Privacy Policy at Baybridge

1. GENERAL

1. 1.1. Baybridge Lawyers Pty Ltd (ACN 104 483 374) (referred to as “we”, “us”, or “our”) are committed to protecting the privacy of personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (as amended from time to time) (“Privacy Laws”).

2. 1.2. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use, disclose and otherwise handle personal information in connection with:

1. (a) the provision of legal and related services;

2. (b) our website and online services;

3. (c) communications, marketing and dealings with our clients, prospective clients, referrers, suppliers and other business contacts; 

4. (d) recruitment and employment-related activities; and

5. (e) the operation and administration of our business.

3. 1.3. By engaging with us, using our website, submitting information to us or otherwise interacting with us, you acknowledge that your personal information will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

2. 2. WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1. 2.1. In this Privacy Policy, the terms “personal information” and “sensitive information” have the meanings given to them under the Privacy Laws.

2. 2.2. The types of personal information we collect will depend on the nature of your relationship with us, the legal services we provide, and the way in which you interact with us.

3. 2.3. The personal information we collect may include:

1. (a) contact and identification information, including your name, date of birth, residential or postal address, telephone number, email address, identification documents, driver’s licence details, passport details and other identification information;

2. (b) client and matter information, including information provided by you or on your behalf in connection with a legal matter, transaction, dispute, investigation, proceeding or other engagement;

3. (c) business and professional information, including your employer, position, professional affiliations, business contact details, details of your relationship with our clients or matters in which we are involved, and information relating to the ownership, management and control of entities, including beneficial ownership and control information;

4. (d) financial information, including billing information, bank account details, payment information and other financial information relevant to the legal services we provide;

5. (e) recruitment and employment information, including information contained in applications, resumes, qualifications, certifications, employment history, references and right-to-work documentation; 

6. (f) marketing and event information, including your communication preferences, event attendance details and participation in seminars, webinars or other business development activities;

7. (g) website, device and usage information, including IP addresses, browser type, device information and information about how you interact with our website and online services; and

8. (h) any other personal information that is reasonably necessary for us to provide legal services, manage our relationship with you, comply with legal or regulatory requirements, or operate our business.

4. 2.4. In some circumstances we may collect sensitive information where it is reasonably necessary for a legal matter, required by law, or otherwise permitted under applicable Privacy Laws. Depending on the nature of the engagement, this may include information relating to health, criminal history, political associations, membership of a professional or trade association, or other sensitive information relevant to the legal services we provide. We collect sensitive information only with your consent, where reasonably necessary for the provision of legal services, or where otherwise authorised or required by law.

5. 2.5. If you do not provide the personal information we request, we may be unable to provide legal services to you, verify your identity, undertake conflict checks, comply with our legal obligations, or otherwise maintain our professional relationship with you.

3. 3. HOW YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION MAY BE COLLECTED

1. 3.1. We may collect personal information directly from you when you:

1. (a) engage us, instruct us, or are otherwise involved in a matter in respect of which we act;

2. (b) make an enquiry (including through our website, by email or telephone), request information about our services, or otherwise communicate with us;

3. (c) provide instructions, complete forms, submit documents or otherwise provide information in connection with a legal matter;

4. (d) provide information for identity verification, client due diligence, beneficial ownership verification, AML/CTF compliance, sanctions screening or other legal or regulatory compliance purposes, whether directly to us or through identity verification and compliance service providers (including via EasyAML);

5. (e) visit or use our website, web chat facility, or other online services;

6. (f) subscribe to our publications, newsletters, legal updates, alerts or other communications;

7. (g) attend seminars, webinars, networking events or other events hosted or attended by us;

8. (h) participate in surveys, feedback requests or other business development activities;

9. (i) contact or otherwise interact with our employees or representatives;

10. (j) apply for employment, work experience, graduate programs or contractor opportunities with us; or

11. (k) provide goods or services to us or otherwise interact with us in a commercial capacity.

4. 4. HOW YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION WILL BE USED 

1. 4.1. We may use your personal information for the following purposes:

1. (a) Legal Services: to provide legal advice and legal services, act on your behalf, manage legal matters, transactions, disputes, investigations and proceedings, and otherwise perform our professional engagements;

2. (b) Client and Matter Management: to establish and maintain client relationships, receive and act on instructions, open and administer client files, manage conflicts checks, maintain matter records and communicate with clients and other relevant parties;

3. (c) Client Due Diligence and Compliance: to verify identity, undertake client due diligence, beneficial ownership and control checks, comply with AML/CTF obligations and other legal and regulatory requirements;

4. (d) Communications: to communicate with you regarding our services, matters on which we are instructed, enquiries, updates, events and other information relevant to our relationship with you;

5. (e) Marketing and Business Development: to provide legal updates, publications, newsletters, invitations to seminars, webinars and events, and information about our services that may be of interest to you, in accordance with applicable laws;

