Privacy and Information Collection
This Privacy and Information Collection Policy (the “Policy”) is for the website www.al-legal.co, owned by Adrian Li & Co., Solicitors, and governs the privacy of users choosing to use it.
The Policy explains matters concerning user privacy and covers the obligations and requirements of the users, the website and the website owners. Details regarding how the website processes, stores and protects user data and information is set out below.
Adrian Li & Co., Solicitors will manage any personal data collected from or about you in connection with the provision of our services, or related activities such as promoting our practice, marketing or handling job applications.
Personal Information Collection Statement
You will find information as to why your personal data is collected; how it is intended to be used; to whom your personal data may be provided; and how to access, review and correct your personal data in accordance with the requirements of Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) in our Personal Information Collection Statement (“PIC Statement”).
Use of cookies
Our website may use cookies and log files for statistical analysis, in order to better understand user behaviour, to administer the site, to tailor the information presented to a user based on their preferences, and generally to enhance user experience. Any information collected by our use of cookies is compiled on an aggregate and anonymous basis.
Embedded external content
Articles on this site may include embedded content. Embedded content from other websites acts in exactly the same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.
These websites may also collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
Web analytics
We may use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, from time to time. The information generated by the cookies about your usage of our website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your usage of our website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. Please visit Google’s privacy policy at: http://www.google.com/privacy.html.
Personal Data
If you make an enquiry
When you contact us (whether directly, via email, telephone or by post) with an enquiry about our legal services we will ask you to supply your basic contact details (name, email address, phone number and, where applicable, the company or other person you represent and your job title). We need this information to be able to identify you and deal with your enquiry.
Depending on the type of your enquiry, we may also ask you for further information, such as the circumstances surrounding your enquiry and which legal services may be of interest to you. In cases where you are enquiring about a possible position with us, we will ask for your CV and related information.
When you are or become a client
When you (or the company or other person you represent) become a client of Adrian Li & Co., Solicitors we may collect further personal data from you, if it is relevant and/ or necessary to the professional services we are providing.
When you make a personal payment for our professional services, details of the method of payment, your bank details or your credit or debit card number will be processed.
Professional or business contacts
If you provide us with your professional or business contact details or other relevant personal data or subscribe to our newsletter via this website, we will use this to keep in touch with you and to share with you information that we believe is, or may become, relevant to our and your business or profession.
Job enquiries
Any personal information submitted as part of an application for a job with us will only be used in connection with such application.
Privacy of your data
We will not use your personal data for any other purpose, nor disclose it to nor share it with any third party, without your consent unless we are required to do so by law, or as mentioned below in this section.
Other professionals and other bodies
In the course of providing legal services, we may require the services of third parties such as counsel, external/overseas lawyers, accountants and experts, or we may refer you to such third parties. This will require us to share with such third parties your contact details, as well as any further personal data which is relevant to the services they provide. We may also be required to disclose your personal data to regulators, by order of the court or to government departments.
Data processing services
Some of our data processing services may be supplied by third-party providers who will need to have access to your data for that purpose. We will appoint such third-party suppliers on the basis that they implement the technical and organisational measures necessary to meet the requirements of the applicable data protection legislation and ensure the protection of the rights of the data subjects. We will also ensure that they carry out such processing only on our written instructions, or where we have a legitimate interest in doing so, as indicated above.
Professional or business contacts
If you have given us your professional or business contact details or other relevant personal data, we may use such data for the purposes of promoting our legal services, unless otherwise indicated.
Sharing your data
In order to provide some of our professional services, we may need to share your personal data with one or more third-party providers situated in foreign countries that do not have the same standards of data protection laws. We will only do so with your consent, or where it is necessary for the performance of the contract we have with you. However, we will ensure that contractual and other safeguards are in place so that your personal data is adequately protected, and that enforceable rights and effective legal remedies are available for data subjects.
Retention of data
Should you contact us with an enquiry about our professional services but subsequently not become a client (or the company or other person you represent does not do so), it is our policy to delete your personal data after 12 months.
If you already are you or become a client (or the company or other person you represent is or becomes a client), we normally retain contract information (including personal data) for seven years after the end of the relevant contract or client relationship, or for longer where it is necessary for us to do so to comply with regulatory or other legal obligations, or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, or where we agree with you to do so. In some cases, we may need to retain records indefinitely.
Personal data relating to our professional relationship will be retained for so long as necessary, or until you indicate otherwise to us. We aim to update our contacts’ preferences on a regular basis.
In cases where it is not physically possible to delete certain data (for example, where it is stored on a secure external server), we will take the necessary measures to ensure that it is not available for re-use or disclosure to third parties.
Security over your data
We take reasonable precautions to ensure that your personal data remains confidential and have put in place appropriate security measures to protect your personal data. We will limit access to those who have a business need to know; they will only process your personal data on our instructions and subject to a duty of confidentiality.
