Privacy Policy

    SPSLawyers.com is owned and operated by Schefer Petric & Simpson (referred to as “Schefer Petric & Simpson”, “we”, “us”, or “our” herein). By using this site, you agree to these terms of use stated below. If you do not agree to these terms of use, please do not use or access this site. The following policy governs the manner in which Schefer Petric & Simpson collects and uses information gathered from users of this (each, a “User”) site.

    PRIVACY

    Users’ privacy is extremely important to Schefer Petric & Simpson and we are committed to safeguarding the information you entrust to us. Schefer Petric & Simpson will not disclose information about customers or users without express permission unless the release of said information is required by government subpoena.

    INFORMATION COLLECTION

    Schefer Petric & Simpson may collect personally identifiable information from Users in a variety of ways, including through online forms and other instances where Users are invited to volunteer such information. Schefer Petric & Simpson may also collect information about how Users interact with our website . This information is obtained through analysis of server logs and through the use of “cookies” placed on user machines. A cookie is a record that a Web server can store on your computer in order to identify the User should they visit the same website again. While not all of the information that we collect from Users is personally identifiable, it may be associated with personally identifiable information that Users provide us through our website.

    INFORMATION USAGE

    Schefer Petric & Simpson may use personally identifiable information collected through our website to contact Users regarding products and services offered by Schefer Petric & Simpson and its trusted affiliates. Schefer Petric & Simpson may also use information collected through our website for research regarding the effectiveness of the website and the marketing, advertising and sales efforts of Schefer Petric & Simpson, and its trusted affiliates.

    INFORMATION DISCLOSURE

    Schefer Petric & Simpson will not disclose information about customers or users without express permission unless the release of said information is required by a Schefer Petric & Simpson trusted affiliate to facilitate action requested by the client, or is required by government subpoena. However, we may transfer information collected from Users in connection with a sale of Schefer Petric & Simpson’s business.

    REMARKETING

    Schefer Petric & Simpson also uses 3rd party vendor re-marketing tracking cookies, including Google Adwords, Facebook and Twitter tracking cookie. This means we will continue to show ads to you across the internet, specifically on the Google Content Network (GCN). As always we respect your privacy and are not collecting any identifiable information through the use of Google’s or any other 3rd party remarketing system.

    The third-party vendors, including Google, whose services we use – will place cookies on web browsers in order to serve ads based on past visits to our website. – Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user’s prior visits to your website. This allows us to make special offers and continue to market our services to those who have shown interest in our service. Perfect Audience provides an easy way to allow users to opt-out on their Opt Out page.

    DOUBLECLICK

    We use Google Analytics remarketing codes to log when users view specific pages or take specific actions on a website. This allows us to provide targeted advertising in the future. If you do not wish to receive this type of advertising from us in the future you can opt out using the DoubleClick opt-out page or the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.

    MATERIALS USE

    No material from the site may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posed, transmitted, or distributed in any way, except that you may download one copy of the materials on any single computer for your non-commercial use only, provided that you keep intact all copyright and other proprietary notices. Modification of the materials or use of the materials for any other purpose is a violation of the Schefer Petric & Simpson copyright and other proprietary rights. The use of any such material on any other Web site or networked computer environment is prohibited. Except as otherwise indicated on this site and except for the trademarks, service marks and trade names of other companies that are displayed on this site, all trademarks, service marks and trade names are property of Schefer Petric & Simpson.

    DISCLAIMER

    Schefer Petric & Simpson shall not be liable for any damages or injury resulting from your access to, or inability to access, this site, or your reliance on any information provided at this site. Without limiting the foregoing, everything on the site is provided to you “as is” without warrantee of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. Schefer Petric & Simpson does not warrant that the functions contained in the materials will be uninterrupted or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that this site or the server that makes it available are free of viruses or other harmful components. Schefer Petric & Simpson does not warrant or make any representations regarding the use or the results of the use of the materials in this site in terms of their correctness, accuracy, reliability, or otherwise. You (and not Schefer Petric & Simpson) assume the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, or correction. Applicable law may not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so the above exclusion may not apply to you.

    LIABILITY

    Under no circumstances, including, but not limited to, negligence, shall Schefer Petric & Simpson be liable for any special or consequential damages that result from the use of, or the inability to use, the materials in this site, even if Schefer Petric & Simpson or a Schefer Petric & Simpson authorized representative has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall Schefer Petric & Simpson have any liability to you for damages, losses and causes of action (whether in contract, tort (including, but not limited to, negligence), or otherwise) for accessing this site.

