Privacy Policy

Last modified: November 1, 2022

Definitions

“Personal Information” means information which identifies a person, or can be used to identify a person. “Sensitive Information” means information which reveals the racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, union membership status, genetics, biometrics, sexual orientation and practices, or health of an identifiable person.

“Us”, “We”, or “Whiteford” means Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLC and Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, L.L.P.

“Website” means collectively www.whitefordlaw.com, www.franbuslaw.com, and www.whitefordcommunityassociations.com

Introduction

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy.

This policy describes the types of information we may collect from you or that you may provide to Us when you visit the Website, and our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information.

This policy applies to information we collect:

On this Website; and,
In email, text, and other electronic messages between you and this Website.

It does not apply to information collected by:

Us offline or through any other means, including on any other website operated by Whiteford or any third party; or,
Any third party, including through any application or content (including advertising) that may link to or be accessible from or on the Website.

Whiteford is a law firm with its attorneys engaged in the practice of law. It has always been and remains the policy of Whiteford to comply with the law and applicable rules of professional conduct where they require our attorneys and other Whiteford personnel to not disclose client and third party confidential information. This policy is based on recognized privacy principles. We apply those principles while keeping in mind our obligation to keep confidential the information provided to Us by our clients and others or which We obtain about our clients and others in the course of possible or actual legal representation.

Please read this policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your Personal Information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, your choice is not to use our Website. By accessing or using this Website, you agree to this privacy policy. This policy may change from time to time (see below, Changes to Our Privacy Policy). Your continued use of this Website after We make changes is deemed to be acceptance of those changes, so please check the policy periodically for updates.

Children Under the Age of 16

Our Website is not intended for use by children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under 16 using the Website. If you are under 16, do not use or provide any information on this Website. If we learn we have collected or received Personal Information about a child under 16 from someone using the Website without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information. If you believe we might have any Personal Information about a child under 16, please contact us at privacy@whitefordlaw.com.

Sensitive Personal Information

We will not ask you to provide us with Sensitive Information about you or any other person when you use the Website. Please do not provide Us with Sensitive Information about you or a third person when you use the Website. Please contact Us at privacy@whitefordlaw.com if you believe that you or another person sent us Sensitive Information when using the Website. We will delete that information.

Information We Collect About You and How We Collect It

We collect several types of information from and about users of our Website, including:

Personal Information;
Information that is about you but individually does not identify you, such as IP address or browsing history; and,
Information about your internet connection, the equipment you use to access our Website, and usage details.

We collect this information:

Directly from you when you provide it to Us; and,
Automatically as you navigate through the Website. Information collected automatically is done through the use of cookies (see below, Information We Collect Through Automatic Data Collection Technologies).

Information You Provide to Us

The information We collect on or through our Website may include:

Personal Information that you provide by filling in forms on our Website. This includes information provided when contacting us through our Website or sending us a job application or resume through our Website. We may also ask you for information when you report a problem with our Website; and, Records and copies of your correspondence, including email addresses, if you contact us using the Website.

If you choose to pay invoices through our Website, you will be automatically redirected to a third-party service provider which will collect your Personal Information and financial information and process your payment. Whiteford does not collect, use, and maintain Personal Information and financial information, including credit card numbers, used in processing payments made using the Website.

Information We Collect Through Automatic Data Collection Technologies

As you navigate through and interact with our Website, we may use automatic data collection technologies to collect certain information about your equipment, browsing actions, and patterns, including: Details of your visits to our Website, including traffic data, logs, and other communication data and the resources that you access and use on the Website; and, information about your computer and internet connection, including your IP address, operating system, and browser type.

Some information is collected from you automatically, such as your IP address. We do not link this automatically collected information to other identifying information.

The technologies we use for this automatic data collection may include:

Cookies. A cookie is a small file placed on the hard drive of your computer when you visit the Website. A cookie allows us to remember information, such as language preference, about you. The cookies we set are called first-party cookies. The Website also uses cookies set by third parties, known as third-party cookies, as described below.

There are different types of cookies. They include:

Performance Cookies. These cookies allow Us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of the Website. They help us to know which pages are the most and least
popular and see how visitors move around the Website. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and is, therefore, anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies, We will not know when you visited the Website, and will not be able to monitor its performance;
Strictly Necessary Cookies. These cookies are necessary for the Website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions you take, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms on the Website. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the Website will not then work. These cookies do not store Personal Information;
Functional Cookies. Functional cookies enable the Website to provide enhanced functionality and personalization. They may be set by Us or by third-parties whose services we have added to the Website pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly; and,
Marketing Cookies. They are set on the Website by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertising material. They do not store directly Personal Information, but they uniquely identify your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less relevant advertising.

