Our Commitment to Privacy
Firm Management is committed to maintaining the security, confidentiality and privacy of your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines our on-going commitment to you and has been developed in compliance with the British Columbia Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).
Scope of Policy
This Policy applies to Firm Management Corporation and its collection, use and disclosure of personal information relating to its members. This Policy addresses personal information about individuals.
This Policy does not impose any limits on the collection, use or disclosure of the following information by Firm Management:
- Your business contact information;
- Your work product information;
- Publicly available information
Accountability
Firm Management has designated a Privacy Officer who is responsible for Firm Management Corporation’s compliance with this Policy. The Privacy Officer may be contacted as described below.
Purposes
Firm Management collects, uses and discloses personal information for purposes authorized or required by PIPA or other law and for the following reasons:
- to allow Firm Management to communicate with you and authenticate your identity;
- to organize, facilitate and improve members’ professional development;
- to evaluate and process member applications;
- to protect Firm Management and its staff from fraud, theft and similar risks;
- to provide and administer the mediation/arbitration service for members;
- to administer and enforce Firm Management standards of professional conduct and ethics, and for purposes of professional investigations, hearings and discipline matters;
- to monitor, process and collect member dues and other fees;
- to carry out Firm Management procedures such as committee and task force participation and Director elections;
- to comply with its obligations at law and under Firm Management Corporation Bylaws.
Personal information may be disclosed to third parties for these purposes.
Such collections, uses and disclosures are a necessary part of your relationship with Firm Management.
Consent
Firm Management Corporation will obtain your prior consent to collect, use or disclose your personal information for any purpose not referred to above except where Firm Management Corporation is authorized or required by law to do so without your consent.
Your consent can be express, implied or given through an authorized representative such as your lawyer, agent or brokerage.
Consent may be provided orally, in writing, electronically, through inaction (such as when you fail to notify Firm Management that you do not wish your personal information collected/used/disclosed for various purposes after you have received notice of those purposes) or otherwise.
You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal, contractual, and other restrictions, provided that you give reasonable notice of withdrawal of consent to Firm Management. On receipt of notice of withdrawal of consent, Firm Management will inform you of the likely consequences of the withdrawal of consent, which may include the inability of Firm Management to provide certain services for which that information is necessary.
Accuracy
Firm Management will make a reasonable effort to ensure that personal information it is collecting, using or disclosing is accurate and complete.
If you can confirm the inaccuracy or incompleteness of your personal information to the reasonable satisfaction of Firm Management, Firm will amend the information as required. If appropriate, Firm Management will send the amended information to third parties to whom the information has been disclosed.
When a challenge regarding the accuracy of personal information is not resolved to your satisfaction, Firm Management will annotate the personal information under its control with a note that the correction was requested but not made.
Providing Access
You have a right to access your personal information in the control of Firm Management.
Upon written request and authentication of your identity, Firm Management will provide you with your personal information under its control within a reasonable period of time.
In some situations, Firm Management may not be able to provide access to certain personal information (e.g., if disclosure would reveal personal information about another individual; the personal information is protected by solicitor/client privilege; or the information was collected, used or disclosed for the purposes of a professional investigation, hearing or discipline matter.
Firm Management may also be prevented by law from providing access to certain personal information.
Disclosure of Personal Communications from Clients
Personal correspondence received by Firm Management that is not subject to disclosure under their dispute resolution process (e.g., commission disputes and/or professional standards issues) will not be released voluntarily by Firm Management without written permission from the author of the correspondence.
Complaints
Firm Management will, on request, provide information regarding its complaint procedures.
Any inquiries, complaints, or questions regarding this Policy should be directed in writing to Firm Management Corporation’s Privacy Officer.
Contact:
Kyle McGregor, Privacy Officer
Firm Management Corporation
200 – 1931 Mt. Newton X Road
Saanichton, BC V8M 2A9