The Personal Information We Collect

In the course of our services, we gather and process certain personal information. Whether it’s during your communications with us or when you browse our website, we collect personal information about you. Here is a list of the information, not limited to, that we might collect about you:

• Identity Information: such as your first and last name;
• Contact Details: including postal, electronic addresses, and phone number.
• Biographical Information: job title, employer, photos, video or audio content;
• Communication Preferences: including comments and responses to surveys;
• Billing and Financial Data: billing address, bank account details, and payment information;
• Service Information: details of the services we have provided you.
• Recruitment Information: CV, educational and professional background, professional affiliations, etc.;
• Website Use and Technical Data: visits, interactions with our platform and online content, and data collected via cookies;
• Client-Provided or Produced Information: including, when relevant, sensitive data such as racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, health, sexual orientation, marital status, etc.;
• Identification and Background Check Data: copies of driving licenses, social insurance numbers, passports, utility bills, proof of identity, information related to the source of funds for compliance with certain program conditions;
• Other Personal Information Provided: noting that if you provide us with information about other individuals (clients, family members, employees, directors, shareholders, etc.), you attest to having obtained their consent for this sharing of information;
• Proofs of Consent: when necessary, recording the date, time, and means by which consent was given.

We do not intentionally collect data on children or anyone under the age of 16. If you are under 16, please do not send us personal data without the clear agreement of a parent or legal guardian. If you are responsible for a minor who has shared their data with us without your consent, contact us and we will proceed with its deletion.

Unsolicited emails from non-clients do not create an attorney-client relationship. These communications do not necessarily benefit from professional secrecy.

The reasons why we collect your personal information

We collect, use, disclose, and store the personal information of our clients as well as our service providers in order to provide professional legal services and to fulfill our legal obligations. Specifically, we collect, use, disclose, and store your personal information for the following purposes:

Provision of services and contractual obligations:

• Provide legal services and advice;
• Manage and fulfill our contractual commitments;
• Prevent conflicts of interest;

Client relations:

• Establish and maintain relationships with our clients;

Experience on our website:

• Respond to questions, requests, and solicitations from users;
• Tailor content according to its relevance and your choice of device;
• Analyze client needs and preferences by sending surveys and evaluations.

Marketing and business development:

• Inform about new services, legal developments in immigration, our events, our initiatives, etc.
• Analyze client needs to improve our range of services;

Management and administration of activities:

• Ensure the smooth operation related to the conduct of business;
• Manage billing, account administration, collections, and payment processing;
• Assess creditworthiness;
• Protect business operations;
• Prevent fraudulent and illegal activities, negligence, breaches, and perform audits.

Recruitment:

• Process applications and evaluate the suitability of candidates

Compliance with legal obligations:

• Ensure compliance with professional legal obligations;
• Prevent and manage risk;

Business reorganization:

• Mergers or other restructurings.

Any other purposes for which you consent when sharing your personal information.

The parties to whom we disclose your personal information

We may communicate and disclose your personal information to the individuals and entities listed below for legal advice purposes and following the mandates signed by the firm. Please note that Exeo Attorneys is growing internationally. Consequently, all personal information we collect may be transmitted and processed by any entity in the Exeo network:

• Service providers, including an organization or individual whose services have been retained by Exeo Attorneys. The information shared with these service providers is strictly necessary for the performance of their functions. Furthermore, agreements with these entities require them to maintain the confidentiality of the disclosed data;
• Government authorities or law enforcement in accordance with legal requirements to which we are subject, in response to court orders, or when we believe it is essential to do so to comply with current legislation;
• A financial institution, confidentially and only in the context of the assignment of a right to collect payment, the provision of security, or other financing arrangements;
• Insurers and regulatory bodies such as professional lawyers’ associations or other parties in the context of regulatory activities or other activities related to our obligations and the practice of law; and
• One or more third parties, when you consent to this communication or if the communication is required or authorized by law.

The retention period of your personal information

We will retain your personal information for the duration necessary for the purposes mentioned in this Policy and to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations. For more information on the retention period of your personal information, please contact us at privacy@exeo.ca.

The location where we store your personal information

As part of its international expansion, Exeo may store and process your personal information in countries where we conduct our activities or use service providers, including, but not limited to, Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Portugal. By using our services, you consent to the possible transfer of your personal information outside your country of residence to other countries governed by their own national regulations. It is important to note that in these jurisdictions, your information could be disclosed to government or regulatory agencies in accordance with local legislation in force.

Please note that your personal information may be hosted outside Quebec.

The protection of your personal information

We have security protocols in place to safeguard the personal information shared with us throughout the process following its reception. As such, physical, technological, and administrative protections designed to prevent unintentional or illegal destruction, loss, alteration, disclosure, or unauthorized access to your personal information have been established. Only members of our team who have a confidentiality commitment and need to access your information for their duties are permitted to consult it.

However, despite our efforts to secure your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. It is essential to recognize that we are not immune to breaches of our security barriers. If you believe that your personal information has been compromised, we invite you to contact us immediately at privacy@exeo.ca.

The location where we store your personal information

Current privacy legislation grants you rights concerning your personal information, including, but not limited to, the following rights:

• Right of access: You have the right to ask us if your personal information is being processed and, if so, to access that information. Under applicable legislation, you can obtain a copy of the personal information about you that we have in our possession.
• Right to accuracy: We are obligated to maintain the accuracy and reliability of your personal information, ensuring that it is up-to-date, complete, and not erroneous.
• Right of rectification: You have the right to have any inaccurate or incomplete personal information about you corrected that we hold.

Additionally, under certain circumstances, you have the right to:

• Right to withdraw consent: You can withdraw your consent to the use or disclosure of your personal information that we have collected at any time.

For your information, you have the right to submit a complaint to the personal information protection control authority in the country, region, or state where you reside, where we are located, or where a potential violation of personal information protection legislation may have occurred.

To assert any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@exeo.ca.

Cookies

For more information about the cookies we use on our website, please consult our Cookie Policy.

Updating the Privacy Policy

Exeo Attorneys reserves the right to modify or supplement this Privacy Policy at any time. If changes are made, we will post them directly on our website.

This Policy was updated in November 2023.

Contact us

We invite you to contact our personal information protection officer, Marc-André Séguin, for any information, questions, or clarifications regarding our Privacy Policy or your rights regarding your personal information at the following address: privacy@exeo.ca.