nNovation LLP (“nNovation“, “we“, “us“) collects, uses and discloses personal information in the course of providing legal and consulting services. Because we operate in Ontario, Canada, nNovation is generally subject to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). As lawyers, we are also subject to the Law Society of Ontario Rules of Professional Conduct, which include strict confidentiality requirements. Finally, any information provided to us in the context of a legal retainer is protected by solicitor-client privilege.
Personal information is typically collected directly from clients. However, we may also need to collect personal information from non-clients. In most circumstances, the individuals will know about the collection, use and disclosure of their personal information and will have the opportunity to withdraw their consent. In situations where there is no consent or no opportunity to withdraw consent, we will only continue its collection, use or disclosure of the information where permitted or required by law.
The types of personal information collected, used and disclosed will vary depending on the circumstances; however, we only collect, use and disclose personal information that is necessary to provide services. In every matter we are required to collect certain identification information about clients and, where relevant, opposing parties, to check for conflicts, to comply with the “know-your-client” rules imposed by the Law Society of Ontario, and for billing purposes. Depending on the nature of the matter, we may also require other personal information, including financial information, health information, and other details about your circumstances.
Sometimes we will engage the services of other organizations to help resolve matters. For example, a mediator could be hired to settle a dispute between a client and an opposing party. In other cases will me work with another law firm. These arrangements – and the resulting disclosure of personal information – will only take place with your consent. In limited circumstances we may disclose personal information to other third parties with consent or where otherwise required or permitted by law.
In the interest of providing services that are flexible and efficient, we also may outsource certain administrative functions. The service providers we work with must agree to protect your personal information with at least the same degree of protection as we do.
We use Google Analytics to analyze traffic on our website. We only collect aggregated, anonymous statistics. We never know when or from where a specific individual or subscriber is accessing the site.
We only use your personal information for marketing purposes with your consent. We will never share your name, email address, or put you on an email list without asking you first.
Recognizing that no system is completely secure, we exercise great care to keep all confidential information, personal or otherwise, safe from loss, theft, and unauthorized access or disclosure. We use an online, cloud-based service provider for file management and storage. Information stored with this service is backed-up, protected using end-to-end, “zero knowledge” encryption, and multi-factor authentication. Some or all of this information may reside on servers located in the United States, meaning there is a very remote possibility that it could be accessed by law enforcement agencies in Canada or the U.S.
Most personal information is retained for at least 6 years as required by the Law Society of Ontario.
If you have any questions about this policy, or access your information, please contact us.
