This is the Privacy Policy of Starke Lawyers ABN 64 620 298 102 (“we”, “us” and when relating to us, “our”).
We are committed to protecting the privacy of our contacts, customers, suppliers and employees (“you” and when relating to you, “your”) and complying with the Australian Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act).
In this policy we describe how we manage your personal information.
Personal information includes information or an opinion about an individual that is reasonably identifiable. For example, this may include your name, age, gender, postcode and contact details. It may also include financial information, including your credit card information.
1. The kinds of personal information we collect
The kinds of personal information that we collect include:
(a) contact details such as name, role or position, address, email address, mobile number, landline number and fax number;
(b) information relating to your circumstances and affairs relevant to the matter/s in which we are instructed;
(c) information about your legal interests and requirements and the legal services that you may wish to purchase;
(d) information regarding our communications with you and your attendance at seminars and promotional events held by us;
(e) if you are an employee or prospective employee, information about your qualifications, skills and work experience;
(f) if you are a supplier or prospective supplier, information about your business skills, services, products and prices;
(g) your browsing history and associated statistical information on our websites or social media sites.
(h) if you are a supplier or prospective supplier, information about your business skills, services, products and prices;
2. How we collect personal information
2.1 We collect personal information by various means including when:
(a) you contact us with a question or inquiry;
(b) you subscribe to our newsletter or legal updates service;
(c) you attend a seminar or event where we are hosting or presenting;
(d) you instruct us to act for you;
(e) our clients provide information relating to related and adverse parties relevant
to the advice or services we are providing;
(f) we undertake a search or investigation;
(g) you visit our website or social medias site;
(h) you request any offered products or services.
2.2 Where practicable we collect personal information about you directly from you. However, we may have collected information about you from a third party, such as a client, a third-party information provider, the courts or a person responding to our questions or inquiries.
2.3 We are required to collect the full name and address of our clients by the Legal Profession Uniform Law Australian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules 2015 made under the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW). Accurate name and address information must also be collected in order to comply with the trust account record keeping requirements in the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) and to comply with our duty to the courts.
2.3 If you are a client and do not provide us with name and address information, we cannot act for you.
2.4 If you do not provide us with accurate personal information, we may not be able to carry out our instructions or achieve the purpose for which the information has been sought.
3. The purposes for which we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information
3.1 We collect, hold, use and personal information in order to:
(a) respond to your enquiries;
(b) provide legal services;
(c) employ competent and diligent personnel;
(d) monitor or improve the use of and satisfaction with our legal services; and
(e) let you know about legal developments, our expertise and legal services that may be of interest to you.
3.2 We disclose personal information:
(a) in order to carry out the instructions of our clients; and
(b) subject to our confidentiality obligations, when using services in support of our legal practice.
4. The parties to whom your personal information is disclosed
4.1 Subject to our confidentiality obligations, we may share some relevant personal
information with:
(a) parties related to a matter you have with us, government authorities and service providers as reasonably required to carry out your instructions;
(b) our e-mail marketing provider for the purposes of providing you our newsletters, invitations and legal updates; and
(c) third party service providers who assist us with archival, auditing, accounting, legal, business consulting, website or technology services.
4.2 We also will disclose your information if required by law to do so or in circumstances permitted by the Privacy Act – for example, where we have reasonable grounds to suspect that unlawful activity, or misconduct of a serious nature, that relates to our functions or activities has been is being or may be engaged in, in response to a subpoena, discovery request or a court order.
5. Disclosure of information outside the jurisdiction of collection
5.1 If you reside in a foreign country, apply to do so, or have dealings in a foreign country, we may send your personal information overseas in response to an inquiry from the relevant authority in that place. We may use certain third-party service providers which may have offices or other operations outside of Australia. As a result, your personal information may be disclosed to overseas recipients as required. All service providers that have access to personal information are required to keep the information confidential and not to make use of it for any purpose other than to provide services in accordance with their engagement. All preparation of documents and correspondence handled by Starke Lawyers is processed within Australia.
5.2 If you do not want your personal information to be disclosed (for instance, you want to have your name excluded from commercial mailing lists) you should manage your subscriptions via the relevant website, or advise Starke Lawyers in writing. We will accommodate your request provided that the disclosure is not required by law.
6. Opting out of marketing communications
6.1 We may, from time to time, send you newsletters, invitations and legal updates about our services. You can opt out of receiving further such communications by notifying us using our contact details below or by clicking the “unsubscribe” option at the bottom of any marketing e-mail received from us.
7. Security
7.1 We take reasonable physical, technical and administrative safeguards to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification and disclosure.
8. Access/correction/updating personal information
8.1 You can contact us to access, correct or update your personal information. Unless we are subject to confidentiality obligation or some other restriction on giving access to the information and we are permitted to refuse you access under the Privacy Act, we will endeavour to make your information available to you within 30 days. Examples of circumstances where we may refuse to give you access to your personal information include where:
(a) giving access would be unlawful;
(b) we reasonably believe that giving you access would pose a serious threat to the life, health or safety of any individual or to public health or public safety;
(c) giving access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others;
(d) the information could reveal the intentions of a party in negotiations;
(e) giving access could prejudice the taking of appropriate action in relation to unlawful activity;
(f) giving access could reveal evaluative information in a commercially sensitive decision-making process.
8.2 If you request to correct your personal information, we will correct, or, if we consider it more appropriate, note your request for amendment of the information on your record.
8.3 We will not charge you to make a request to access your record but we may charge you to actually provide access depending on the costs associated with obtaining and providing the material.
8.4 These actions can usually be taken by contacting a customer relations representative using the contact information on the “Contact Us” section below.
9. Notification of Changes
9.1 If we decide to change our Privacy Policy, we will send you a copy of our revised policy or post a copy on our website.
10. Complaints / Contact us
10.1 If a breach of this Privacy Policy occurs, a complaint may be made to us by sending an email to jstarke@starkelaw.com.au marked “Attention: The Principal”, or by calling 02 9144 2188.
We will endeavour to respond to any complaint within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint you may seek a review by contacting the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner using the information available at http://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints.