Privacy Policy

ONLINE PRIVACY AND COOKIE POLICY

In providing legal services to its clients, By Design Law Firm & Legal Consultancy, PLLC (the “Firm,” “we,” “us,” “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of confidential and “Personal Information” (information that directly or indirectly identifies individuals who may be clients, staff, agents, lawyers, law students, or others inside or outside the Firm). As data privacy is a core area of our practice, it is without doubt the policy of the Firm to comply with our rules of professional conduct as well as state, federal, and international privacy laws, which impose a duty to preserve and protect confidential client information.

This Online Privacy and Cookie Policy (the “Privacy Policy”) is based on the privacy and data protection principles common to the jurisdictions in which we operate. The Firm applies it to comply with these laws, to preserve client confidentiality, and to effectively represent clients within the bounds of these laws and regulations. This Privacy Policy intends to summarize the Firm’s data protection practices generally, and to advise our clients, visitors to the Firm’s website (https://www.bydesignlaw.com or the “Site”), and other third parties about the Firm’s privacy policies.

This Privacy Policy also addresses external parties outside the Firm that provide Personal Information to the Firm via our Site as well as through applications, social media sites, client portals, as well as Firm email messages containing a link to this Statement (collectively, the “eServices”). This Privacy Policy also describes how the Firm collects, processes, retains, and discloses Personal Information as it pertains to the Firm’s legal services and use of eServices.

COLLECTION AND USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

The Firm collects Personal Information for the purposes of providing legal services to clients and as provided by visitors to its Site. We may also collect Personal Information about you when interacting with us via social media sites, including but not limited to Facebook, LinkedIn and Yelp! as well as from other third parties and may also automatically collect information that may contain Personal Information as described below in the “Cookies” section.

We may use that Personal Information where in our legitimate interest to do so for the following purposes:

For provision of legal services, administration of instructions or matters, or other obligations to you if currently or become a client of the Firm.

For communication between the Firm and you in response to requests and enquiries.

For compliance where the Firm is subject to applicable laws, regulations, guidance, or professional obligations.

For personalization and assistance when visiting the Site or using eServices.

For electronic communication of Firm news and updates sent on a frequent basis unless you choose to opt-out by choosing the unsubscribe link in the communications.

For entering and carrying out various types of contracts.

For support in executing, monitoring, and analyzing Firm or Site operations.

CONFIDENTIALITY, SECURITY, AND RETENTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

As a key focus and important obligation of our practice, the Firm employs extensive measures and discretion to ensure the confidentiality, security, and retention of Personal Information. These include but is not limited to the following:

Implementation and maintenance of reasonable and appropriate physical, technical, logical, and procedural safeguards to ensure the confidentiality of all Personal Information provided via this Site, eServices, or through other mediums. While the Firm believes these measures strongly support its commitment to maintain confidentiality of Personal Information, these are not infallible, and the Firm makes no guarantee these safeguards always work.

Requirement of the Firm’s consultants, suppliers, and vendors to maintain data protections consistent with reasonable and appropriate obligations of data processors as they pertain to state and federal data protection laws and regulations in which they operate.

Implementation and enforcement of a data retention policy where the Firm may retain information provided by Site/eService users as well as clients, including Personal Information, ONLY for as long as necessary to comply with legal obligations, the purposes for which the information was originally collected, and for the purposes described in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. For more details on the Firm’s information practices, please refer to the “Contact” section below.

DISCLOSURE AND TRANSFER

We disclose no Personal Information to unrelated parties outside of the Firm except in certain circumstances, including but not limited to the following:

To data processors, contractors, or other agents acting on the Firm’s behalf and at its direction, subject to the receiving party’s appropriate confidentiality, privacy, and information security commitments.

To a third-party designated, directed and authorized by our clients as necessary to provide a user-requested service as required by law.

To regulatory authorities and law enforcement officials in accordance with applicable law or in connection with the investigation.

To assert legal defenses or to address compliance matters.

COOKIES

The Firm uses session cookies for our eServices except for Client Portals that require a logon and password. Cookies are text files created by a web server for the purpose of user session customizations, such as visited pages and language preferences, as well as for cybersecurity purposes. Cookies may be used in conjunction with other web services to understand and track user behavior when visiting the Site. This technology only tracks user behavior on the Site and no other unrelated websites, without any identification of the user made UNLESS the user chooses to provide their Personal Information to the Firm (i.e., information to request a consultation). Moreover, while the Firm employs third-party services in conjunction with these cookies, the third parties neither receive nor use the Personal Information related to uses of the Site or eServices.

DO NOT TRACK SIGNALS

The Firm and our eServices do not allow any third parties to collect Personal Information about user’s online activities over time or across websites for their own purposes. Our Site operates in the same manner regardless of user’s browser setting enabling or disabling its ability to track signals across websites.

CHILDREN

The Firm does not knowingly collect, maintain, use or process Personal Information submitted online via our eServices by anyone under the age of 18 (RCW § 26.28). To the extent the Firm collects a minor’s Personal Information in the context of the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, the Firm only does so with the appropriate consent or as otherwise permitted under applicable laws and regulations.

CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS

Under California Civil Code Section 1798.100 (known as the California Consumer Privacy Act or “CCPA”), California residents may have certain data protection rights regarding their Personal Information. These rights which may be subject to limitations and/or restrictions include: (i) the right to disclosure, deletion, access, and nondiscrimination; and (ii) the right to opt out of having your Personal Information shared or sold. The firm does not sell or share your Personal Information with third-party companies for their direct marketing purposes without your consent. To exercise your rights under the CCPA, please send us your request using the “Contact” section below.

The following are categories of Personal Information defined under the Act we may collect, receive, or maintain in the course of administering firm business or receive from a client in the course of providing legal services: Identifiers, Personal information described in the California Customer Records statute (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.80(e)), Protected classification characteristics under California or federal law, Commercial information, Biometric information, Internet or other electronic network activity, Geolocation data, Sensory data, Professional or employment-related information, Non-public education information, and inferences drawn from other personal information.

CHANGES

The Firm reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time without advance notice. Should any new policy go into effect the Firm will post it on this Site and its relevant eServices.

CONTACT

The Firm maintains a Privacy Program to ensure compliance with privacy and data protection principles. If you have any questions relating to our use of your Personal Information or need assistance in accessing, amending, disputing, or correcting your information, please contact us at privacy@bydesignlaw.com or by mail:

By Design Law Firm & Legal Consultancy, PLLC

ATTN: Privacy Program

800 5^th Ave, Suite 101-800

Seattle, WA 98104-3102

This policy was last updated on January 27, 2025.