Bristows' Privacy Policy

 

This website, associated microsites and
digital channels (collectively the "Site")
are operated by Bristows LLP ("Bristows",
"we" or "us").

This website, associated microsites and digital channels (collectively the "Site") are operated by Bristows LLP ("Bristows", "we" or "us").

Bristows is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy and this Privacy Notice explains how we will handle any personal information that you provide to us or that we collect from you in connection with your use of the Site and the rights you have under data protection law. Bristows LLP is the data controller of the personal information collected via or in connection with the Site.

This Privacy Notice should be read together with our Cookie Policy and Terms of Use.

If you have any questions in relation to this Privacy Notice or Bristows' handling of your information please get in touch using the contact details outlined at the end of this Notice.

1. Information we may collect from you through the Site

We collect information which you provide to us directly and information related to your use of the Site. For example, we use cookies or other online tracking technologies to collect information automatically about your use of the Site, see the ‘Cookies’ section below for more information. We will also collect information you provide to us directly as some sections of the Site invite you to input your contact details to request publications and information about events or legal topics, or to contact us with enquiries and comments. The categories of information we may collect, therefore, include the following:

  • your name, address, email address, job title and other contact details;
  • information related to an enquiry requesting legal advice or assistance;
  • details of the legal topics and/or industry sector you are interested in (to help us tailor our marketing communications where you request such material from us);
  • records of your correspondence with us, if you have contacted us; and
  • information collected automatically using cookies and other tracking technologies, such as details of the web pages you have visited on our Site and the content that you access.

2. How do we use your information?

Depending on how you use our Site, your interactions with us and the reasons for which you provide your information, your personal information will be used for the following purposes:

  • to ensure that the Site is presented to you in an effective manner;
  • to provide you with information that you have requested from us (for example, if you submit an enquiry via the online form on the Site);
  • where you have asked us to or consented to us sending you in electronic and/or paper form promotional materials about our services (such as our newsletters), unless you tell us not to do so (see ‘8. Your Rights’ below); and
  • to reserve you a place at one of our events or seminars.

We will only process your personal information where we have a legal basis for doing do, and this will be determined by the purpose for which your personal information is processed. Typically, we process your personal information on one of the following legal bases:

  • because it is necessary to fulfil a request you have made as an existing or prospective client relating to our provision of legal services;
  • because you have provided your consent (for example, where you sign up to receive our newsletters or information about the events or seminars we are running); or
  • because it is in our legitimate interests to do so (and these are not overridden by the impact on your privacy or other rights). Our legitimate interests include the provision of legal services, enhancing our profile and reputation in the legal market and raising our clients and prospective clients' awareness of our legal services.

3. Internet Cookies

We may also obtain information about your general internet usage through the use of 'cookies' or other tracking technologies which enable us to make certain parts of the Site easier to use and to improve the functionality of the Site. Please see our Cookie Policy for more information. When you enter the Site, we may also collect information, where available, about your computer such as your IP address, operating system and browser type for system administration purposes.

This information is statistical data about our users' browsing patterns and is used to understand how the Site is being used.

4. Sharing your personal information

We generally do not share personal information collected via the Site with third parties. However, personal information may be shared with third parties where one of the following circumstances applies:

  • you have consented to us doing so;
  • we are under a legal, regulatory or professional obligation to disclose your personal information, or in order to enforce or apply our Terms of Use or Terms of Business, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our firm, our clients or others;
  • our firm, or substantially all our firm's assets are merged or acquired by a third party, in which case your personal information may form part of the transferred or merged assets;
  • to provide anonymous statistical information about users of the Site and related usage information to reputable third parties; or
  • we are using a third party service provider to provide services that involve data processing (for example, hosting the Site).

5. Links to third party websites

The Site may contain links to third party websites, including options to share content you have read on third party websites, for example, on LinkedIn or Twitter. If you follow a link to any third party website, please be aware that these websites have their own privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for their handling of your personal information.

6. How long we store your personal information

We will keep your personal information for as long as we need it for the purposes set out above. This period will vary depending on the nature of your interactions with us. Where we no longer have a need to keep your information, we will delete or anonymise it. Please note that where you unsubscribe or opt out from a marketing communication, we need to keep a record of your email address to ensure we do not send you marketing emails in the future.

7. Where we store your personal information

In providing our services, we may sometimes transfer to and store information outside the UK or the European Economic Area (EEA), including countries where the law provides less protection for personal information.

Wherever we transfer personal information outside of the UK or EEA, we will take legally required steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it. You may contact us for an explanation of the basis on which we have transferred your personal information and, where relevant, to request a copy of the legal safeguards which we have put in place.

If we engage a third party to process personal information on our behalf, we contractually require them handle your personal information appropriately.

8. Your rights

You have certain rights in relation to your personal information, including the right to object to, restrict and/or withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal information, the right to access or erase your personal information, and the ability to receive a machine readable copy of your personal information.

You also have the right to ensure that we correct or delete any inaccurate or out of date personal information which we have about you. If you believe that any personal information which we have about you is inaccurate or out of date and you would like us to correct or delete it, or you wish to exercise any other of your rights, please contact us at marketing@bristows.com.

Any request to exercise one of these rights will be assessed by us on a case-by-case basis. There may be circumstances in which we are not legally required to comply with your request because of relevant legal exemptions provided for in applicable data protection legislation.

You may also have the right to contact the relevant data protection authority (the Information Commissioner's Office) if you think we have processed your personal information in a manner which is unlawful or breaches your rights. If you have any such concerns, we request that you initially contact us at the email address above so that we can investigate, and hopefully resolve, your concerns.

9. Updates to this Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice may be amended by us at any time. Please check this page periodically to inform yourself of any changes. It was last updated on 30 August 2022.

10. How to contact us

If you have any questions, need further information about our privacy practices, or would like to let us know that your details require updating, please contact us at marketing@bristows.com or write to us: FAO: Data Protection Coordinator, Bristows LLP, 100 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y 0DH.