Regulatory notices

Privacy notice

This policy explains when and why we collect personal information about you; how we use it, when we share your data with others and how we keep it safe.

Who we are

Jaffe Porter Crossick LLP (trading as JPC) of Omni House, 252 Belsize Road, London NW6 4BT is a limited liability partnership registered in England under the company registration no. OC329562 (“the firm”). The firm is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and its SRA number is 471111.

Personal data is collected, processed and stored by us. When we do so we are regulated under the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) which is enforceable from 25 May 2018 and applies across the European Union (including in the United Kingdom). We are responsible as a “data controller” of that personal information for the purposes of those laws.

Our Data Protection Officer is Shireen Mirzai. If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact the Data Protection Officer using the contact details set out in paragraph 13 below.

The Personal Data we collect and use

The information we request from you and process will depend on the work we are doing for you. In many cases personal data will be restricted to basic information, such as name, address, gender, contact details and information needed to complete our ID Requirements. Some of the work we do may require us to ask for more sensitive information such as bank statements, medical records and death certificates. We will also obtain your bank details where we need to send monies to you from our client account. We will only hold and use your personal information which is relevant and necessary to complete our contract with you.

Why we need your personal data

The primary reason for collecting and processing your personal data is to allow us to carry out our contract with you – which will ordinarily be to represent you and carry out your legal work. Our lawful basis for holding your personal data can be found in Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR.

We may also legally hold your data if you have explicitly consented us to hold your information (pursuant 2 to Article 6(1)(a) GDPR); to allow compliance with our legal obligations (pursuant to Article 6(1)(c) GDPR); or to protect your vital interests (pursuant to Article 6(1)(d) GDPR).

There may be some personal data that require your specific consent. If this is the case, we will contact you separately to ask for your consent which you are free to withdraw at any time.

If you have any queries about our lawful basis for holding your data, please contact us using the contact details set out in paragraph 13 of this privacy policy.

How we will use your personal data

We will only use your personal information for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If we need to use your personal information for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and explain the legal basis which allows us to do so.

The following are some examples of how we will use your personal data:

• Checking your identity
• Verifying source of funds
• Communicating with you
• Processing your legal matter
• Keeping records of your matter
• Seeking services from third parties, such as other professionals and government bodies

Who has access to your personal data

We have procedures in place to ensure the secure processing of your personal data. Generally, we will only use your information within JPC. However, in carrying out your legal work we may need to disclose your information to others, including but not limited to other professionals acting on your behalf, other solicitors and government bodies, for example in completing Stamp Duty Land Tax and Inheritance Tax forms on your behalf.

Where your information is shared with external parties, we ensure that they comply, strictly and confidentially, with our instructions and they do not use your personal information for their own purposes unless you have explicitly consented to them doing so.

Protecting your data

We recognize that your information is valuable, and we take all reasonable measures to protect it.

We have technology to protect personal data from loss, misuse, alteration or destruction and ensure that, where possible, physical access to our buildings is carefully controlled. We also insist that consultants and staff agree to protect confidentiality of all information.

Retaining your data

Your personal information will be retained, usually in computer or paper files, only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which the information was collected; or as required by law; or as long as is set out in any relevant contract you may hold with us. We will then keep your information for an additional period as set out below.

As a guide we will keep your information for a minimum of 6 years from the closure of your legal work, in case you, or we, need to reopen the case or to defend complaints or claims against us. This will apply even if you do not proceed with your matter to a conclusion. However, certain types of matters may be kept for longer periods and some, such as those involving wills or trusts, may be kept indefinitely.

If you wish to know how long your matter will be stored for, please contact the Data Protection Officer or the solicitor dealing with your matter.

Your rights

You are entitled to request a copy of your personal data (otherwise known as a Subject Access Request). If you wish to make a request, please do so in writing using the contact details set out in paragraph 13 of this privacy policy.

A request for access to your personal data means you are entitled to a copy of the data we hold on you. If the information we hold about you is wrong or misleading, you can ask us to change it.

Your rights in relation to the information we hold on you are set out in full in Chapter 3 of the GDPR.

Your right to complain

If you wish to complain about how we have handled your personal data, you can contact the Data Protection Officer using the contact details set out in paragraph 13 of this privacy policy.

If you are not happy with our response or believe we are not processing your personal data in accordance with the law, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Marketing

We may wish to contact you in relation to news updates or services we provide which we believe may be of benefit or interest to you. We may also occasionally invite you to social events or seminars run by the firm. In this regard, we will require your consent by either subscribing to our website or signing up via our engagement letter or communications. Please see our website privacy statement at http://www.jpclaw.co.uk/privacy-statement/

Changes to our privacy policy

We keep our privacy policy under regular review and we will keep you informed of any updates as soon as possible.

Legal statement about this Privacy Policy

This privacy policy is not designed to form a legally binding contract. It is a guide to the personal information we collect, hold and process for you.

How to contact us

For further information on how your personal information is used, how we maintain the security of your information, and your rights on the information we hold on you, please contact our Data Protection Officer using the contact details set out below:

Criminal Finances Act 2017

As a firm, we value our reputation for ethical behaviour and for financial probity and reliability. We recognize that over and above the commission of any crime, any involvement in the facilitation of tax evasion will also reflect adversely on our image and reputation.

We do not tolerate tax evasion, or the facilitation thereof in any circumstances, whether committed by or facilitated by a client, perazsonnel or associated persons/companies.

We are committed to fighting tax evasion and have rigorous policies and procedures in place to detect and prevent the facilitation of tax evasion offenses.

We provide regular training on the requirements of the Criminal Finances Act 2017 to all personnel.

We require all personnel to demonstrate the highest standards of honesty at all times and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken wherever tax evasion or the facilitation thereof by any personnel has been proven.

We undertake due diligence on all associated persons/companies to mitigate the risk of facilitation of tax evasion offences and, as part of our due diligence procedures, all agreements with third parties contain suitable provisions to enable termination of such agreements where associated persons/companies are not complying with the provisions of the Criminal Finances Act 2017.

Criminal Finances Act 2017

With effect from 15th February 2015 EU Regulations on Consumer Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) allow consumers who bought our services online to submit their complaint via an online complaint portal.

We are required under the regulations to provide our clients the following information:-

Link to the ODR platform – please follow the following link for further information: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr

Our contact email address in case of a complaint under the ODR regulation – please email Shireen Mirzai at enquiries@jpclaw.co.uk