6. (f) Recruitment: to assess, process and manage applications for employment, work experience, graduate programs and contractor opportunities;

7. (g) Website and Service Improvement: to operate, maintain, analyse, secure and improve our website, systems, services and user experience, including understanding how individuals interact with our online services;

8. (h) Internal Business Operations: to facilitate our internal administration and business operations, including financial management, record keeping, auditing, risk management, conflict checking, training, quality assurance and compliance activities;

9. (i) Research and Insights: to analyse legal service delivery, matter management, client engagement, communication effectiveness and business performance, and to improve our services and operations;

10. (j) Professional and Regulatory Obligations: to comply with our legal, regulatory, ethical and professional obligations, including obligations arising under applicable laws, court processes, legal profession legislation and professional conduct rules;

11. (k) Exercise of Rights: to establish, exercise or defend legal rights, claims and interests, recover debts and enforce agreements; and

12. (l) Other Permitted Purposes: for any other purpose notified to you at the time of collection, authorised by you, or otherwise permitted or required by law.

5. 5. WHO WE MAY SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION WITH

1. 5.1. We may disclose your personal information where reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to provide legal services, comply with our legal and professional obligations, operate our business, or otherwise as permitted or required by law.

2. 5.2. Depending on the circumstances, we may disclose your personal information to:

1. (a) barristers, expert witnesses, consultants, professional advisers and other persons engaged in connection with a legal matter;

2. (b) our clients and their authorised representatives, where relevant to the legal services we provide;

3. (c) courts, tribunals, arbitrators, mediators and other dispute resolution bodies;

4. (d) government agencies, regulators, law enforcement bodies and statutory authorities;

5. (e) identity verification and AML/CTF compliance providers (including EasyAML), and AUSTRAC where required for the purposes of complying with our legal and regulatory obligations;

6. (f) financial institutions, insurers, brokers and other parties involved in a transaction, financing arrangement, claim or dispute;

7. (g) our external service providers, including IT providers, administrative providers, cloud hosting providers, software providers, document management providers, cybersecurity providers, data storage providers and other contractors who assist us in the operation of our business;

8. (h) recruitment agencies, referees and service providers involved in recruitment and employment-related activities;

9. (i) debt collection agencies and advisers engaged in connection with the recovery of outstanding amounts owed to us;

10. (j) our auditors, accountants, insurers and other professional advisers;

11. (k) our employees, consultants and contractors on a need-to-know basis for the purposes of providing legal services and operating our business; and

12. (l) any other person to whom disclosure is authorised by you or required or permitted by law.

6. 6. COOKIES AND WEB BEACONS

1. 6.1. We use cookies and similar tracking technologies, including services provided by Google, Meta, Microsoft Clarity and Microsoft Advertising, to understand how visitors use and interact with our website. These technologies collect information about user behaviour, including page visits, clicks, scrolling activity, heatmaps and session recordings, to help us improve website functionality, enhance user experience, measure the effectiveness of our services, and support our marketing activities.

2. 6.2. Information may be collected through first-party and third-party cookies and other tracking technologies. We use this information for website analytics, performance monitoring, security and fraud prevention, advertising, and website optimisation.

3. 6.3. Our third-party service providers may collect and process information in accordance with their own privacy policies. For further information, please refer to their privacy policies. 

4. 6.4. You may be able to disable such technologies if your browser allows this option.

7. 7. MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS 

1. 7.1. Where you have consented, we will use your personal information from time to time to contact you (including via SMS, email, push notifications, telephone or online) to let you know about news, special offers, products and services that you might be interested in (“Marketing Communications”).

2. 7.2. You may opt out at any time by following the instructions in the Marketing Communications, or otherwise contact us directly via the contact details in the “CONTACT” section below.

8. 8. WHERE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IS STORED

1. 8.1. Your personal information may be held on electronic or hard copy form and may be stored by us or by a third party that we have engaged to store your personal information. Where we store your personal information depends on what interaction you have had with us and how we use your personal information.

9. 9. SECURITY AND RETENTION OF YOUR INFORMATION

1. 9.1. We take reasonable steps to protect all information which we hold (including your personal information) from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure and to 
   hold information securely in electronic or physical form. 

2. 9.2. We store information in access controlled premises or in electronic databases requiring logins and passwords. All partners and staff with access to confidential information are subject to confidentiality obligations.

3. 9.3. Personal information may be held in both electronic and hard copy form at our offices, on our systems and networks, and by third-party service providers engaged by us, including cloud-based service providers.

4. 9.4. We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to provide legal services, comply with legal, regulatory, taxation, accounting and professional obligations, resolve disputes, establish, exercise or defend legal claims, and enforce our agreement.

5. 9.5. While we take reasonable steps to protect personal information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage system is completely secure. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee the absolute security of personal information.

