We respect your privacy

Our approach to your privacy

We are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected by complying with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act).

This Policy describes how DibbsBarker Lawyers collects, holds, uses and discloses personal information consistent with the Privacy Act.

Collecting your personal information

We collect personal information that is necessary for us to provide and market legal services and products to you, for purposes including:

·          managing, administering and improving our IP Ready Product

·          administering legal services and products provided to you

·          managing our relationship with you

·          advising you about legal developments, our expertise and legal services and seminars and events that might be of interest to you

·          monitoring or improving the use of and satisfaction with our legal services

·          processing applications for employment

·          meeting legal and regulatory obligations.

We collect personal information of individuals who are or are employed by:

·          users of our IP Ready Product

·          our clients and the beneficial owners of our clients

·          business associates of our clients and potential clients

·          our suppliers and contractors and potential suppliers and contractors.

We also collect personal information when a client requires us to do so, on their behalf.

The kinds of personal information that we may collect and hold includes your:

·          name

·          contact details, including address, email address, landline and mobile numbers and facsimile number

·          role or position

·          qualifications, skills and expertise

·          interests.

Some personal information that we collect is ‘sensitive information’. This includes health information and information relating to political, trade, association or board memberships, and details of any criminal record you may have.

We collect personal information directly from you when:

·          you register and use our IP Ready Product

·          you contact us (by email, phone or written correspondence)

·          you instruct us to act for you and we open a file and conduct a conflict check

·          you subscribe to our newsletters or legal updates

·          you attend a seminar or event where we are hosting

·          you provide us with your business card

·          you purchase or subscribe to an online service

·          you apply or register you interest for employment.

We may collect personal information about you from a third party, such as a client or a person responding to our questions or inquiries. This may occur in circumstances such as when our clients provide information about related or adverse parties relevant to the advice or services we are providing, and when we undertake a search or investigation.

If you are a client and you do not provide information requested by us from time to time, we may not be able to provide services to you or otherwise fulfil the purpose for which we have requested the information.

Using and disclosing your personal information

We may use or disclose your personal information for the primary purpose for which it is collected including:

·          to manage, administer and improve our IP Ready Product

·          to provide legal services to you, to manage and account for legal services, and to enhance legal services

·          to communicate with you

·          to manage our relationship with you

·          to market legal services and products to you

·          to purchase from you (if you are a supplier)

·          to assess your eligibility and suitability for employment (if you are a job applicant)

·          to comply with our legal obligations.

Occasionally we may use personal information to send you newsletters, legal updates, and invitations to seminars and events. If you prefer not to receive these communications, you can email us with 'unsubscribe' in the subject line of the email and the name of the publication you wish to unsubscribe from. You may also click the 'unsubscribe' option in our email communication.

By registering and using our IP Ready Product you consent to the use by and our disclosure of your personal information to AusBiotech Limited ABN 87 006 509 726 and any of its officers, employees, agents, representatives and contractors.

We may disclose your personal information to:

·          courts, tribunals and regulatory authorities

·          parties related to a matter you have with us

·          external service providers, agents and contractors so that they can provide financial, administrative or other services in support of our legal practice, including barristers, expert witnesses, travel consultants, financial institutions, providers who assist us with photocopying, archival, auditing, accounting, legal, business consulting, email marketing, website and technology services

·          other parties, as our clients request.

We will disclose your information if required by law to do so.

We may disclose your personal information outside of Australia as follows:

·          very occasionally our clients might instruct us to provide personal information to foreign law firms for the purpose of obtaining foreign legal advice, and if this situation arises, disclosure of personal information will be based on a client’s specific consent

·          we may disclose personal information to third party service providers who store personal information in countries located outside of Australia (including in the USA, UK and countries in the European Union). Our contracts generally include an obligation on these providers to comply with Australian privacy law, and in particular the APPs.

Protection of your information

We take reasonable physical, technical and administrative steps to protect your information from misuse, interference and loss; and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure, including:

·          taking our professional obligations very seriously, including those relating to confidentiality and legal professional privilege

·          restricted physical security to our premises

·          firewalls and secure databases of electronic records and documents, with restricted password access and protocols for double authentication for remote access.

Access to, and correction of, your personal information

You can contact us to access your personal information. Unless we are subject to a confidentiality obligation or some other restriction on giving access to the information, including circumstances where we are permitted to refuse to give you access under the Privacy Act, we will endeavour to provide you with access within 30 days. We may charge you to provide access to the information. You may seek access to the personal information that we hold about you by contacting our Privacy Officer.

We do our best to keep personal information accurate, complete and up to date. You can seek correction of your personal information. We may correct the information or, if we consider it more appropriate, note your request for amendment with the information. If you think that any personal information we hold about you needs to be corrected, please contact our Privacy Officer.

Complaints

If you have any feedback or are concerned about the way we manage personal information that we hold about you, or are concerned that we may have breached your privacy and wish to make a complaint, please contact our Privacy Officer:

Email: privacy@dibbsbarker.com
Address: GPO Box 983, Sydney NSW 2001
Phone: 02 8233 9500

DibbsBarker will respond in writing to a written complaint within 30 days of receipt.
If the complaint remains unresolved, then you have the option of notifying the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). Contact details for the OAIC can be found at the website: www.oaic.gov.au .

Training program

We provide regular training to our employees about professional obligations, including those relating to confidentiality, legal professional privilege and privacy.

Changes to our privacy policy

From time to time it may be necessary for us to review and revise our privacy policy. We reserve the right to change our privacy policy at any time. We may notify you about changes to this privacy policy by posting an updated version on our website.

By using this website and by continuing to deal with us, you accept and agree to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information for the purposes described in this privacy policy.