geolocation data;
- Contact information, such as your postal and email addresses, and phone and fax number(s);
- Financial information, such as bank account information needed to process payments;
- Technical information, such as information from your visits to the Firm’s website or in relation to electronic communications the Firm sends to you, or your unique personal identifier;
- Identification and background information the Firm collects as part of client acceptance;
- Personal information provided to the Firm or generated by the Firm in the course of providing legal services;
The personal information the Firm collects may include special categories of data.
How the Firm collects personal information
- The Firm collects information as part of its business procedures. Those procedures include conflict checks. This information may be provided by you or by third parties
- The Firm collects information as necessary in the course of providing legal services
- The Firm collects information from monitoring use of its website
- The Firm collects information from monitoring email communications the Firm sends and receives
- The Firm may collect or receive information about you from other sources. For example, the Firm may use publicly available sources or third-party vendors to allow the Firm to maintain the accuracy of contact details the Firm holds for you or provide missing information
- The Firm collects information as part of its due diligence procedures when entering into contracts with suppliers or vendors
How the Firm uses personal information
The Firm uses the information that the Firm collects in a number of ways, including:
- To provide legal services to its clients
- To manage its business and its commercial relationships with clients, suppliers and vendors
- To market services. The Firm may do this in a variety of ways, including sending by email news of the Firm. You may choose at any time not to receive marketing materials by emailing info@cassowarylegal.com
- To fulfill legal and regulatory obligations, including reporting obligations and in connection with potential or actual legal or regulatory proceedings or investigations
- To provide and improve this website, including auditing and monitoring its use, to provide users with a customized experience
- To provide information requested by you
- Other uses in the ordinary course of business that are permissible under applicable law
The grounds on which the Firm processes personal information
The Firm process personal information on one or more of the following grounds:
- For the legitimate business purposes described above
- On the basis of consent from the relevant individual
- To perform a contract, including a contract to provide legal services
- For the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims or proceedings
- To comply with legal and regulatory obligations
Sharing personal information
Cassowary Legal PLLC is located in Michigan.
The Firm may share your personal information with third parties in accordance with contractual arrangements in place with them, including:
- other organizations involved in matters for clients, including local counsel, accountants or auditors, and technology service providers such as data room and case management services
- suppliers or vendors who provide support services, such as translation, photocopying or document review
- IT service providers
- organizations who assist or work alongside the Firm in hosting or organizing events or seminars
- the Firm’s own professional advisers and auditors
In some circumstances, the Firm may also pass information to regulatory authorities, courts, tribunals, government agencies and law enforcement agencies. The Firm may be required to disclose your information to comply with legal or regulatory requirements. Where possible, the Firm will use reasonable efforts to notify you before disclosing your information, but the Firm may be legally restricted from doing so.
The Firm does not provide services to individuals or companies located in the European Economic Area (the “EEA”). To the extent information sharing described above may involve a transfer of your information from a location within the EEA to outside the EEA, or from outside the EEA to a location within the EEA, the level of information protection in countries outside the EEA may be less than that offered within the EEA. The Firm will implement appropriate measures to ensure that your personal information nevertheless remains protected and secure in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
Data Security and Retention
The Firm uses Microsoft Office 365 for email and storing documents.
The Firm maintains reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect against loss, misuse, or unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction of personal information the Firm collects. While the Firm strives to protect your personal information, no data transmission is 100% secure. The Firm does not guarantee the confidentiality, security, or accessibility of your personal information provided over the internet or stored in the Firm’s databases. Your transmissions are at your own risk. The Firm is not responsible for disclosures of your personal information due to errors in transmission or unauthorized acts of third parties.
The Firm’s document management, retention, and destruction vary based on legal requirements, practice area, jurisdiction and the type and format of the data. Appropriate retention periods for personal information are determined by considering, among other things, the nature of the information, the purposes for which it is retained, appropriate security measures, relevant technical constraints, and legal and contractual requirements.
If you have any questions on the matters covered in this policy, please email info@cassowarylegal.com.
Changes to the privacy policy
The Firm regularly reviews this Privacy Policy and may make changes as the Firm’s services or privacy practices change, or as required by applicable laws or regulations. Future versions of this Privacy Policy will be available on the Firm’s website. The Firm encourages you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to be informed of how the Firm uses your personal information.
This policy was last updated on May 13, 2024.