10. 10. OVERSEAS DISCLOSURE

1. 10.1. We may disclose personal information to overseas recipients where reasonably necessary for the provision of our services or operation of our business. The locations may include; United States of America, United Arab Emirates, India, Philippines, Singapore and New Zealand.

11. 11. LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES 

1. 11.1. When you are on our website, you may be directed to other websites that are beyond our control. If you visit one of these linked websites, you should review their privacy and other policies. 

2. 11.2. A link to a third-party website is not an endorsement by us as to the accuracy or trustworthiness of that website or any contents and information collected, and we are not responsible for the policies and practices of those third-party websites.

12. 12. ACCESS TO YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION AND CORRECTION

1. 12.1. Under the Privacy Laws, you have rights to access and correct personal information that we hold about you.

2. 12.2. You may request access to the personal information and seek correction of same by contacting us via the contact details below.

3. 12.3. There may be instances where we cannot grant you access to the personal information that we hold about you, for example, if it would result in a breach of confidentiality or would interfere with the privacy of others.

4. 12.4. We may charge a reasonable administration fee to cover the costs of meeting your request.

5. 12.5. Where we receive a request to access or correct the personal information, we will take reasonable steps to respond to such requests within a reasonable period of time. 

13. 13. EMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS

1. 13.1. We collect personal information in connection with recruitment, employment, partnership, consultancy, work experience, graduate and contractor opportunities.

2. 13.2. If you apply for a position with us, whether directly or through a recruitment agency, professional network, online platform or another third party, we may collect personal information that is reasonably necessary to assess your suitability for the relevant role and to manage the recruitment process.

3. 13.3. Depending on the position and the nature of your application, the personal information we collect may include:

1. (a) your name, contact details, date of birth and residential address;

2. (b) contained in your application, resume, curriculum vitae, cover letter and supporting documentation;

3. (c) details of your qualifications, education, training, certifications, licences, skills, expertise and professional experience;

4. (d) employment history, career history, professional references and referee details;

5. (e) citizenship, residency, visa status and information relating to your right to work in Australia;

6. (f) identification and verification information, including passport details, driver’s licence details and other identity documents;

7. (g) details of professional memberships, practising certificates, admissions and registrations with professional bodies or regulatory authorities;

8. (h) information relating to directorships, shareholdings, beneficial ownership interests, external business activities and potential conflicts of interest;

9. (i) remuneration expectations and other information relevant to assessing your suitability for a role;

10. (j) emergency contact details;

11. (k) health or disability information where relevant to the recruitment process, workplace adjustments or our legal obligations;

12. (l) information relating to background checks, screening processes, criminal history checks, sanctions screening, adverse media searches and other due diligence processes where relevant to the position and permitted by law; and

13. (m) any other personal information that you choose to provide to us in connection with your application.

4. 13.4. In considering your application, we may collect personal information about you from third parties, including recruitment agencies, referees, former employers, educational institutions, professional bodies, identity verification providers, background screening providers, publicly available sources and government agencies where permitted by law.

5. 13.5. Where appropriate and permitted by law, we may undertake verification and screening activities, including identity verification, qualification checks, employment history checks, reference checks, criminal history checks, regulatory checks, sanctions screening and other background checks relevant to the position.

6. 13.6. We may, unless you tell us otherwise, store your personal information for future employment opportunities.

7. 13.7. We may disclose your information to:

1. (a) recruitment agencies and recruitment service providers;

2. (b) referees, previous employers and other professional contacts nominated by you;

3. (c) identity verification, background screening and pre-employment screening providers;

4. (d) educational institutions, professional bodies and regulatory authorities for verification purposes;

5. (e) law enforcement agencies, regulators and government authorities where required or authorised by law;

6. (f) our external service providers, including human resources, payroll, technology and cloud service providers;

7. (g) our professional advisers; and

8. (h) any other person where disclosure is reasonably necessary for recruitment, employment, partnership, contractor engagement or compliance purposes, or is otherwise required or permitted by law.

14. 14. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

1. 14.1. We may modify or update this Privacy Policy from time to time, including to reflect changes to our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. 

2. 14.2. We will post the revised Privacy Policy on our website, update the “Last Updated” date and take any other steps required by Privacy Laws.

15. 15. QUERIES AND COMPLAINTS

1. 15.1. If you have queries and/or complaints about how we handle your personal information, please contact us using the contact details in the “CONTACT” section below.

2. 15.2. If you are dissatisfied with our response to your complaint or consider that we have breached the Privacy Laws, you may refer your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

1. (a) Address: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001

2. (b) Phone:1300 363 992

3. (c) Email: [email protected]

4. (d) Website: https://www.oaic.gov.au/

16. 16. CONTACT

1. 16.1. Should you have any questions about our privacy practices or this Privacy Policy, or if you would like to exercise any of the rights available to you, please contact us as follows:

1. (a) Address: Level 8, 77 Castlereagh Street, Sydney NSW 2000

2. (b) Phone: 02 9232 3511 

3. (c) Email: [email protected]