Privacy Policy

Our Commitment

Australian Business Lawyers (ABN 60 570 119 200) (“Australian Business Lawyers”) is committed to providing you with the highest levels of professional service. This includes protecting your privacy. We understand the importance placed on the privacy of your personal information.

In order to protect your right to privacy, we have developed this Privacy Policy. Our Privacy Policy explains:

Australian Business Lawyers will take all reasonable steps to protect the privacy of the personal information that we collect and use. Our Privacy Policy sets out how we intend to do so. This policy applies to all clients, individuals and prospective employees who provide us with their personal information. This policy does not apply to employees of Australian Business Lawyers who provide us with their personal information.

What is personal information?

Personal information is any information that can be used to identify you. This includes any personal information or opinions about you, whether true or not, no matter how the information or opinions are recorded.

Why do we collect personal information?

We collect personal information from our clients in order to provide legal services. Generally, we collect personal information directly from you. For example, we collect information about your name, your employer details, your telephone number, your facsimile number and your email address.

We also collect personal information for the following purposes:

In the course of providing legal services to our clients we may collect and receive personal information relating to our clients’ employees. This information is held in the strictest confidence and is subject to legal professional privilege.

What happens if you choose not to provide your personal information?

You are not obliged to give us your personal information. However, if you choose not to provide Australian Business Lawyers with personal details we may not be able to provide our services to you.

What personal information do we collect and use?

The personal information that we collect and hold usually falls into the following categories:

We will not use your personal information for any purpose which is not related to the service we provide to you or our client, nor use your personal information in a manner contrary to this policy.

We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information that we hold is accurate and up to date. If you feel that information about you is not accurate or your details have or are about to change, please inform us and, upon verification, we will correct or update your personal information.

If you would like to access any of our services on an anonymous basis please tell us. If this is possible and lawful, we will take all reasonable steps to comply with your request. However, if you choose not to provide us with your personal information we are not likely to be able to provide you with the services or assistance you require.

How do we collect personal information?

Where possible, we collect your personal information directly from you. If you feel that the information that we are requesting is not information that you wish to provide, please feel free to raise this with us.

In some situations we collect personal information about you from a third party source. If we collect information about you in this way, we will take reasonable steps to contact you and ensure that you are aware of the purposes for which we are collecting your personal information and the organisations to which we might disclose your information, subject to any exceptions under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

When do we disclose your personal information?

We will use and disclose information for the primary purpose for which it was collected. We may also use and disclose personal information for purposes related or ancillary to the main reasons we collect it. For example, invoicing, providing information about legal developments and other services offered by us.

We never disclose personal information that we collect to third parties for the purpose of allowing them to direct market their products and services.

Australian Business Lawyers engages some third party contractors to perform services for us, which may involve the contractor handling personal information we hold. For example, we engage a third party contractor to store and archive some client files. In these circumstances we prohibit the third party contractor from using personal information about you except for the specific purpose for which we supply it.

Do we send information overseas?

We do not usually send personal information out of Australia. If you need us to send information to another country we will do so with your consent. If we are otherwise required to send information overseas we will take measures to protect your personal information. We will protect your personal information either by ensuring that the country of destination has similar protections in relation to privacy or that we enter into contractual arrangements with the recipient of your personal information that safeguards your privacy.

Access to your personal information

You have a right to access your personal information, subject to certain exceptions provided for in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). If you would like to access your personal information please follow the procedures set out in our Access Policy. Our Access Policy can be accessed by contacting our Privacy Officer or by clicking on this link. For security reasons, you will be required to put your request in writing and provide proof of your identity before accessing your personal information.

Security of your information

We will take all reasonable steps to secure your personal information. Electronic information is protected by various security measures and access to information and databases is restricted to staff of Australian Business Lawyers that need access to the information in order to perform their duties.

Complaints

We have a Grievance Policy for dealing with your privacy complaints. The purpose of the policy is to ensure that any person that has a complaint with the way their personal information is collected, used, disclosed, stored or administered may lodge a complaint under the Grievance Policy. All complaints will be treated seriously and dealt with promptly. The Grievance Policy is our way of ensuring your privacy concerns are raised and addressed promptly. Our Grievance Policy can be accessed by contacting our Privacy Officer or by clicking on this link.

How to contact us

If you would like more information on privacy or have any questions in relation to this policy please contact our Privacy Officer. We can be contacted by telephone or mail as follows:

We reserve the right to review, and if necessary, change this policy.

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