Reviewed March 2019
Benson Percival Brown LLP recognizes and is committed to the proper management of the personal information of our clients and others, and the importance of protecting your privacy. All organizations collecting, using or disclosing personal information in Canada in the course of commercial activities are required to comply with PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act). Further, as a professional services firm, we have professional and ethical obligations to keep the information we receive confidential in the context of a lawyer-client relationship. This policy outlines our practice with respect to managing your personal information and how we protect your privacy.
Collection of Personal Information, Use and Withdrawal
PIPEDA defines personal information as information about an identifiable individual. Personal information does not include the name, title, business contact information, or information that one expects to find on a business card.
Generally we obtain your consent to collect, use and disclose your personal information. Any retainer of the services of Benson Percival Brown LLP shall constitute implied consent for the purposes of providing legal services to you and/or your organization. By providing your personal information to us, you agree that we may collect, use and disclose your personal information to us in the course of providing legal advice, including obtaining and carrying out client instructions, reporting and communicating with clients, billing and accounting, and protecting against fraud, illegal activities or error. Benson Percival Brown LLP may also use your personal information to send newsletters or e-newsletters about our services or about legal developments which we believe would be of interest to you.
Generally, we do not disclose your personal information to third parties without your consent unless permitted or certain instances such as expert witnesses, process servers, etc., retained on your behalf, or as required by law.
Consent may be withdrawn at any time subject to legal restrictions. However, withdrawal of consent may result in us being unable to continue to provide legal services to you or your organization.
Protection of your Personal Information
We take all reasonable precautions to ensure that your personal information is protected against loss, unauthorized access, disclosure, misuse or modification. Benson Percival Brown LLP operates with secure data networks protected by industry standard firewalls and password protection systems. Documentation disseminated via email communication is protected with end-to-end encryption.
Retention of Personal Information
Benson Percival Brown LLP will retain information, including personal information, for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, subject to any legislative requirements regarding the retention of certain types of information, and subject to our clients’ specific request for discontinued use of such personal information.
Website Privacy
Our website server is hosted by a third-party Internet service provider (ISP) which may monitor traffic patterns, site usage and related site information Any personal information collected on our behalf by the ISP, such as server log data, is managed in accordance with this Policy and is protected by applicable law. We do not link your IP address to other personally identifiable information, however, it may, in appropriate circumstances such as an investigation of a security breach, be used with the co-operation of the ISP to locate and identify an individual using the website.
If you have any questions or complaints about this policy or the handling of your personal information or wish to access your personal information, please contact the lawyer with whom you are dealing, or contact:
Jo-Anne M. Hebert
Director of Operations
Benson Percival Brown LLP
801-1881 Yonge Street,
Toronto, Ontario M4S 3C4
M5T 2Z6
Phone: 416-977-9777, ext. 132
Email: jhebert@bpblaw.ca