Privacy Policy

Introduction

ULLaw ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our website ullaw.ca (the "Website") or use our legal services.

This Privacy Policy complies with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act ("PIPEDA"), Ontario's privacy legislation, and other applicable Canadian privacy laws.

By using our Website or our services, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.

Our Commitment to Privacy

As lawyers regulated by the Law Society of Ontario, we have professional and ethical obligations to maintain the confidentiality of client information. We are committed to:

• Collecting only the personal information necessary to provide our legal services
• Using your information only for the purposes for which it was collected
• Protecting your information with appropriate security measures
• Being transparent about our privacy practices
• Giving you access to your personal information
• Respecting your privacy choices

What is Personal Information?

Personal information means any information about an identifiable individual. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Name and contact information (address, phone number, email)
• Date of birth and age
• Financial information
• Employment information
• Legal matters and case information
• Health information (when relevant to legal matters)
• Identification numbers (Social Insurance Number, driver's licence, etc.)
• IP addresses and website usage data

Personal information does not include business contact information used solely for business purposes, such as your name, title, business address, and business telephone number.

Information We Collect

1. Information You Provide Directly

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us, including:

When You Contact Us:

• Name, email address, phone number, and mailing address
• Information about your legal matter or inquiry
• Any other information you choose to provide in contact forms or emails

When You Become a Client:

• Detailed personal and contact information
• Information about your legal matter
• Financial information for billing purposes
• Identification documents as required by law
• Information from third parties relevant to your legal matter
• Communications between you and our lawyers

When You Subscribe to Our Newsletter or Updates:

• Name and email address
• Communication preferences

2. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Website, we may automatically collect certain information, including:

• IP address and device information
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on pages
• Referring website addresses
• Date and time of visits
• Clickstream data

3. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your experience on our Website. Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We use:

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for the Website to function properly
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our Website (e.g., Google Analytics)
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our Website.

How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

Legal Services

• Providing legal advice and representation
• Conducting legal research and analysis
• Preparing legal documents and correspondence
• Communicating with you about your legal matter
• Managing client files and case information
• Billing and accounting purposes
• Complying with professional obligations under the Law Society of Ontario Rules of Professional Conduct

Website and Communications

• Responding to your inquiries and requests
• Sending newsletters and legal updates (with your consent)
• Improving our Website and services
• Analyzing Website usage and trends
• Preventing fraud and ensuring Website security
• Complying with legal obligations

Business Operations

• Managing our business operations
• Maintaining client relationship management systems
• Quality assurance and training
• Business analytics and planning
• Marketing our services (with appropriate consent)

Legal Basis for Processing

We collect and use your personal information based on:

• Consent: You have given us explicit or implied consent
• Contractual Necessity: Processing is necessary to fulfill our retainer agreement with you
• Legal Obligations: We are required by law to collect or disclose certain information
• Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving our services

How We Share Your Information

We respect the confidentiality of your information and limit disclosure to the following circumstances:

With Your Consent

We may share your information with third parties when you have given us explicit consent to do so.

Service Providers

We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business, including:

• IT service providers and cloud storage services
• Accounting and billing services
• Document management systems
• Legal research platforms
• Marketing and communications platforms
• Professional consultants

These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

Legal and Professional Requirements

We may disclose your information when required or permitted by law, including:

• Complying with court orders, subpoenas, or other legal processes
• Responding to requests from law enforcement or government authorities
• Meeting obligations under the Law Society of Ontario Rules of Professional Conduct
• Preventing fraud or illegal activities
• Protecting our legal rights and interests
• With opposing counsel or other parties in legal proceedings (as necessary for representation)
• With expert witnesses, investigators, or other professionals involved in your legal matter

Business Transfers

If ULLaw is involved in a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, or other business transaction, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to confidentiality obligations.

Conflict of Interest Checks

We may use your information to conduct conflict of interest checks as required by our professional obligations.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected and to comply with legal, regulatory, and professional obligations.

• Client Files: We retain client files and related information for a minimum of 10 years after the conclusion of the legal matter, or longer as required by the Law Society of Ontario or applicable limitation periods.
• Financial Records: We retain billing and financial records for at least 7 years as required by tax laws and accounting standards.
• Website Data: Analytics and usage data is typically retained for 26 months.
• Marketing Communications: We retain contact information for marketing purposes until you unsubscribe or request deletion.

When information is no longer needed, we securely destroy or anonymize it in accordance with our record retention and destruction policies.

Security of Your Information

We implement appropriate technical, physical, and administrative security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Our security measures include:

• Secure servers and encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS)
• Firewalls and intrusion detection systems
• Access controls and authentication procedures
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Employee training on privacy and security
• Confidentiality agreements with employees and service providers
• Secure document storage and destruction procedures

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your Privacy Rights

Under Canadian privacy law, you have the following rights:

Right to Access

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you. We will provide you with a copy of your information, subject to limited exceptions under privacy law.

Right to Correction

If you believe that personal information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date, you may request that we correct it.

Right to Withdraw Consent

Where we rely on your consent to process your personal information, you may withdraw that consent at any time. However, this will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

Right to Object

You may object to certain uses of your personal information, such as marketing communications.

Right to Data Portability

In certain circumstances, you may request that we provide your personal information in a structured, commonly used format.

Right to Complain

You have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you believe we have violated your privacy rights.

Marketing Communications

We may send you newsletters, legal updates, and other marketing communications if you have:

• Provided your consent, or
• Are an existing client and the communications relate to similar services

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by:

• Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any email
• Contacting us at info@ullaw.ca
• Calling us at 905-744-8888

Please note that even if you opt out of marketing communications, we may still send you important information about your legal matter or our services.

Third-Party Websites

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites, including social media platforms and legal resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

Children's Privacy

Our Website and services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected information from a child, we will take steps to delete it as soon as possible.

International Data Transfers

Your personal information is primarily stored and processed in Canada. However, some of our service providers may be located outside of Canada, including in the United States. When we transfer information outside of Canada, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with Canadian privacy laws.

By using our Website or services, you consent to the transfer of your information to jurisdictions that may have different privacy laws than Canada.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will post the updated Privacy Policy on our Website with a new "Last Updated" date.

If we make material changes to how we collect, use, or disclose your personal information, we will notify you by:

• Posting a prominent notice on our Website
• Sending you an email (if we have your email address)
• Other appropriate means of communication

Your continued use of our Website or services after we post changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

Anti-Spam Compliance

We comply with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). We will only send you commercial electronic messages if:

• You have given us express or implied consent, or
• We have an existing business relationship with you

All our commercial emails will:

• Clearly identify us as the sender
• Provide our contact information
• Include an unsubscribe mechanism
• Be relevant to our legal services

Law Society Obligations

As a law firm regulated by the Law Society of Ontario, we are subject to additional confidentiality and privacy obligations under the Rules of Professional Conduct. These professional obligations may impose higher standards than general privacy laws.

We maintain appropriate policies and procedures to ensure compliance with both privacy legislation and our professional obligations.