Privacy Policy

Grossman & Stanley and its associated lawyers (and law corporations, where applicable) (hereinafter collectively called “Grossman & Stanley”, “we”, “us” and similar personal pronouns) are committed to maintaining the accuracy, security and privacy of the personal Information submitted to us by our clients and others with whom we do business (hereinafter collectively referred to as “you”), in accordance with applicable legislation. This Privacy Policy is a statement of the principles and guidelines we apply with respect to your personal information.

Disclaimer

NO LAWYER-CLIENT, ADVISORY OR FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP IS CREATED BY YOUR USE OF THIS WEBSITE OR YOUR COMMUNICATION WITH GROSSMAN & STANLEY OR ANY ASSOCIATED LAWYER OR STAFF MEMBER OF THE FIRM THROUGH THIS SITE. ANYTHING WHICH YOU SEND TO GROSSMAN & STANLEY OR ANY ASSOCIATED LAWYER OR STAFF MEMBER OF THE FIRM ON AN UNSOLICITED BASIS (WHETHER BY EMAIL OR OTHERWISE) BECOMES THE PROPERTY OF GROSSMAN & STANLEY UPON RECEIPT AND MAY BE DEALT WITH (INCLUDING EXPLOITATION FOR PROFIT) BY GROSSMAN & STANLEY OR ANY OF ITS ASSOCIATED LAWYERS IN OUR OR THEIR SOLE DISCRETION AND WITHOUT ANY OBLIGATION TO ACCOUNT TO YOU. DELIVERY, TRANSMISSION OR RECEIPT OF UNSOLICITED COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION OR MATERIAL FROM YOU WILL NOT CREATE OR BEGIN ANY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GROSSMAN & STANLEY OR ANY ASSOCIATED LAWYER AND YOU AS SOLICITOR AND CLIENT.

Consent

BY SUBMITTING PERSONAL INFORMATION TO GROSSMAN & STANLEY, OR TO ANY OF OUR ASSOCIATED LAWYERS OR STAFF, YOU AGREE THAT WE MAY COLLECT, USE AND DISCLOSE SUCH PERSONAL INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS PRIVACY POLICY AND AS PERMITTED OR REQUIRED BY LAW.

You may refuse or withdraw your consent at any time by contacting the Grossman & Stanley Privacy Officer. If you refuse or withdraw your consent, we may not be able to provide you or continue to provide our services to you.

We will rely, unless you specifically advise us to the contrary in writing at the time, upon your personal representation that you have all necessary authority and/or have obtained all necessary consents to enable us to collect, use and disclose any personal information of another individual which you may provide to us, for all purposes permitted by this Privacy Policy.

What Personal Information do we collect?

British Columbian and Canadian privacy legislation defines “personal information” very broadly. Generally speaking, it will be information which:

• is about an identifiable individual; or
• allows an individual to be identified; and
• in either case, is not information which is already “public” according to exceptions set forth in the applicable legislation.
  

In this policy, our use of the term “Personal Information” means information which is defined as being personal information under the applicable British Columbian or Canadian privacy legislation, and which is not exempted under such legislation.

Generally speaking, Personal Information does not include what is considered business contact information: your name, title or position, business address, telephone number, facsimile number, or email address. Certain information, such as your name, home address and telephone number, may be exempted under British Columbia legislation. In addition to this information, we may also collect your personal email address, billing and account information, information about your legal issues, and other information incidental to providing our advice and services (including Personal Information about witnesses, family members, beneficiaries, directors, officers, employees, adverse parties, parties-in-interest, investigators, decision makers, experts, other professional advisors, and your business partners, investors, shareholders, competitors and customers).

Why do we collect your Personal Information?

As lawyers, we are under a common law duty to protect client confidences, and nothing in this Privacy Policy is intended to limit our common law obligations to you as lawyers.

In general, Grossman & Stanley collects, uses and discloses Personal Information about you in order to provide you with professional legal services. This will include some or all of the following purposes:

• establishing and managing client relationships, providing legal advice, performing legal services, fulfilling legal duties, and avoiding conflicts of interest;
• sharing Personal Information with third parties where necessary for the purpose of providing legal services, which third parties may include search contractors and agents, opposing parties and their counsel, other counsel and advisors, witnesses, decision makers and experts;
• establishing and maintaining commercial relationships with clients, suppliers and other third parties;
• understanding and responding to client, supplier and other third party needs and preferences;
• distributing information and other material to you which we consider may be useful or relevant to you or your affairs;
• developing and managing Grossman & Stanley's business and operations;
• detecting and protecting Grossman & Stanley and other third parties against error, negligence, breach of contract, fraud, theft and other illegal activity;
• engaging in business transactions, including the purchase, sale, lease, merger, amalgamation or any other type of acquisition, disposal, securitization or financing involving Grossman & Stanley;
• those purposes permitted by, and required to comply with, any legal or regulatory requirements or provisions; and
• any other purpose to which you consent.
  

To whom do we disclose your Personal Information?

From time to time, Grossman & Stanley may disclose your Personal Information to:

• lawyers and staff within the firm;
• service providers, including organizations or individuals we have retained to perform functions on our behalf, such as office and registry services;
• organizations or individuals retained by us to evaluate your creditworthiness or to collect debts outstanding on an account;
• financial institutions to the extent necessary to undertake transactions or provide legal services on your behalf, or in connection with the assignment of a right to receive payment, the provision of security or other financing arrangements;
• a person who, in the reasonable judgment of Grossman & Stanley, is providing or seeking the information as your agent or who is otherwise legally entitled to receive that information;
• to our insurers and to regulatory agencies such as provincial law societies or others in connection with regulatory or other activities relating to our obligations and/or our practice of law; or
• to any third party or parties, where you consent to such disclosure or where disclosure is required or permitted by law.

Where do we store your Personal Information?

Your Personal Information is stored in secured locations and on computers and computer servers controlled by Grossman & Stanley or its affiliated lawyers, located either at our offices or at the offices of our lawyers.

How may you obtain access to your Personal Information?

Upon your written request, Grossman & Stanley will inform you of the existence, use and disclosure of all of your Personal Information which we have in our possession and will give you access to that information. Access requests should be sent to our Privacy Officer, using the contact information below.

How do we protect your Personal Information?

To help protect the confidentiality of your Personal Information, Grossman & Stanley employs administrative and technological safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of your Personal Information.

While the processes which are employed by the various third parties with whom we deal for protecting Personal Information are established by those third parties, Grossman & Stanley will not continue to deal with any third party where we have actual notice of a failure by that third party to adequately safeguard your Personal Information.

We endeavour to operate secure data networks protected by industry standard firewall and password protection systems.

Privacy and our Website

Cookies – We do not currently use browser features commonly called “cookies” to collect information about you.

Online and/or Email Communications – This website provides email addresses which you may use to contact us. If you choose to submit Personal Information to us via this site, the terms of this Privacy Policy will apply to that information.

Changes to the Privacy Policy

Grossman & Stanley reserves the right to modify or supplement this Privacy Policy at any time. If we make a change to this Privacy Policy, we will post such changes on our website and make such revised policy and changes available upon request to our Privacy Officer.

Further Information

Grossman & Stanley has appointed Roderick L. Pearce as Privacy Officer to oversee compliance with this Privacy Policy and applicable privacy laws. For information on Grossman & Stanley's privacy practices, please contact Mr. Pearce at the address shown on this website.