Privacy Policy and Cookies

Pryers Solicitors LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership registered in England and Wales (number OC335469). Our registered address is 18 Back Swinegate, York, YO1 8AD.

Pryers Solicitors LLP is a registered data controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office (the ICO), with the registration number Z828358X.

This firm processes your data in accordance with the terms of the Data Protection Act 2018, the Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 and the relevant provisions relating to the General Data Protection Regulation contained within the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (UK GDPR).  This Data and Privacy Notice explains, in detail, the types of personal data we may collect about you when you interact with us. It also explains how we will store and handle that data and keep it safe.  Unless otherwise indicated, references in this Data and Privacy Notice to the GDPR refer to the UK GDPR.

We know that there’s a lot of information here, but we want you to be fully informed about your rights, and how our firm uses your data. We hope the following sections will answer any questions you have but if not, please do get in touch with us.

We may collect personal data about clients, prospective clients, job applicants, our current and former employees, suppliers, and external experts. The personal information we collect may include your name, address, email address, IP address, and information regarding what pages you access on this website and when.

We collect personal information about you when you:

• Instruct us to act on your behalf
• Make an enquiry via the forms on our website or via the telephone
• Use our website
• Enquire about a job opportunity
• Work for or with the firm
• Exchange business cards with an employee of the firm
• Attend one of our networking events

We collect your personal data or information to operate the firm effectively and to provide you with a high-quality service. We may use your information:

• To deliver legal services to you on your instruction
• To answer enquiries that you make prior to any formal instruction
• To avoid any conflict of interest as we represent you
• To keep you informed about our services, our insight into industry trends and best practice, if you have opted-in to receive these communications
• To invite you to our networking events with expert speakers on topics which we believe will be of interest to you
• To process a job application
• To fulfil our obligations as an employer
• To provide benefits to you as an employee
• To communicate with our regulators or legislators and to obey laws, regulations and codes of conduct that apply to us.
• To maintain security of our office and IT infrastructure
• To invoice you, and to track payments you make or payments made to you
• To send you information which we believe may be of interest to you

We believe that all these purposes are justified on the basis of our legitimate interests in running and promoting the firm, our contractual requirements to deliver the agreed legal services to you, and our legal obligations, both as a Limited Liability Partnership and responsible employer. The exception is for sending email marketing about our services, which we carry out on the basis of consent. We will process special categories of personal data (for example your health information / medical records) when processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims (for example road traffic accident or medical negligence claims). If you would like to know more, please read the following sections:

• Clients
• Prospective Clients
• Job Applicants, Our Current and Former Employees
• External Experts
• Event attendees

Clients

As a client, we will hold information and data about you including the following:

• Name, date of birth, address and any other contact information
• National insurance number
• Information relating to your legal matter, for clinical negligence and personal injury matters this will include your medical records
• Financial details
• Demographic information such as postcode and occupation
• Information and documents relating to the service we are providing, including communications with you
• Billing and payment information

We will process special categories of personal data (for example your health information / medical records) only when processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims (for example medical negligence or road traffic accident claims). We store your information in our practice management system and our accounting system on our secure servers based in the UK. We also hold paper copies of your information in the client matter files, stored in our offices and in a secure, offsite storage archive, managed by Restore. We will retain your client matter file for the duration of our relationship with you, then for 7 years if you are an adult, or 7 years from your 18th birthday if you are a child. Where there are specific retention periods relating to your matter file, we will make you aware of these at the time we open and close the file. We will retain financial records for 6 years, following the end of the current financial year. A small amount of personal data is retained by us for longer than this period, sufficient for us to satisfy regulatory obligations, in particular, for conducting conflict checks. Such data that is held is sufficient only to satisfy such obligations and is such that we are satisfied that in doing so, we are not infringing any of your rights or freedoms that are guaranteed under data protection legislation.

Prospective Clients

As a prospective client, we may hold the following information about you:

• Name, date of birth, address and any other contact information
• National insurance number
• Brief information relating to your legal matter
• Demographic information such as postcode and occupation
• Signposting information we may have provided to you if we are unable to provide you with a service

We store your information in our practice management system on our secure servers based in the UK. Communications with you relating to your initial enquiry may also be stored in our email system for a period of 6 years. We will retain minimal personal information about you to enable us to conduct conflict of interest checks as required by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority.

