Privacy Policy

We're not gonna sell your data to advertisers or anything sketchy like that. Here's what we actually do with your information:

We might also send you occasional updates about legal developments that could affect your business - but you can opt out of those anytime.

We don't hand out your information like candy on Halloween. But there are some situations where we might need to share it:

Service Providers We Work With

Sometimes we bring in third parties to help us do our jobs better - think cloud storage providers, payment processors, IT support. They only get access to what they need, and they're bound by strict confidentiality agreements.

Legal Obligations

If we're legally required to disclose information - like responding to a court order, subpoena, or regulatory investigation - we'll do so. We'll push back on overly broad requests, though, and we'll let you know unless we're prohibited from doing so.

With Your Permission

If you ask us to share your info with someone (like opposing counsel, co-counsel, or other advisors), we'll obviously do that. We might also share limited info with potential clients you're looking to acquire or merge with - but only with explicit consent.

Professional Advisors

We occasionally consult with our own lawyers, accountants, or insurance providers. When we do, they're bound by the same confidentiality obligations we are.

Security isn't just a checkbox for us - it's baked into everything we do. We're handling privileged legal information, so we've gotta get this right.

Technical Safeguards

• Encryption - Data in transit uses TLS/SSL encryption. Stored data is encrypted at rest.
• Access controls - Multi-factor authentication, role-based access, and the principle of least privilege.
• Secure infrastructure - Our servers are hosted in certified data centers with physical security measures.
• Regular security audits - We test our systems regularly and patch vulnerabilities promptly.
• Firewall protection - Network-level security to prevent unauthorized access.

Organizational Measures

• Staff training - Everyone on our team receives regular security and privacy training.
• Confidentiality agreements - All employees and contractors sign strict NDAs.
• Clean desk policy - Physical documents are secured when not in use.
• Incident response plan - We've got procedures in place if something does go wrong.

Under Canadian privacy law (PIPEDA and its provincial equivalents), you've got some solid rights when it comes to your personal information. Here's what you can do:

To exercise any of these rights, just reach out to our Privacy Officer (contact info at the bottom of this page). We'll verify your identity and get back to you ASAP.

Yeah, we use cookies. Not the chocolate chip kind (though those are in our kitchen). The digital kind that help our website work properly.

What Cookies We Use

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

Most browsers let you control cookies through their settings. You can usually find this under "Privacy" or "Security" settings. Just keep in mind that blocking certain cookies might make parts of our site not work properly.

We don't use cookies for advertising or tracking you across other websites. We're lawyers, not an ad network.

We don't keep your information forever (unless we legally have to). Here's our general approach:

Client Files

The Law Society of Ontario requires us to keep client files for at least 10 years after a matter closes. For corporate clients, we often keep files longer since they might be relevant to future work. Tax-related documents? Those stick around for 7 years minimum per CRA requirements.

Prospective Client Info

If you reach out but don't end up becoming a client, we'll typically delete your inquiry info after 2 years - unless there's a conflict of interest reason to keep it longer.

Marketing Communications

If you've signed up for updates or newsletters, we'll keep your contact info until you unsubscribe. Simple as that.

Website Analytics

Anonymous usage data is typically retained for 2 years for analysis purposes, then automatically deleted.

We're a Canadian firm, and we try to keep data in Canada whenever possible. But let's be real - the internet doesn't respect borders, and sometimes we need to work with service providers located elsewhere.

Where Your Data Might Go

Some of our service providers (like cloud hosting, email, or collaboration tools) might store data on servers in the United States or other countries. When that happens, your information is subject to the laws of those countries - including government access requests under their legal frameworks.

What We Do About It

When we use international service providers, we make sure they've got strong security measures and privacy commitments. We use standard contractual clauses and data processing agreements to maintain protection standards equivalent to Canadian law.

For particularly sensitive client matters, we can arrange for data to stay exclusively in Canada - just let us know if that's important to you.

Privacy law evolves, technology changes, and sometimes we update our practices. When we make significant changes to this policy, we'll post the updated version here and update the "Last Updated" date at the top.

For material changes that affect how we use or protect your information, we'll notify active clients directly via email. If you're just a website visitor, checking back here occasionally is a good idea.

Our website might link to other sites - government agencies, industry associations, legal resources, whatever. We're not responsible for their privacy practices, and this policy doesn't apply to them.

When you click through to another site, you're on your own. Read their privacy policies, use your judgment, and don't assume they follow the same standards we do.

Same goes for any social media platforms where we might have a presence. Those are governed by their own privacy policies, not ours.

Our services are for businesses and adults. We don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 18, and our website isn't designed for kids.

If you're a parent or guardian and you think your child has provided us with personal information, let us know and we'll delete it promptly.