Data Protection Policy

'Who we are and what we do'

We are: Hague Lambert solicitors.

We operate from 4 branches at Manchester Knutsford Macclesfield and Urmston.

Our contact details are set out on the front page of our website: www.hague-lambert.co.uk.

We comply with our professional body's Practice note on Data Protection issued in February 2009.

As a firm of solicitors our activities are particularly wide-ranging but may be summed up as follows: the provision of legal advice to individuals and bodies by face to face meetings, telephone calls, faxes and emails.

We mainly need personal information so that we can:

  • contact our clients and business colleagues by all methods of communication;
  • comply with the Money Laundering Regulations and in particular the procedures for identification of clients and beneficial owners;
  • keep proper and sufficient data about our employees and consultants up to date to enable us to comply as employers with Regulations relating to
    • Employment
    • Taxation
    • Sickness
    • Pension

Data Protection Register

When we ask you for information, we will comply with the law, including the Data Protection Act 1998. We are a data controller for the purposes of that Act. Our entry in the register of data controllers is Z5706420.

In brief, our register entry describes:

  • the personal information processed by us or on our behalf and the category or categories of individuals to which they relate
  • the purpose or purposes for which personal information is processed
  • the recipients to whom we intend to disclose personal information
  • any countries or territories outside the European Economic Area to which we transfer permitted personal information.

We have appointed an individual who is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998.He is our Senior Partner, David Lambert, who will liaise with our Practice Director and I.T. Manager to implement the policy.

How we collect personal information

  • By the use of "cookies" on our website

No other cookies on our site are served or used by third parties.

  • Through completion of online forms on our website

We collect information about you when you register to use the knowledge-exchange areas.

We collect information about you if you complete any of the various forms on our site to contact us, make enquiries, apply to us, respond to surveys or give us feedback.

  • Through web site statistics

We do keep a record of traffic data which is logged automatically by our server(s), such as your IP address, the URL you visited before ours, the URL you visit after leaving our site and which pages you visit. We also collect some site statistics such as page hits and page views. We are not readily able to identify any individual from traffic data or site statistics.

  • By you contacting us by other methods other than the website

The website provides various telephone and fax numbers and email addresses for you to contact us. We will collect information from you through any of these methods.

We may also collect other information you supply to us after your initial contact with us.

What personal information we collect, and why

The information we collect about you will depend on the nature of your business with us but will be used for one or more of our purposes referred to above in "Who we are and what we do" section.

Here is a brief description of the information we collect and how we use it.

  • Information you give us on your own initiative

We will use the details you give us to provide information you ask for or to put you in contact with other organisations that may be able to help, process any application you make and review and improve our services.

  • Business information that we set out to collect

We may seek information from businesses (including those outside of the UK) so that we can build up profiles of businesses and build relationships between them. We obtain this information both directly from businesses, through face-to-face meetings, telephone calls, or through our website, and indirectly from suppliers of business information. Most of this information will relate to the business itself and will not be "personal" concerned with individuals. However insofar as this information contains contact details from which individuals may be identified, or relates to sole traders or partnerships, it will usually consist of personal information that is protected by Data Protection legislation. The personal information we hold is very valuable, as it enables us to make contact individually and also provides a central point of contact for us.

How we safeguard personal information

We recognise that you retain rights in the personal information we hold about you. We will keep that information secure, and use it only for specific legitimate purposes.

We have obligations to keep personal information secure, which we take seriously

We will keep personal information secure by taking appropriate technical and staff measures against the unauthorised or unlawful processing of that information and against its accidental loss, destruction or damage.

The Practice Director has overall responsibility for implementation of security procedures.

We take steps to ensure the personal information we have is high quality. However we cannot do this without your help! So please ensure you give us accurate information, tell us as soon as possible of any changes, and tell us as soon as possible if you notice mistakes in the information we hold about you as this helps us to keep our information reliable and up-to-date. We will also contact you from time to time to check whether the information we have on you is still accurate and up to date. We will keep personal information until you inform us you no longer wish us to do so.

We keep 'confidential information' confidential

Information you give us will be treated as confidential and will be covered by our Professional Practice Rules and the general law (legal privilege).In respect of any information we receive from you that is confidential, we will take steps to ensure it remains confidential. Unauthorised disclosure or misuse of personal information by staff will lead to disciplinary action.

We review our policies and audit our procedures regularly

We review this code and our other Data Protection policies regularly to make sure they are appropriate and up to date. We also carry out regular audits to monitor our security policies and procedures and revise them if necessary.

With whom we share personal information, and why

If we hold your information for any reason, then almost all our sharing of your information will only be at your specific request, because of the nature of our relationship with you and our Professional Practice Rules.

It will be strictly for the purposes specified above in the "Who we are and what we do" section and done only with your consent, or as permitted by law.

How we handle transfers of personal information to countries outside Europe

Data protection laws globally

Most other countries in the world do not have data protection laws outside Europe. The legislation defines Europe by reference to the European Economic Area (which comprises the EU member states, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein ).

European data protection legislation prohibits the transfer of personal information to any country outside Europe, unless that country provides adequate protection.

Why we need to transfer personal information

We would not normally need to transfer personal information save for these reasons:

  • we may need to give contact details of individuals in the UK to an overseas professional consultant or business colleague in connection with the client's matter;
  • we might be required by law to give such information: for example to the European Commission
How we transfer personal information overseas

We would not transfer your personal data to a third party because of professional confidentiality rules. There would be no need generally therefore to transfer such data to anyone save with your consent.

We belong to TORUS, an international business consultants association, and from time to time refer clients, with their full consent, to our colleagues, to assist us and them in a matter with international issues. 'Consent' means for these purposes a freely given, specific and informed indication of your wishes.

Your rights under Data Protection legislation

You have various rights. You are most likely to want to exercise the following:

  1. Your right to see a copy of the information we hold about you, on payment of a statutory fee which is currently £10. Before we agree to this, you must provide with sufficient evidence of your identity and sufficient details of the information you wish to see to enable us to locate it.
  2. Your right to be removed from our mailing lists. Instructions on how to stop further mailings will usually be contained in any direct marketing material we send you. Otherwise please contact our Senior Partner who is our Data Protection Officer.
  3. Your right to correct any errors in information we hold about you, and to change or correct any details you have already given us. Please inform us about changes to your details so that we can keep our records accurate and up to date.
  4. More information about your rights under Data Protection legislation

How to make a complaint

Any complaints about our handling of personal information should be addressed to the Senior Partner, at the address in the "Who we are and what we do" section above.

We aim to respond to your complaint within 21 days of receiving it.

You have a right of appeal in relation to any decision we make, which we will tell you about when we respond to your complaint.

We will always review our procedures and practices in line with any justified complaints.

Data Protection Officer

If you want to know more about what information we have about you, or the way we use your information, you can contact our Senior Partner who is also our Data Protection Officer for the purposes of the Act at 15 Byrom Street Manchester M3 4PF. (Telephone no. 0044 (0) 161 834 6066) This page also gives more information about your rights under Data Protection Act

The Information Commissioner

The Information Commissioner has his office at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, tel: 01625 545745 fax: 01625 524510

e-mail: mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk

website: http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/.

For independent advice about freedom of information, data protection, privacy and data-sharing issues, you can contact him and his staff there.

If you would like any further information or have any comments about any other aspect of our website or services, please contact David Lambert by either of the methods shown below:

Email: dl@hague-lambert.co.uk

Mail:
The Senior partner
Hague Lambert Solicitors 15 Byrom Street Manchester M3 4PF