Job Applicants

When you apply for a job with us, we may hold the following information about you:

• Name, date of birth, address and any other contact information
• Information relating to your qualifications and experience
• Demographic information such as postcode
• References where we take them up
• Information and documents relating to the review, interview and selection process, including communications with you

We store your information in our practice management system on our secure servers based in the UK. We will also store communications with you relating to the interview process on our email server, based in the UK. We will retain your personal data relating to the review, interview and selection process for a period of 2 years after the interview date.

Current and Former Employees

When you work for us, we may hold the following information about you:

• Name, date of birth, address and any other contact information
• National insurance number and Unique Tax Reference (UTR)
• Information relating to your qualifications and experience
• Demographic information such as postcode
• Information and documents relating to your performance and supervision as an employee of the firm, including communications with you
• Your photograph, including Passport and Driving Licence
• Financial information, such as bank details, pension scheme and salary details
• Information about your next of kin
• Health information

We store your information in our practice management system on our secure servers based in the UK and in hard copy in a secure filing cabinet in the office. We will also store communications with you on our email server, based in the UK. We will retain your personal data for the duration of your employment and for a period of 6 years after you leave the firm. We may store your hard copy file in our offsite storage location, managed by Restore. Beyond this point, we only retain minimal information about you to confirm the period of time you were employed by the firm for reference purposes. We share your information with HM Revenue and Customs, and our chosen pension / private healthcare providers.

External Experts

When you work with us to provide expertise to matters we are working on, we may hold the following information about you:

• Name, address and any other contact information
• Information relating to your specialism, qualifications and experience
• Demographic information such as postcode
• Information and documents relating to the service you provide us with, including communications with you and feedback about your performance

We store your information in our local secure server and our accounting system on our secure servers based in the UK. We will also store communications with you on our email server, based in the UK. We will retain your personal data for the time you are available as an expert and for a maximum of 1 year after you are no longer available.

Event Attendees

When you sign up to or join us at an event run by Pryers Solicitors LLP, we may hold the following information about you:

• Name and business contact information
• Information relating to your business activities
• Demographic information such as postcode, preferences and interests
• Information relating to you which helps ensure you enjoy the event, such as your dietary or access requirements and including our communications with you
• Billing and payment information

We will store your information on our secure servers hosted in the UK. We may also store communications with you after you have signed up in our email system on our secure servers hosted in the UK.

We do not sell or rent your personal data or information to any third party or share your information with third parties for their marketing purposes. We will disclose your data or information if required by law, for example by a court order or for the prevention of fraud or other crime and to communicate with our regulators or legislators and to obey laws, regulations and codes of conduct that apply to us.

We may pass your information on to third party service providers, agents or subcontractors for the purposes of completing a task or providing services to you on our behalf (e.g. to provide external expertise in your matter). However, we disclose only the personal information necessary to deliver that service and have a contract in place that requires them to keep your information secure and not to use it for other purposes. Third party service providers types who act as data processors on our behalf:

 

Third Party Service Provider Type	Service Provided
Agent Law Firm	Sometimes we may not be able to continue with your claim and may have to appoint another firm to act as our agent. In such circumstances they are required to access the data on our case management system.
After The Event Insurance provider	Providers of an alternative insurance cover should you not have any legal expense insurance. In such circumstances they will be provided with your information.
Chartered Accountants	Provide us with payroll and company accounts services. They do not routinely access the data on our case management system.
Sign up Agency Agents	Instructed to assist Clients with the legal paperwork related to their claims.
Disbursement Funder	Provide funding for Client’s claims.
ID verification / fraud prevention software provider	An online fraud prevention provider.
Introducer of Claims	An insurer / Claims Management Company who with Client’s consent have introduced the Client to Pryers Solicitors LLP to assist in their claim.
IT Services Provider	Technical support to Pryers Solicitors LLP and at times are required to access our systems to provide maintenance, upgrade and support services.
Legal Costs Firm	Legal Costs’ Experts maybe instructed to recover the Client’s entitled costs from the defendants. Meaning the Client’s file of papers with be provided by Pryers Solicitors LLP.
Medical Agencies	If the Client is pursuing a Personal Injury / Clinical Negligence claim and their consent is given, the medical agency will be instructed to arrange a medical examination for the Client.
Provider of Case Management System	Technical support to Pryers Solicitors LLP and at times are required to access our systems to provide maintenance, upgrade and support services.
Rehabilitation Agencies	Should an instructed medical expert advise that a Client undergo a course of rehabilitation, the agency will be instructed to arrange an appointment for the Client.
Sales and marketing agency providing consented claim leads	Advertising agents are instructed to promote Pryers Solicitors LLP and through these adverts Clients make contact and provide consent for contact to be made to discuss the pursuing of a claim.

