top of page

Fisher Law Privacy Statement

Fisher Law recognizes the importance of client privacy and the sensitivity of the personal information the firm may have concerning any individual. Practicing lawyers have a professional and ethical obligation to keep confidential all information received within a lawyer-client relationship, subject to the client’s instructions to provide legal services. Further, Fisher Law is committed to safeguarding the personal information obtained or control concerning any individual.

 

Your Privacy Rights

 

Fisher Law manages your personal information in compliance with Alberta’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and will comply in certain circumstances with the federal privacy law, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPDEA), as required.

 

Why Personal Information is Collected

 

Fisher Law collects personal information for the purposes of serving the legal and related needs of clients. Information is required to:

 

  • Understand, access and assist you, the client, with your ongoing legal needs.

 

  • Ensure information is accurate and up-to-date.

 

  • Collect information through legal means on you and other individuals for the purposes of providing legal services to clients.

 

What Personal Information is Collected?

 

Personal information is any information that identifies you. In Alberta, a business contact information such as your office address, job title, business phone number, email address, fax number or other related business contact information is not considered personal information. The firm will follow reasonable and prudent business practices to collect, use and disclose your personal information for the purpose of providing you with legal services.

 

How is Personal Information Collected?

 

Personal information is collected only by lawful and fair means. Fisher Law may make directed individual requests for your relevant sensitive personal information from a particular organization or business, such as medical professionals or financial institutions, and the firm will obtain your consent to do so. Wherever possible the firm will collect your personal information directly from you. You may be asked for your consent at the start of a retainer and during the course of Fisher Law’s representation. Your consent may be in writing, verbal or implied as necessary to further your legal needs. This Privacy Statement is your notice of the purposes for which your personal information or business contact information is collected.

 

Dependent on the legal services provided, and with your consent, personal information may be obtained from a variety of sources including:

 

  • You

 

  • Medical professionals

 

  • Public registries such the Land Titles Offices or the Probate Registry

 

  • Financial institutions (for example to assess financial loss in a litigation or level of family support in a family matter)

 

  • Your employer 

 

  • Motor vehicle and driver licensing authorities

 

  • Law enforcement and Investigators

 

  • The Canadian Border Services Agency

 

  • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

 

  • The Government of Canada

 

  • International agencies, organizations, educational bodies, governments, law enforcement and others as needed.

 

Consent

 

  • Fisher Law will request either your written or express oral consent, which may be given in person. Consent may be over the telephone or online if your identity has been previously formally authenticated by the firm.

 

  • If you volunteer to provide relevant personal information verbally or in writing, it is assumed that you are consenting to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information as described in Fisher Law’s Privacy Statement.

 

  • When you initiate contact with Fisher Law, it may be determined that consent has been implied for the firm to collect, use and disclose personal information in a reasonable manner.

 

  • In some situations, express consent will be requested in writing, by the provision of a letter, application form, electronic signature, or other document authorizing certain activities. 

 

  • For firm records and to better be able to assist you, personal information may also be collected by obtaining your consent to record meetings online, on the telephone, or in person, through electronic means.

 

  • There are certain circumstances where the firm is required or permitted by law, to collect, use and disclose personal information without consent. The firm will handle all personal information confidentially and will substantiate the legal authority to collect, use and disclose personal information in these circumstances.

 


Disclosure Without Consent

 

Under certain circumstances, Fisher Law will disclose your personal information without your consent:

 

  • when the firm is required or authorized by law to do so, for example if a court issues a subpoena;

 

  • when the use of the information is necessary to respond to an emergency that threatens the life, health or security of an individual or the public;

 

  • when it is necessary to establish or collect fees; or

 

  • if the information is already publicly known.

 

Use of Your Information

 

Fisher Law uses your personal information to provide legal advice and services to you and to administer the firm’s legal business incidental to providing legal services, such as client billing. With your permission, the firm may send you information about Fisher Law’s other legal services, or about new developments in the law. You may at any time withdraw your consent by notifying the firm, and any such material will not be sent.

 

Fisher Law does not disclose or sell your personal information or business contact information to any third party to enable them to market their products and services.