You may refuse to accept cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your device’s browser. However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of our Website. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies when you direct your browser to our Website. When you log on to the Website you may see a cookie acceptance tool at the bottom of the site. You can adjust your cookie preferences using that tool.

Third-Party Use of Cookies

Some content or applications on the Website are served by third-parties, including Google and YouTube. These third parties may use cookies to collect information about you when you use our Website. The information they collect may be associated with your Personal Information or they may collect information, including Personal Information, about your online activities over time and across different websites and other online services. They may use this information to provide you with interest-based (behavioral) advertising or other relevant content.

We do not control these third parties’ tracking technologies or how they may be used. If you have any questions about an advertisement or other targeted content, you should contact the responsible provider directly. For information about how you can opt out of receiving targeted advertising from many providers, see below, Choices About How We Use and Disclose Your Information.

Please note, We do not respond to requests about tracking.

How We May Use Your Information

We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to Us, including any Personal Information: To present our Website and its contents to you;
To provide you with information or services that you request from Us;
To fulfill any other purpose for which you provide information to Us;
To carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and Us, including for billing and collection;
To notify you about changes to our Website or any services We offer or provide though it; In any other way we may describe when you provide the information.
For any other purpose with your consent.

Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose aggregated information about our Website users, and information that does not identify any individual, without restriction.

We may disclose Personal Information that We collect or you provide to us:

To contractors, service providers, and other third parties we use to support our business and who are bound by contractual obligations to keep Personal Information confidential and use it only for the purposes for which we disclose it to them;
To a buyer or other successor in the event of an acquisition, merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of Whiteford's assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which Personal Information held by Whiteford about our Website users is among the assets transferred;
To fulfill the purpose for which you provide it;
For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information; and,
With your consent.

We may also disclose your Personal Information:

To comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request.
If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of Whiteford, our clients, or others.

We will not sell or otherwise transfer your Personal Information for value to third parties for their direct marketing purposes.

Choices About How We Use and DiscloseYour Information

We strive to provide you with choices regarding the Personal Information you provide to Us. We have created mechanisms to provide you with the following control over your information: Cookies. You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of our Website may then be inaccessible or not function properly. You can also manage cookies using the cookie acceptance tool located on the Website.

Whiteford Information/Opt Out. If you affirmatively request though our Contact page to receive newsletters and/or client alerts, we will add you to the mailing list for these publications. If, at a later date, you do not wish to receive the newsletters or client alerts, you can unsubscribe by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of a newsletter or client alert.

We do not control third parties’ collection or use of your information to serve interest-based advertising. However, these third parties may provide you with ways to choose not to have your information collected or used in this way. You can opt out of receiving interest-based ads from members of the Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI”) on the NAI’s website, https://thenai.org/opt-out/connected-tv-choices/.

Accessing and Correcting Your Information

You may send us an email at privacy@whitefordlaw.com to: (i) ask Us to confirm that We store Personal Information about you, (ii) request access to the Personal Information we store about you, or (iii) correct, amend or delete any Personal Information we store about you. We may not accommodate a request if we believe that honoring the request would violate any law or legal requirement or cause the information to be incorrect. You have the right to an explanation of why We did not honor your request and to challenge that explanation. Please note, these rights are to only the Personal Information we collect on the Website and in emails, texts, and other electronic messages between you and the Website.

Third-Party Websites

Clicking a link on this Website may provide you access to a third-party website. This policy does not apply to any third-party website. Please consult the privacy policy located on the other website for additional information.

Data Security

We have implemented reasonable measures designed to secure your Personal Information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. Unfortunately, the transmission of

information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we maintain reasonable physical, technical and administrative safeguards to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee the security of your Personal Information transmitted to our Website. Any transmission of Personal Information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on the Website.

Storage in the United States

This Website is hosted in the United States. It is intended for use by and directed to users in the United States. The Personal Information you provide to Us may be processed and stored on servers located in the United States. The United Kingdom, members of the European Union and the European Economic Area, and certain other countries may take the position that the laws of the United States do not provide adequate privacy protection for Personal Information. If you do not consent to having your Personal Information processed and stored in the United States, do not send that information to Us.

Changes to Our Privacy Policy

It is our policy to post any changes we make to our privacy policy on this page. If we make material changes to how we treat our users’ Personal Information, we will notify you through a notice on the Website home page. The date the privacy policy was last revised is identified at the top of the page. You are responsible for periodically visiting our Website and this privacy policy to check for any changes.

Contact Information

To ask questions or comment about this privacy policy and our privacy practices, contact us at info@whitefordlaw.com.