Privacy Notice

1. Introduction

1.1 We take your privacy seriously and we ask that you read this privacy notice carefully. It contains important information on who we are, how and why we collect, store, use and share personal information, your rights in relation to your personal information and on how to contact us and supervisory authorities in the event you have a complaint.

1.2 When we use your personal data we are regulated under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and we are responsible as ‘controller’ of that personal data for the purposes of the GDPR. Our use of your personal data is subject to your instructions, the GDPR, other relevant UK and EU legislation and our professional duty of confidentiality.

2. Key Terms

We, us, our:	Wykes O’Donnell Williams (a partnership).
Personal Data:	Any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual.
Sensitive Personal Data:	All data within the Special Category below with the addition of data relating to your finances, social and family circumstances.
Special Category Personal Data:	Personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, philosophical beliefs or trade union membership. Genetic and biometric data, data concerning health, sex life or sexual orientation.

3. The information we collect from you and use

We primarily process data for our business of supplying legal services. The list below sets out the personal data we will or may collect in the course of dealing with your enquiry, advising and/or acting for you, or during the course of your employment (if you are an employee in our business):

• Your name, address and telephone number
• Information to enable us to check and verify your identity, e.g. your date of birth or passport details
• Your National Insurance and tax details
• Your bank and/or building society details
• Details of your online presence
• Details of your spouse/partner and dependants or other family members
• Electronic contact details, e.g. your email address and mobile phone number
• Information relating to the matter in which you are seeking our advice or representation
• Information to enable us to undertake a credit or other financial checks on you
• Your financial details so far as relevant to your instructions, e.g. the source of your funds if you are instructing on a purchase transaction, if we are giving you advice, or required as an employee for management purposes
• Your employment status and details including salary and benefits, where relevant, records relating to sickness and attendance, performance, training, disciplinary, conduct and grievances
• Details of your pension arrangements
• Your racial or ethnic origin, gender and sexual orientation, religious or similar beliefs, e.g. if they are relevant to a family case, required under a legal or regulatory obligation as an employee
• Your trade union membership, e.g. if you instruct us on discrimination claim or your matter is funded by a trade union
• Your medical records
• Your police records, information from the Courts, Local Authority or Legal Aid Agency, if relevant to your case
• Information about your use of our IT, communication and other systems, and other monitoring information

This personal data is required to enable us to provide our service to you. If you do not provide the personal data we ask for, it may delay or prevent us from providing services to you.

4. How we obtain your personal data

We collect most of this information from you, direct or via our secure online client portal. However, we may also collect information:-

4.1 from publicly accessible sources, e.g. Companies House or HM Land Registry;

4.2 directly from a third party, e.g.
(a) HM Home Office Sanctions screening providers;
(b) credit reference agencies;
(c) client due diligence providers;

4.3 from a third party with your consent, e.g.
(a) your bank or building society, another financial institution or adviser;
(b) consultants and other professionals we may engage in relation to your matter;
(c) your employer and/or trade union, professional body or pension administrators;
(d) your doctors, medical and occupational health professionals;
(e) the Legal Aid Agency, the police, Courts or Local Authorities;

4.4 via our website:
(a) when you contact us through our online enquiry and information request
(b) When you use our website for acquiring information, including but without limitation conveyancing quotations
(c) we use cookies on our website (our Cookie Policy is available on request).
(d) website links – our website may contain links to other websites. Please note that we are not responsible for the privacy practice of such other websites and advise you to read the privacy statements of each website you visit which collects personal data;
(e) via our information technology (IT) systems, e.g.– case management, document management and time recording systems;
(f) automated monitoring of our websites and other technical systems, such as our computer networks and connections, communications systems, email and instant messaging systems

5. How we use your personal data

• We only use your personal data if we have a proper reason for doing so, e.g.
• to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations;
• to facilitate the performance of our contract with you, to deal with your enquiry or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract;
• for our legitimate interests or those of a third party; or
• where you have given consent.

5.1 A legitimate interest is when we have a business or commercial reason to use your information, so long as this is not overridden by your own rights and interests.

5.2 The table below explains what we use (process) your personal data for and our reasons for doing so:

 

What we use your personal data for	Our reasons
To deal with your initial enquiry and provide legal and/or financial advice services to you	For the performance of our contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract
To process your request to be subscribed to our mailings	To take steps at your request with a view to accepting you as a recipient of our email bulletins
Conducting checks to identify and verify identity Screening for financial and other sanctions or embargoes Other processing necessary to comply with professional, legal and regulatory obligations that apply to our business, e.g. under health and safety regulation or rules issued by our professional regulator	To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations and for our legitimate interests in the performance of our contract with you.
Gathering and providing information required by or relating to audits, enquiries or investigations by regulatory bodies	To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
Ensuring business policies are adhered to, e.g. policies covering security and internet use	For our legitimate interests or those of a third party, i.e. to make sure we are following our own internal procedures so we can deliver the best service to you
Operational reasons, such as improving efficiency, training and quality control	For our legitimate interests or those of a third party, i.e. to be as efficient as we can so we can deliver the best service for you at the best price
Ensuring the confidentiality of commercially sensitive information	For our legitimate interests or those of a third party, i.e. to protect our intellectual property and other commercially valuable information To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
Statistical analysis to help us manage our practice, e.g. in relation to our financial performance, client base, work type or other efficiency measures	For our legitimate interests or those of a third party, i.e. to be as efficient as we can so we can deliver the best service for you at the best price
Preventing unauthorised access and modifications to systems	For our legitimate interests or those of a third party, i.e. to prevent and detect criminal activity that could be damaging for us and for you To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
Updating and enhancing client records	For the performance of our contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations For our legitimate interests or those of a third party, e.g. making sure that we can keep in touch with our clients about existing and new services
Statutory returns	To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
Ensuring safe working practices, staff administration and assessments	To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations For our legitimate interests or those of a third party, e.g. to make sure we are following our own internal procedures and working efficiently so we can deliver the best service to you
Marketing our services and those of selected third parties to: existing and former clients; prospective clients who have previously expressed an interest in our services; prospective clients with whom we have had no previous dealings but who may be interested in our services.	For our legitimate interests or those of a third party, i.e. to promote our business to existing and former clients and non-clients who may be interested in our services
Credit reference checks via external credit reference agencies	For our legitimate interests or a those of a third party, i.e. for credit control and to ensure our clients are likely to be able to pay for our services
External audits and quality checks, e.g. for quality accreditations such as, but not limited to SQM and the audit of our client and office accounts	For our legitimate interests or a those of a third party, i.e. to maintain our accreditations so we can demonstrate we operate at the highest standards To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
Where processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims	To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations and for our legitimate interests in the performance of our contract with you
Where processing is necessary to protect the vital interests of the data subject or of another natural person where the data subject is physically or legally incapable of giving consent	To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations and for our legitimate interests in the performance of our contract with you