Privacy Policy

We are Burley Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority number 617865. 

This privacy policy sets out how Burley Law uses and protects personal information (other than employee information which is covered by a separate internal policy).  We are committed to ensuring that privacy is protected.  We will only use personal data in accordance with this privacy policy and as permitted or required by law.

We will review this policy.  Any updated versions will be published on our website or otherwise notified to you.  Please check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes.

What we collect

We may collect the following personal data:

1. Clients (and our key contacts) – name and contact details, banking & billing information, detail of the case(s), credit checking
2. Suppliers – name and contact details, details around the supply of services by suppliers, banking & billing information, credit checking
3. Marketing contacts – contact details, details concerning marketing queries
4. Job applicants – name, contact details, information relating to an application, CV information, references we receive
5. Information we obtain in the course of providing services
6. Data gathered from visits to our website including, but not limited to, traffic data, location data, weblogs and other communication data, whether this is required for our own billing purposes or otherwise
7. Personal information provided to us by third parties
8. Personal information available on public sources – such as government intellectual property registers or company registers

Justification for processing personal data

We process your personal information where:

1. you have given consent
2. we need to do so in connection with our contract with our client (mainly for the provision of services)
3. the law requires or allows us to do so
4. it is for our legitimate interests where there is not an adverse impact on your privacy

Use of personal data

We will use personal data in general terms to provide legal services, manage our relationships with clients and suppliers, for administration purposes and to improve the services we offer.

In addition, we may process personal data:

1. to identify clients and their owners or directors
2. to identify fraud or suspicious activity or anti-money laundering purposes
3. to cross-check against sanctions lists
4. for credit checking
5. for understanding your needs and providing you with a better service
6. for providing you with news, information, products or services that you request from us or which we feel may interest you, where you have consented to be contacted for such purposes
7. for carrying out our obligations, including without limitation account management, customer care, processing your applications and monitoring and maintaining the quality and security of our network and services
8. for legal or regulatory purposes
9. for any purpose consented to by you

We will only contact you by electronic means (e-mail) with news related to legal industry or technology or information about our products, services, events and jobs.

We may share personal data with others under certain circumstances. 

Examples may include:

1. to attorneys, law firms, intellectual property search agencies, translators, counsel and other third party providers (which may be based overseas) associated with instructing them to provide services or requesting a cost estimate

2. to intellectual property registries (in respect of inventors, designers, owners or others claiming rights relating to intellectual property)

3. our use of third party service providers

4. in connection with any merger, company asset sale, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business to another company (in which case we may notify you)

5. to the extent that we are required to do so by law, the courts, our regulator the SRA, the Legal Ombudsman, or our insurers

6. in connection with any legal proceedings or prospective legal proceedings and

7. in order to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights (including providing information to others for the purposes of fraud prevention and reducing credit risk).

How long we keep information

We only keep personal data where the law allows and no longer than necessary. 

Relevant factors are:

1. Whether it is still required for the purpose for which it was collected

2. Guidance and requirements from the SRA

3. Any claims or litigation

4. Requirements of our insurers

5. The nature of the personal data and whether special data is included

6. Any legal obligations we may have to retain it

Security

 We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure.  We will take reasonable technical and organisational precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information. 

Cookies  

A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive or other device used to access our site.  Once you agree, the file is added.  Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual.  The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.  We may retain information derived from cookies following the date on which the information was created.  Our web site may use session cookies to allow you to carry information across pages of our site and avoid having to re-enter information.  We may also use technology to track the patterns of behaviour of visitors to our site.  You have the ability to accept or decline cookies by modifying the settings in your browser. 

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not.  A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.  Please be aware, you may not be able to use all the interactive features of our site if cookies are disabled.  To find out how to enable/disable cookies see http://www.allaboutcookies.org.

Below we explain the cookies we use and why.

– Google Analytics: to gain insight into our website use

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest.  However, once you have used these links (including widgets) to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website.  Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement.  You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Security of your personal data

 You may instruct us not to process your personal data for marketing purposes by email at any time.  In practice, we will always provide you with an opportunity to opt-out of the use of your personal data for marketing purposes by email, although you will continue to receive information messages on the services.

Be aware that the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure.  Although we will do our best to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to our sites; any transmission is at your own risk.  Once we have received your information, we will use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access.

 Your rights

Under the Data Protection Act 2018 (UK GDPR) your rights include the following (subject to certain restrictions as permitted by law):

1. The right to be informed (including the right to request a copy) of any information we hold concerning you in a clear electronic format (except where disclosing such information would disclose information about another person or certain exceptions apply).

2. The right of access.

3. The right to rectification.

4. The right to erasure.

5. The right to restrict processing.

6. The right to data portability.

7. The right to object.

8. The right not to be subject to automated decision-making including profiling.

You also have the right to complain to the ICO (ico.org.uk) if you feel there is a problem with the way we are handling your data.

We handle subject access requests in accordance with the UK GDPR.  If you would like a copy of the information held on you or you wish to exercise any other rights, please write to des@burleylaw.co.uk or Burley Law Limited, Universities Centre, Faraday Wharf, Holt Street, Birmingham, B7 4BB.

Where you may wish that we delete personal information about you, please be aware that we may need to retain certain information for justifiable legal or record keeping purposes and/or for ongoing business matters.

Updating information

If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible, at the above address.  As appropriate, we will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.