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Policy on Data Privacy and Website Use

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1. Introduction
As a law firm, we collect, use and disclose information on a daily basis for the purpose of providing our services. Confidentiality is important to us, and client confidentiality is an essential part of our relationship with our clients. We adhere to the highest ethical standards when handling all information, especially personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose and protect your personal information. By providing us with personal information (through our website, our secure portal on Juris, by e-mail, in person or by telephone), you agree to its processing as set out in this policy, and you authorize Duclos Law firm, its third parties and service providers to process your personal information for the purposes set out below.

2. Information Gathering
Cookies
When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain personal information from your browser’s cookies, including your IP address, the date and time of your visit and the pages you visit. This helps us to better understand where website traffic comes from, to make the website more user-friendly and to improve its quality and usefulness.

You can use your web browser to delete cookies automatically or manually. You can also specify that certain cookies should not be stored. Another option is to modify your web browser settings to receive notification each time a cookie is set.

Personal Information
In addition, in the course of carrying out our activities and providing our services, we will need to collect any confidential information essential to the performance of our mandate in order to meet our legal obligations.

3. Electronic Communications
We communicate with customers and third parties and transmit documents using various means of electronic communication, including e-mail via the publicly accessible Internet. Customers may also communicate with us or send us documents by electronic means. These electronic communications may contain confidential or privileged information unless our customers instruct us not to send such information electronically. There is a risk that such electronic communications may be intercepted by third parties or contain viruses.

We use filtering techniques (for example, anti-spam software) that may prevent the timely transmission of electronic communications you send to us.

Neither party will be liable to the other, nor will it be responsible for the actions of third parties with respect to electronic communications that either party may send to the other, nor for any late or non-transmitted communication, nor for any damages resulting from the fact that a communication was transmitted in electronic form.

Clients who wish to discuss an alternative method of transmitting information should contact one of Duclos Law Firm lawyers retained for their case. In addition, if you have any concerns or doubts about the authenticity or timeliness of any electronic communication that we purport to have sent to you, please contact us immediately.

4. Use of Personal Information
You understand and agree that Duclos Law Firm may collect, use or communicate with you via personal information transmitted through our website, our secure portal on Juris, by e-mail, in person or by telephone.

We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

a. to respond to your requests, comments or questions;
b. to personalize your experience on our site; and
c. fulfill our legal and regulatory obligations.

5. Sharing Personal Information
We may share personal information with third parties, including but not limited to:

    • providers of web services, data hosting or computer maintenance (we have signed confidentiality agreements with these third parties);
    • experts involved in your legal case; and
    • government authorities and law enforcement agencies when required by applicable laws.

6. Protection of Personal Information
We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or destruction.

All data is kept for a period of 7 years following the closing of your file on servers equipped with high-security systems, protected against access by unauthorized persons and malicious use. In addition, only those persons (employees or agents) who require access to the information in the course of their duties have access to it.

7. Your Rights
You have rights with respect to your personal information, including the right to access, correct, delete and limit the use of your personal information. To exercise these rights, please contact us at info@duclosavocats.com.

8. Responsibility and Governance
Ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance with and application of the policy rests with Me Benoit Duclos, Managing Attorney. He is the person designated as responsible for the protection of personal information under Bill 25. He delegates this authority to the Director of Operations.
Benoit Duclos can be reached at bduclos@duclosavocats.com
Marie-Andrée Bélanger-Fortin, Director of Operations, can be reached at administration@duclosavocats.com.

9. Intellectual Property
Copyright
Duclos Law firm is the copyright owner of the website, and no part of the website, including without limitation, the written, audio or video content, information, text and images, may be used in any manner or for any purpose without the prior written permission of Duclos Law Firm. Without waiving its copyright, Duclos Law Firm grants you a limited license, without the right to sublicense, to display on your computer, download, print and use one copy of the materials on this website solely for your personal, non-commercial use, provided that you do not modify the content and that you include with each copy of the content the copyright notice. You are solely responsible for any unauthorized use and/or exploitation of the website by you or by any third party on your behalf.

Trademarks
Certain names, graphics, logos, icons, designs, words, titles or phrases on this website may constitute trade names, trademarks or service marks of Duclos Law Firm or other entities.

The display of trademarks on pages at this website does not imply that a license of any kind has been granted, except as specifically provided in these terms. The downloading, retransmission, copying, modification or any unauthorized use of the trademarks is strictly prohibited.

10. Limitation of Liability
Links to Other Websites

The website contains images of and links to third-party websites. These websites are not under the control of Duclos Law Firm and we are not responsible for their content. Duclos Law Firm is providing these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by Duclos Law Firm of the content. Duclos Law Firm cannot be held responsible for any damages incurred as a result of using these websites.

Website Content
The content of this website is believed to be reliable when posted, but there is no guarantee that it is accurate, complete or current at the time of your visit. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, despite the best efforts of Duclos Law Firm, the content may include inaccuracies, typographical errors or other deficiencies. The content of the website may be modified or deleted at any time without notice.

The services presented on the website are subject to the terms and conditions of the professional services agreements in effect at the time they are offered. Services may be modified or withdrawn at any time without notice. The content of this website does not constitute an offer of services or a solicitation on the part of Duclos Law Firm.

Disclaimer of Warranties
Duclos Law Firm provides the website on an “as is” and “where is” basis and does not make any express or implied warranties, representations or conditions with respect to the website, including, without limitation, warranties as to merchantability, operation, non-infringement, usefulness, completeness, accuracy, timeliness, reliability and fitness for a particular purpose. In addition, Duclos Law Firm cannot guarantee that the website will be accessible at all times or that it will meet your needs, that access will not be interrupted, that there will be no delays, failures, defects, incompatibilities, errors or omissions or loss in the transmission of information, that no viruses or other codes with harmful or destructive properties will be transmitted or that no damage will occur to your computer system. Duclos Law Firm also reserves the right to maintain the website at any time. You are solely responsible for adequate protection and backup of data or equipment, and for taking reasonable and appropriate precautions to scan for computer viruses or other codes with destructive properties.

Duclos Law Firm shall not be liable to you or to any other person for any damages whatsoever, regardless of the cause, arising out of or in connection with the website or its content, or arising out of your access to or use of the website or your inability to access or use the website, any action or decision made by you in reliance on the content of the website, any errors or omissions in the website or any unauthorized use or reproduction of the website, even if Duclos Law Firm has been advised of the possibility of such damage.

Advice
The content of the website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide specific advice and you should not rely on it in that regard, nor act in reliance on it, without seeking the advice of a legal professional.

Updated: October 16, 2023