Policy on the Protection of Personal Information
CRC Avocats is a law firm that values your privacy and cares about how your personal information is handled. As part of providing our consulting and litigation services, we collect, use, consult, and disclose personal and/or confidential information on a daily basis. Confidentiality and professional secrecy are at the core of our concerns to maintain a trusting relationship with our clients and provide the best legal services possible.
As such, we take all necessary measures to protect your personal information and comply with the new requirements set forth by Law 25.
This Privacy Policy related to the protection of personal information (hereafter referred to as the “Policy”) is intended to help you understand our practices regarding the collection, use, disclosure, and retention of personal information. By providing personal information to us (through our website, email, in person, by phone, or otherwise), you agree that your information will be processed in accordance with this Policy, and you authorize CRC Avocats and its representatives to process your personal information for the purposes outlined below.
Please note, however, that this Policy does not apply to third-party websites that may be accessed through links on this website, and CRC Avocats and its representatives are not responsible for such third-party sites. If you follow a link to a third-party website, it will have its own privacy policies that you should review before submitting any personal information.
1. WHO ARE WE
CRC Avocats is a group of independent lawyers providing legal services in Quebec. Unless otherwise notified, Me Marie-Pier Cauchon and Me Nathalie Aubé, along with their employees and/or subcontractors, are responsible for your personal information.
2. WHAT IS PERSONAL INFORMATION
In general, “personal information” refers to any information that identifies or allows the identification of a physical person. For example, it could be your name, address, date of birth, or social insurance number.
3. WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?
When you visit our website or communicate with us as part of our activities and service delivery, we collect certain personal information about you, such as:
- Identifying information, such as a name or surname
- Contact details, such as a name, address, email address, and phone number
- Biographical information such as job titles, employer name, photos, and video or audio content
- Information you provide as part of our service delivery, including sensitive personal information such as racial or ethnic origin, health status, or sexual orientation
- Billing information and financial details, such as billing address, bank account information, or payment data
- Recruitment-related information, such as a CV, educational history, professional background, details about professional affiliations, and other information pertinent to potential recruitment
- Identification data and other background verification data, such as a driver’s license, passport, or utility bill
- Any other personal information provided
Please note that if you provide personal information about other people (e.g., clients, directors, executives, shareholders, or beneficial owners), you must ensure that you have duly informed them of providing their information to us and obtained their consent for such communication of information.
NOTE: However, please be aware that you should not provide us with confidential information until we have confirmed in writing that we represent you or your business or organization, or that we are acting on your behalf or your business or organization in a case. This written document will establish a lawyer-client relationship and, consequently, the application of professional secrecy.
4. HOW DO WE COLLECT YOUR INFORMATION AND CONSENT
We collect your personal information directly from you and during our interactions with you as part of the legal services we provide.
We also collect publicly accessible information, including from public platforms such as the land registry, RDPRM, property assessment roles, and others.
Additionally, we may collect your personal information from third parties, with your consent, or without your consent when permitted by law.
By contacting us, voluntarily providing your personal information, or navigating our website, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with this Policy.
If you provide personal information about a third party, you declare that you have obtained the necessary consent or authority to allow us to collect, use, and disclose this information in accordance with this Policy.
Please note that you may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us as described in the “Contact Us” section of this website.
5. HOW AND FOR WHAT PURPOSES DO WE USE YOUR INFORMATION
We use your personal information to provide our services and meet our legal obligations.
We may use personal information in the following ways, with your consent or as permitted by law:
- To provide our legal services and other services, and to manage and perform our business, including fulfilling obligations arising from any agreement between you and us
- To ensure compliance with our legal and regulatory obligations
- To manage the proper conduct of our business and ensure compliance with our ethical and professional obligations, including billing and case management
- For any other purpose authorized by law or to which you consent
- For recruitment purposes
6. WITH WHOM DO WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION
We may provide your personal information to our service providers, employees, subcontractors, and partners.
For example, we may provide your information to third-party service providers and/or partners who offer website services, application development, hosting, maintenance, and other services. However, rest assured that we limit the information we provide to these service providers to what is reasonably necessary for them to perform their functions, and we require them to commit to maintaining the confidentiality of this information.
Furthermore, we may be required to disclose personal information and other data under certain laws or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to comply with applicable laws. For example, if we receive a court order, a subpoena, or to cooperate with government authorities.
Despite the above, we are committed to maintaining professional secrecy and attorney-client privilege unless you expressly waive it or we are legally compelled to disclose it under applicable law.
7. HOW LONG DO WE RETAIN YOUR INFORMATION
We will retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Policy and to comply with our legal, ethical, and regulatory obligations.
8. WHERE DO WE STORE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
Your personal information is currently hosted in Canada but may be hosted on secure servers located in the United States if the nature of the service justifies it. However, be assured that our practices regarding your personal information will always be governed by this Privacy Policy, and where appropriate, contractual commitments will be made to protect confidentiality and safeguard such information.
9. HOW DO WE PROTECT YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
While we cannot guarantee absolute protection of all your personal information, we take all necessary measures to ensure that the personal information we collect is protected and retained according to industry-accepted standards, both during transmission and once received. We maintain appropriate physical, technical, or administrative safeguards to protect personal information from theft, loss, destruction, accidental or unlawful disclosure, unauthorized access, misuse, or any other illegal processing of personal information.
Additionally, when we communicate necessary information for service delivery to a subcontractor, third-party collaborator, employee, or other authorized person, we ensure that they are bound by confidentiality obligations.
Please know that you may contact us at any time for more information on how your personal information is protected or to report an incident related to the protection of your personal information, in accordance with the “Contact Us” section of this website.
10. WHAT RIGHTS DO YOU HAVE REGARDING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
In accordance with applicable laws regarding personal information protection, you have certain rights regarding your personal information, including but not limited to the following:
- The right to accuracy of the information: to ensure that it is complete, up-to-date, and accurate when used
- The right to access the information: the right to be informed about the information processed and/or used and the right to request access to the personal information we hold, subject to applicable rights
- The right to rectify information: the right to request the correction of incomplete, misleading, or inaccurate personal information we hold
- The right to withdraw consent for the communication or use of personal information: You may withdraw your consent at any time for the communication, transmission, or use of collected information.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us as described in the “Contact Us” section of this website.
11. HOW DO WE USE COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES
While browsing our website, we collect cookies in certain circumstances. Most of our cookies will not collect information that personally identifies you but will instead collect general information, such as how users access and use the website.
To access our Cookie Policy, please click here.
For any questions related to the use of cookies, please contact us as described in the “Contact Us” section of this website.
12. HOW TO CONTACT US
For more information, to provide comments or complaints about this Policy or about personal information, or to exercise your rights, please contact our Privacy Officer (Nathalie Aubé) by email at: [email protected] or by mail at the following address:
CRC AVOCATS, Independent Lawyers Group
Attention: Privacy Officer
2000, rue de l’Éclipse, Suite 420
Brossard, Quebec, Canada J4Z 0S2
13. HOW DO WE UPDATE THIS POLICY
Our Policy is regularly updated to comply with legislative changes. Therefore, we may modify the content of our site and our use of cookies without prior notice, and by continuing to use our website, you accept the Policy and any updates.
This Policy was last updated on September 19, 2023.
