Privacy Policy
Last Updated: September 1, 2023
The British Columbia Personal Information Protection Act (the “Act”) regulates the way private sector organizations within British Columbia collect, use, keep, secure and disclose personal information. “Personal information” means all information about an identifiable individual. Lotz & Company (“we”, “us” or “our”) recognizes the importance of privacy and recognizes the sensitivity of personal information received by us in the course of our legal practice. We recognize our professional obligation to maintain the confidentiality of our clients’ information and recognize our obligations concerning the personal information of all individuals that we collect, use or disclose in our practice. This policy has been developed with those obligations in mind.
Our Need for Personal Information
Due to the nature of our practice and client base (mostly corporations and a few individuals), we do not generally collect personal information on our clients. However when acting for individuals, we require personal information about these clients. In addition, during the course of performing due diligence reviews for clients or when acting for a corporate client, we collect personal information about third parties or employees of the corporation. In order to be able to give legal advice to our clients, we need access to all relevant facts and information that relate to our retainer and to the representation of our clients, which may by necessity include personal information relating to the client or third parties. The following policy outlines how we will collect, use and in some cases disclose any personal information.
Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information
Where practical, we will endeavour to collect personal information directly from the person to whom the information pertains. When necessary, we will collect personal information from other sources.
By retaining Lotz & Company for legal advice or representation, an individual consents to our necessary collection, use or disclosure of the individual’s personal information in order to properly advise and represent the individual.
It is our policy to collect personal information about individuals, other than our clients, in accordance with the provisions of the Act. In most cases, and when possible, we will obtain a consent of the individual disclosing the personal information prior to any collection or use of the personal information. The Act deems that an individual has consented to our collection, use or disclosure of personal information about that individual if, at the time the consent is deemed to be given, the purpose would be considered obvious to a reasonable person. In such circumstances, we will collect, use or disclose personal information without obtaining a written or verbal consent to do so.
The Act also permits us to collect, use or disclose personal information about an individual in some circumstances without the individual’s consent. Those include (but are not limited to) circumstances in which:
- the collection, use or disclosure is clearly in the interests of the individual and consent cannot be obtained in a timely way;
- it is reasonable to expect that the collection or use of personal information with the consent of the individual would compromise the availability or accuracy of the information, and the collection or use of the information is necessary for an investigation or proceeding;
- it is reasonable to expect that the disclosure of personal information with the consent of the individual would compromise an investigation or proceeding, and the disclosure of the information is necessary for an investigation or proceeding;
- the personal information is available to the public from a prescribed source; and
- the collection, use or disclosure of personal information is required or authorized by law.
When we collect, use or disclose personal information, we will make reasonable efforts to ensure that it is accurate and complete.
Security of Personal Information
We recognize our professional and legal obligations to protect the confidential information of our clients. We recognize as well our legal obligations to protect the personal information we have gathered about our clients and about other individuals during the course of our practice of law. We have therefore made arrangements to secure against the unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification, disposal or destruction of personal information.
Requests for Access to Personal Information
The Act permits individuals to submit written requests to us to provide them with:
- their personal information under our custody or control;
- information about how their personal information under our control has been and is being used by us; and
- the names of the individuals and organizations to whom their personal information under our control has been disclosed by us.
We will respond to requests in the time allowed by the Act and will make a reasonable effort to assist applicants and to respond as accurately and completely as reasonably possible. All requests may be subject to any fees and disbursements the law permits us to charge. An individual’s ability to access his or her personal information under our control is not absolute. The Act provides that we must not disclose personal information when:
- the disclosure could reasonably be expected to threaten the safety or physical or mental health of an individual other than the individual who made the request;
- the disclosure can reasonably be expected to cause immediate or grave harm to the safety or to the physical or mental health of the individual who made the request;
- the disclosure would reveal personal information about another individual; or
- the disclosure would reveal the identity of an individual who has provided personal information about another individual and the individual providing the personal information does not consent to disclosure of his or her identity.
The Act further provides that we are not required to disclose personal information when:
- the personal information is protected by solicitor-client privilege;
- the disclosure of the personal information would reveal confidential commercial information that, if disclosed, could, in the opinion of a reasonable person, harm the competitive position of an organization;
- the personal information was collected without consent for the purposes of an investigation, and the investigation and associated proceedings and appeals have not been completed; or
- the personal information was collected or created by a mediator or arbitrator in the conduct of a mediation or arbitration for which he or she was appointed to act:
- under a collective agreement;
- under an enactment; or
- by a court.
Website
Like many websites, our website automatically collects some non-personal information about website users, that does not identify the user.
Information collected can include the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer, the IP address of your Internet Service Provider, the date and time you accessed the website, the Internet address of the website from which you linked directly to the website, the operating system you are using, the sections of the website you visit, the pages on the website which you looked at, and information you downloaded from the website.
This non-personal information is used for website and system administration purposes and to improve our website.
Our website uses cookies, pixels and similar technologies (“Cookies”) to record session information, such as links or buttons that visitors click on. We use Cookies to power and improve our website and our services (including to remember your actions and preferences), to run analytics and better understand user interaction with our services (in our legitimate interests to administer, improve and optimize our services). We may also permit third parties and service providers, including Google, to use Cookies on our website to better tailor the services, products and advertising on our website and other websites.
Most browsers automatically accept Cookies by default, but you can choose to set your browser to remove or reject Cookies through browser controls. Please keep in mind that removing or blocking Cookies can negatively impact your user experience and may cause some of our services, including certain features and general functionality, to work incorrectly or no longer be available.
We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to others. We may provide aggregate statistics about our traffic patterns, and related website information to reputable third parties, but these statistics will include no personally identifying information.
Personal information that you provide to us through online forms on our website, including contact forms, will be used in accordance with this policy. This personal information may include your name, email address, phone number, and any other information you enter and submit through an online form on our website, including details about your legal matter.
Our website may contain “links” to other websites or Internet resources. If you use a “link”, you are contacting another website or Internet resource. We are not responsible or liable for other websites or Internet resources, including any collection, use and disclosure these sites make of your personal information. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of those other sites to learn how they collect your information.
Google Analytics
Our website uses Google Analytics to improve the user experience on the website, including by allowing use to measure the traffic on our website. Google has their own Privacy Policy which you can review here. This is a persistent cookie with a 2-year duration. If you would like to opt out of tracking by Google Analytics, visit the Google Analytics opt-out page.
Correction of Personal Information
The Act permits individuals to submit written requests to us to correct errors or omissions in their personal information that is in our custody or control.
We will:
- correct the personal information and, if reasonable to do so, send correction notifications to any other organizations to whom we disclosed the incorrect information; or
- decide not to correct the personal information, but annotate the personal information that a correction was requested but not made.
Contacting or Communicating with Us
If you have any questions with respect to our policies concerning the handling of your personal information, or if you wish to request access to, or correction of, your personal information under our care and control, please contact our Privacy Officer at: 880 – 320 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6C 1S9 Tel: 604-699-0110 Fax: 604-699-0112.
If you are dissatisfied with our handling of your personal information, we invite you to contact our Privacy Officer in writing, setting out the reasons for your concern. If, after our Privacy Officer has reviewed and responded to your concern, you remain dissatisfied, you may wish to contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (British Columbia) at: P.O. Box 9038 Station Provincial Government Victoria; British Columbia Canada, V8W 9A4 Tel: 250-387-5629 Fax: 250-387-1696.
Changes to Policy
This policy may change to accommodate changes in our service, technology and legal developments. We may add, change, or remove portions of this policy if appropriate. Whenever we update this policy, we will change the date on the policy (and on this page) to indicate when the changes were made.