How we handle your information and keep it secure
Look, we get it - nobody really wants to read through pages of legal jargon about privacy policies. But here's the thing: as lawyers who deal with corporate and environmental compliance daily, we know how important this stuff actually is.
At Frost Halcyon Legal, we're not just saying we care about your privacy because we have to. We genuinely do. When you reach out to us about sensitive business matters, mergers, environmental issues, or any legal concern, you're trusting us with confidential information. That's not something we take lightly.
This policy lays out exactly what info we collect, why we need it, and what we do with it. We've tried to keep the legalese to a minimum (ironic, we know), but if anything's unclear, just give us a call. We're happy to walk you through it.
So what exactly do we collect? Here's the breakdown:
When you fill out a contact form or shoot us an email, we'll collect your name, email address, phone number, and company name if you provide it. Pretty standard stuff - we need this to actually get back to you.
Depending on what you're reaching out about, you might share details about your business, industry, or the legal matter you're dealing with. This helps us understand your situation and provide relevant guidance.
Like most websites, we automatically collect some technical info when you visit - your IP address, browser type, device info, and how you navigate through our site. This isn't about tracking you personally; it's more about making sure our site works properly and improving the user experience.
If you become a client, we'll obviously need to collect and store relevant documents, contracts, correspondence, and other materials related to your case. This is protected under attorney-client privilege, which we'll talk more about later.
We're pretty straightforward about what we do with your info. Here's the rundown:
Let's be clear: we don't sell your information. Period. That's not how we operate.
However, there are limited situations where we might need to share your info:
We work with trusted third-party providers for things like cloud storage, email services, billing software, and IT support. These folks only get access to what they need to provide their services, and they're bound by confidentiality agreements.
Sometimes we need to consult with other lawyers, accountants, or specialists on complex matters. When we do, we ensure they're also bound by professional confidentiality obligations.
If we're legally required to disclose information by a court order, regulatory authority, or law enforcement (with proper legal basis), we'll comply. But we'll always notify you first unless we're legally prohibited from doing so.
In the unlikely event that our practice is sold or merged with another firm, your information would be transferred as part of that transaction. You'd be notified well in advance, and your info would remain protected under the same or better terms.
We take security seriously - probably more than most, given our background in corporate and environmental compliance. Here's what we do to keep your data safe:
That said, no system is 100% bulletproof. We do everything we can to protect your information, but if there's ever a breach that affects you, we'll let you know right away and explain what happened and what we're doing about it.
Under Canadian privacy laws (specifically PIPEDA and BC's privacy legislation), you've got several rights when it comes to your personal information:
You can request to see what personal information we have about you. We'll provide it within 30 days, though there might be some limits for legally privileged material.
If something's wrong or outdated, let us know and we'll fix it. Accurate information is important for providing good legal service anyway.
You can withdraw your consent for us to use your info for certain purposes, though this might affect our ability to provide services. We'll explain the implications before you make that call.
You can ask us to delete your information, though we might need to keep certain records for legal or regulatory reasons (like financial records or court documents). We'll explain what we can and can't delete.
If you think we've mishandled your information, you can complain to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. But we'd appreciate it if you'd talk to us first - we want to make things right.
To exercise any of these rights, just send us an email at contact@frosthalcyon.info or give us a call.
Yeah, we use cookies - but not the chocolate chip kind, unfortunately.
Essential Cookies: These are necessary for the website to function properly. They remember your session, preferences, and help keep things secure. You can't really opt out of these without breaking the site.
Analytics Cookies: We use these to understand how people use our site - what pages they visit, how long they stay, where they're coming from. This helps us improve the site. We use anonymized data whenever possible.
Functional Cookies: These remember your preferences like language settings or whether you've seen certain notices before.
Most browsers let you control cookies through their settings. You can block or delete cookies, though this might affect how the site works. Check your browser's help section for instructions.
We don't use advertising cookies or sell your browsing data to third parties. That's just not our style.
We don't keep your information forever - but we also can't just delete everything the moment a matter closes.
Client Files: Under the Law Society of British Columbia's rules, we're required to keep client files for at least 10 years after a matter concludes. This protects both you and us if questions come up down the road.
Financial Records: Tax and accounting records need to be kept for 7 years per Canada Revenue Agency requirements.
General Inquiries: If you reach out but don't become a client, we'll typically keep your contact information for about 2 years in case you need us later. After that, it gets deleted unless there's a good reason to keep it.
Website Data: Analytics and technical data is usually kept for 12-24 months before being anonymized or deleted.
When we do delete information, we make sure it's done securely - not just tossed in the digital trash bin where it could be recovered.
If you've got questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your information, don't hesitate to reach out. We'd rather you ask than worry about it.
Phone: (604) 555-8732
Email: contact@frosthalcyon.info
Office: 1200-675 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 1N2
We'll do our best to respond within 48 hours during business days. If it's urgent, call us - email isn't always the fastest way to reach us.
Updates to This Policy: We might update this privacy policy from time to time as our practices evolve or laws change. When we do, we'll update the "Last Updated" date at the top and notify active clients of any significant changes. It's worth checking back occasionally if you're curious.
Thanks for taking the time to read through this. We know it's not the most exciting stuff, but transparency matters - especially when you're trusting us with sensitive legal matters.