    OTHER

    All claims, disputes or disagreements which may arise out of the interpretation, performance or in any way relating to your use of this site and any and all other Schefer Petric & Simpson site(s), shall be submitted exclusively to the jurisdiction of the State or federal courts located in the Cook County of the State of Illinois.

    Schefer Petric & Simpson also assumes no responsibility, and shall not be liable for any damages to, or viruses that may infect your computer equipment or other property on account of your access to, use of, or browsing in the Site or your downloading of any materials, data, text, images, video, or audio from the Site.

    Schefer Petric & Simpson may use anything you transmit or post for any purpose, including but not limited to reproduction, disclosure, transmission, publication, broadcast, and posting.

    Please contact us with any questions regarding the Schefer Petric & Simpson privacy policy by email info@spslawyers.com

    GDPR Compliance

    Introduction

    The EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) comes into force across the European Union on 25th May 2018 and brings with it the most significant changes to data protection law in two decades. Based on privacy by design and taking a risk-based approach, the GDPR has been designed to meet the requirements of the digital age.

    The 21st Century brings with it broader use of technology, new definitions of what constitutes personal data, and a vast increase in cross-border processing. The new Regulation aims to standardise data protection laws and processing across the EU; affording individuals stronger, more consistent rights to access and control their personal information.

    Our Commitment

    Schefer Petric & Simpson (‘we’ or ‘us’ or ‘our’) are committed to ensuring the security and protection of the personal information that we process, and to provide a compliant and consistent approach to data protection. We have always had a robust and effective data protection program in place which complies with existing law and abides by the data protection principles. However, we recognise our obligations in updating and expanding this program to meet the demands of the GDPR and the UK’s Data Protection Bill.

    Schefer Petric & Simpson are dedicated to safeguarding the personal information under our remit and in developing a data protection regime that is effective, fit for purpose and demonstrates an understanding of, and appreciation for the new Regulation. Our preparation and objectives for GDPR compliance have been summarised in this statement and include the development and implementation of new data protection roles, policies, procedures, controls and measures to ensure maximum and ongoing compliance.

    How We are Prepared for the GDPR

    Schefer Petric & Simpson already has a consistent level of data protection and security across our organization and are fully compliant with the GDPR.

    Our preparation includes:

    • Information Audit – carrying out a company-wide information audit to identify and assess what personal information we hold, where it comes from, how and why it is processed and if and to whom it is disclosed.
    • Policies & Procedures – having data protection policies and procedures to meet the requirements and standards of the GDPR and any relevant data protection laws, including: –
      • Data Protection – our main policy and procedure document for data protection has been overhauled to meet the standards and requirements of the GDPR. Accountability and governance measures are in place to ensure that we understand and adequately disseminate and evidence our obligations and responsibilities; with a dedicated focus on privacy by design and the rights of individuals.
      • Data Retention & Erasure – we have updated our retention policy and schedule to ensure that we meet the ‘data minimization’ and ‘storage limitation’ principles and that personal information is stored, archived and destroyed compliantly and ethically. We have dedicated erasure procedures in place to meet the new ‘Right to Erasure’ obligation and are aware of when this and other data subject’s rights apply; along with any exemptions, response timeframes and notification responsibilities.
      • Data Breaches – our breach procedures ensure that we have safeguards and measures in place to identify, assess, investigate and report any personal data breach at the earliest possible time. Our procedures are robust and have been disseminated to all employees, making them aware of the reporting lines and steps to follow.
      • International Data Transfers & Third-Party Disclosures – where Schefer Petric & Simpson stores or transfers personal information outside the EU, we have robust procedures and safeguarding measures in place to secure, encrypt and maintain the integrity of the data. Our procedures include a continual review of the countries with sufficient adequacy decisions, as well as provisions for binding corporate rules; standard data protection clauses or approved codes of conduct for those countries without. We carry out strict due diligence checks with all recipients of personal data to assess and verify that they have appropriate safeguards in place to protect the information, ensure enforceable data subject rights and have effective legal remedies for data subjects where applicable.
      • Subject Access Request (SAR) – we have revised our SAR procedures to accommodate the revised 30-day timeframe for providing the requested information and for making this provision free of charge. Our new procedures detail how to verify the data subject, what steps to take for processing an access request, what exemptions apply and a suite of response templates to ensure that communications with data subjects are compliant, consistent and adequate.
    • Legal Basis for Processing – we are reviewing all processing activities to identify the legal basis for processing and ensuring that each basis is appropriate for the activity it relates to. Where applicable, we also maintain records of our processing activities, ensuring that our obligations under Article 30 of the GDPR and Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Bill are met.
    • Privacy Notice/Policy – we revised our Privacy Notice(s) to comply with the GDPR, ensuring that all individuals whose personal information we process have been informed of why we need it, how it is used, what their rights are, who the information is disclosed to and what safeguarding measures are in place to protect their information.
    • Obtaining Consent – we revised our consent mechanisms for obtaining personal data, ensuring that individuals understand what they are providing, why and how we use it and giving clear, defined ways to consent to us processing their information. We have developed stringent processes for recording consent, making sure that we can evidence an affirmative opt-in, along with time and date records; and an easy to see and access way to withdraw consent at any time.
    • Direct Marketing – we revised the wording and processes for direct marketing, including clear opt-in mechanisms for marketing subscriptions; a clear notice and method for opting out and providing unsubscribe features on all subsequent marketing materials.
    • Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) – where we process personal information that is considered high risk, involves large scale processing or includes special category/criminal conviction data; we have developed stringent procedures and assessment templates for carrying out impact assessments that comply fully with the GDPR’s Article 35 requirements. We have implemented documentation processes that record each assessment, allow us to rate the risk posed by the processing activity and implement mitigating measures to reduce the risk posed to the data subject(s).
    • Processor Agreements – where we use any third-party to process personal information on our behalf (e. Payroll, Recruitment, Hosting etc), we have drafted compliant Processor Agreements and due diligence procedures for ensuring that they (as well as we), meet and understand their/our GDPR obligations. These measures include initial and ongoing reviews of the service provided, the necessity of the processing activity, the technical and organisational measures in place and compliance with the GDPR.
    • Special Categories Data – where we obtain and process any special category information, we do so in complete compliance with the Article 9 requirements and have high-level encryptions and protections on all such data. Special category data is only processed where necessary and is only processed where we have first identified the appropriate Article 9(2) basis or the Data Protection Bill Schedule 1 condition. Where we rely on consent for processing, this is explicit and is verified by a signature, with the right to modify or remove consent being clearly signposted.

    Data Subject Rights

    In addition to the policies and procedures mentioned above that ensure individuals can enforce their data protection rights, we provide easy to access information via our website of an individual’s right to access any personal information that Schefer Petric & Simpson processes about them and to request information about: –

    • What personal data we hold about them
    • The purposes of the processing
    • The categories of personal data concerned
    • The recipients to whom the personal data has/will be disclosed
    • How long we intend to store your personal data for
    • If we did not collect the data directly from them, information about the source
    • The right to have incomplete or inaccurate data about them corrected or completed and the process for requesting this
    • The right to request erasure of personal data (where applicable) or to restrict processing in accordance with data protection laws, as well as to object to any direct marketing from us and to be informed about any automated decision-making that we use
    • The right to lodge a complaint or seek judicial remedy and who to contact in such instances

    Information Security & Technical and Organizational Measures

    Schefer Petric & Simpson takes the privacy and security of individuals and their personal information very seriously and take every reasonable measure and precaution to protect and secure the personal data that we process. We have robust information security policies and procedures in place to protect personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure or destruction and have several layers of security measures.

    GDPR Roles and Employees

    Schefer Petric & Simpson have designated Alison Schefer as our Appointed Person and have appointed a data privacy team to develop and implement our roadmap for complying with the new data protection Regulation. The team are responsible for promoting awareness of the GDPR across the organisation, assessing our GDPR readiness, identifying any gap areas and implementing the new policies, procedures and measures.

    Schefer Petric & Simpson understands that continuous employee awareness and understanding is vital to the continued compliance of the GDPR and have involved our employees in our preparation plans. We have implemented an employee training program specific to the which will be provided to all employees and forms part of our induction and annual training program.

    If you have any questions about our preparation for the GDPR, please contact Alison Schefer at info@spslawyers.com