 

Who is Information Released To?

 

When Fisher Law releases information about you, it is done to serve specific needs, in the course of providing legal services. With your consent, information may be provided to a variety of entities such as:

 

  • Firm staff and agents who use the information to for the reasonable business purpose of providing you with legal services.

 

  • To a third party Fisher Law contracts to provide administrative services to the law firm (like computer back-up services or archival file storage) and the third party agrees to comply with the firm privacy policy and privacy laws.

 

  • Professionals working with us such as investigators, paralegals and experts.

 

  • Financial institutions, for example, the institution you bank with.

 

  • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and other governmental departments and agencies.

 

  • The Canadian Border Services Agency.

 

  • International agencies, organizations, educational bodies, governments, law enforcement and others as needed. 


 

Accuracy of Your Information

 

You have the right to request a correction of the personal information that is held by Fisher Law about you. The firm relies on you to provide accurate and up-to-date personal and business contact information for the purposes of providing you with legal services and to maintain contact with you. If during the course of our professional relationship, any of your information changes, please inform the firm promptly, so any necessary changes can be made.

 

How is Your Personal Information Protected?

 

To protect your personal information, Fisher Law will:

 

  • Not collect, use, or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than those the firm identifies to you or are reasonably evident.

 

  • Only disclose your personal information to those persons who have a need to know your personal information for the purposes stated in this Privacy Statement.

 

  • Keep your personal information only for as long as needed it to fulfill the stated purpose or as required by law.

 

  • Maintain your personal information in as accurate, complete and up-to-date a form as possible.

 

  • Keep your personal information physically secure, for example, in locked or secure offices, rooms and/or filing cabinets.

 

  • Maintain technological safeguards such as passwords or encryption for your sensitive personal information.

 

Access to Your Personal Information

 

You may request access to the personal information Fisher Law has about you. The request must be in writing and directed to the firm’s Privacy Officer identified below. The firm will charge a reasonable fee for retrieval and copying of your personal information. If the retrieval or copying or your request is extensive, you will be notified of the fee prior to retrieval and copying.


 

Denial of Access to Personal Information

 

There are exceptions to your right to access your personal information. By law, Fisher Law must deny access when:

 

  • Your file contains personal information on a third party and the information cannot be severed to maintain the privacy of the third-party information; and

 

  • Fisher Law is required to or authorized by law (for example, when a record containing personal information about you is subject to a claim of legal professional privilege by one of the firm clients).

 

Fisher Law has the right to deny access to your information, and may deny access, when your information relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings against you, including unpaid bills to the law firm.

 

If Fisher Law denies your request for access to, or refuse a request to correct information, you shall receive an explanation why. In all cases the firm will attempt to mediate a resolution if possible.

 

Communications by Email

 

Email is not always a secure, confidential method of communicating your confidential and personal information with Fisher Law. The firm will not use email to send personal or confidential information unless you authorize this form of communication and accept all the inherent risks associated with this type of communication. The firm will assume authorization to use email to communicate your confidential and personal information upon your sending personal information to the firm and its lawyers by using email as a method of communication with the firm. Please advise the firm if you do not wish to use email to communicate such information.

 

Changes to this Privacy Statement

 

Fisher Law may review and change its Privacy Statement from time to time to update its privacy commitment to you in keeping with current privacy laws.

 

Contact Information & Resources

 

Please contact the Fisher Law Privacy Officer at the address below or by email, if you:

 

  • Wish to access your personal information.

 

  • Wish to change your consent regarding how Fisher law collects, uses and discloses your personal information as outlined in the firm’s Privacy Statement.

 

  • Have concerns about Fisher Law’s privacy policies or how the firm has handled your personal information.


 

Privacy Officer


 

Rowan Fisher

Fisher Law

Suite 300, 404 6 Avenue SW

Calgary AB T2P 0R9

Canada

Email: info@fisher-law.ca

Web: www.fisher-law.ca

 

If you are not satisfied with our response to your inquiries, the Privacy Commissioner of Alberta can be reached at:

 

www.oipc.ab.ca

 

Phone: 1-888-878-4044

bottom of page