Your personal information in the United Kingdom is protected by data protection laws, but other countries do not necessarily protect your personal information in the same way. Pryers Solicitors LLP does not store personal data on any servers outside of the United Kingdom.

You have certain rights over the processing of your personal information by Pryers Solicitors LLP. These are:

• The right to be informed, which is what this privacy policy is for
• The right to access the data we hold about you
• The right to object to direct marketing
• The right to object to processing carried out on the basis of legitimate interests
• The right to erasure (in some circumstances)
• The right to data portability
• The right to have your data rectified if it is inaccurate
• The right to have your data restricted or blocked from processing

We do not undertake direct marketing activities, so you will not receive such information from us.

The accuracy of your information is important to us. If you change your contact details or if you want to update any of the information we hold on you, please email us at: dataprotection@pryers.co.uk or by post at Pryers Solicitors LLP, 18 Back Swinegate, York, YO1 8AD.

You have the right to ask for a copy of the personal information Pryers Solicitors LLP hold relating to you. To do this please contact dataprotection@pryers.co.uk or by post at Pryers Solicitors LLP, 18 Back Swinegate, York, YO1 8AD. You also have the right to lodge a complaint about our processing of your personal data with the Information Commissioner’s Office (the ICO).

When you give us personal information, we take steps to ensure that it’s treated securely and strive to protect it on our internal systems. Our secure server systems encrypt your information.

We use Mimecast Secure Messaging to encrypt and protect email traffic in line with the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). If your email service does not support Mimecast, you should be aware that any emails we send or receive may not be protected in transit. We will also monitor any emails sent to us, including file attachments, for viruses or malicious software. Please be aware that you have a responsibility to ensure that any email you send is within the bounds of the law.

Cookies

• Most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings. To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org. Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer by websites that you visit. They are widely used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site. Unless you have set your browser to block cookies, this site will place the following cookies on your computer. We use the following cookies on our website, www.pryers.co.uk.Internet Protocol (IP) address, Mobile Advertising ID (MAID) (which allows mobile app developers to identify who is using their mobile apps), mobile application ID, browser type, browser language, type of operating system, and the date and time the End User visited a Publisher Site or Toolbar User used the Toolbar;
• Behaviour on a Publisher Site, such as how long the End User visited the Publisher Site, End User sharing behaviour of content on a Publisher Site, and scrolling behaviour of an End User on a Publisher Site;
• The referring URL and the web search the End User used to locate and navigate to a Publisher Site;

Google Analytics, Adwords, Tag Manager

• Collects URL and Title of the page being visited, Browser Name, Size of Browser Window, Screen Resolution, Flash version, whether Java is enabled, location and language settings. The location is figured out from the IP Address though this is not stored as it is personally identifiable information which would violate the terms of Google Analytics. You can view the Google’s Privacy and Terms here.

Our website www.pryers.co.uk is hosted on UK-based secure servers.

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this policy. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement or policy applicable to the website in question.

To contact Pryers Solicitors LLP with a data protection query regarding the processing of your personal data, please contact us or email dataprotection@pryers.co.uk.

We keep our privacy notice under regular review. This privacy notice was last updated on 17 October 2021.

If you feel that your data has not been handled correctly, or you are unhappy with our response to any requests you have made to us regarding the use of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office. You can contact them by calling 0303 123 1113. Or go online to www.ico.org.uk/concerns (opens in a new window; please note we can’t be responsible for the content of external websites).