We have procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator where we are legally required to do so.
Your rights over your data
At any time, you can ask us to provide you with an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have given us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we have about you. We will do although this does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
Changes to the Policy and PIC Statement
Adrian Li & Co., Solicitors reserves the right to update this Policy and PIC Statement at any time and will make available an updated version on our website or in writing so that you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use the information and under what circumstances the information is disclosed. Any such change, update or modification will be effective immediately upon posting.
Contact us
If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding data, please contact us at adrian.li@al-legal.co.
© 2021 Adrian Li & Co., Solicitors. All rights reserved.
Personal Information Collection Statement
For clients and potential clients
- It may be necessary for individual clients or individual representatives of business clients (e.g. directors, officers, employees and staff members of clients) to supply Adrian Li & Co., Solicitors (the “Firm”) with data about themselves in connection with the Firm’s provision of legal advice and services to those clients. These data may include copies, and other details, of identity documents, proof of address, other contact details, and proof of authority to instruct the Firm.
- Failure to supply such data may result in the Firm being unable to provide clients with the legal services, or generally to give clients the legal advice, requested.
- The Firm collects data from clients in the ordinary course of its client-solicitor relationship with them on an ongoing basis.
- The purposes for which personal data relating to a client may be used are as follows:
(a) The provision of legal advice and services to the client in accordance with the instructions of the client and as the Firm may otherwise deem appropriate or necessary;
(b) Tailoring legal services or related products for clients’ use;
(c) Collection of outstanding fees from clients;
(d) Meeting the requirements to conduct client identification and verification and to make disclosure under the requirements of any law, guideline, code of practice or practice direction binding on, or applicable to, the Firm or any of its branches or associated firms or offices including, but not limited to, any such law, guideline, code or practice direction relating to anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism;
(e) Purposes specifically provided for in any particular service offered by the Firm;
(f) Purposes directly related to any of the above; and
(g) Marketing the Firm’ own legal services and/or related products.
If a client does not want the Firm to use his, her or its personal data for the purposes mentioned in paragraph 4(g) above, he, she or it may write to or email the officer named at the end of this statement, indicating his decision and/or return a copy of this statement to that officer.
- Data held by the Firm relating to a client will generally be kept confidential but the Firm may provide such information for the above purposes to:
(a) A government agency such as the Hong Kong Police, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Service, the Hong Kong Immigration Service and the Independent Commission against Corruption, if the Firm knows or suspects that any person is engaged in drug trafficking, terrorism or any other serious crime or handling the proceeds of crime or that any property constitutes terrorist property. In such case, the obligation to report to the authorities may override the Firm’s confidentiality obligations;
(b) Any other legal practitioner (e.g. solicitors, barristers and foreign lawyers), accountant, or other financial or professional adviser representing the client in connection with those legal services and advice being provided to the client by the Firm;
(c) To the extent the Firm, in its absolute discretion, considers prudent, other solicitors, barristers, accountants, other legal practitioners and other professionals representing other persons involved in matters or dealings in respect of which the client has requested the Firm’ legal services and advice;
(d) Any financial institution, business or professional firm with which the client has or proposes to have dealings related to the legal services or advice being provided to the client by the Firm;
(e) If a client is ever in default of payment of legal fees to the Firm or otherwise, debt collection agencies; and
(f) To third party service providers which provide administrative, technology, marketing or other services to the Firm in relation to its business operations.
The Firm will not transfer data relating to a client to a third person for that person’s marketing activities.
- In accordance with the terms of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) (the “PDPO”) and guidelines issued pursuant thereto, any individual may:
(a) Check whether the Firm holds data about him/her and may request access to such data;
(b) Request the Firm to correct any data relating to him/her which are inaccurate;
(c) Request the Firm to specify its policies and practices in relation to data and to be informed of the kind of personal data held by the Firm; and
(d) Request the Firm to cease using his/her personal data for its marketing purposes.
In accordance with the terms of the PDPO, the Firm has the right to charge a reasonable fee for the processing of any data access request.
- For access to data or correction of data or for information regarding policies and practices and kinds of data held are to be addressed in writing to us at adrian.li@al-legal.co.
- For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this PIC Statement shall limit the rights of clients under the PDPO.
For job applicants
- The personal data provided by you to us as applicant for any vacancies within the Firm are to be used to assess your suitability for the vacancy and other directly relevant matters with respect to your application.
- You must ensure that all information provided to the Firm is accurate, complete and up-to-date. Personal data provided which is inaccurate or incomplete may influence the process and outcome of the recruitment.
- It is voluntary for you to provide the personal data requested by us. However, failure to receive the personal data from you may result in the Firm being unable to process your application and as a result, may result in your application being rejected.