Privacy Statement
Because it's important.SCHMITSPARTNERS Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB, hereinafter “SCHMITSPARTNERS” is committed to respecting the privacy rights of individuals and to ensuring compliance with applicable privacy laws. This privacy statement explains what personal data SCHMITSPARTNERS collects or otherwise processes about you (e.g., as a client or a visitor to our websites) as well as how and why we process that data.
A German version of the privacy policy is also available. [Link to be created]
This statement covers the following topics.
Use the links provided below to jump directly to any points of interest:
- What Personal Data Does SCHMITSPARTNERS Collect?
- How Does SCHMITSPARTNERS Use Personal Data?
- How Does SCHMITSPARTNERS Share Personal Data?
- SCHMITSPARTNERS Legal Basis for Processing of Personal Data
- How Does SCHMITSPARTNERS Secure Personal Data?
- How Long Does SCHMITSPARTNERS Retain Personal Data?
- Cookies, Web Beacons, and Other Technologies
- Links to Third-Party Websites and Third-Party Applications
- Notification of Changes to this Statement
- How to Contact Us
- Your Rights as a Data Subject
- SCHMITSPARTNERS’ Supervisory Authority
- How to Report a Concern
1
What Personal Data Does SCHMITSPARTNERS Collect?
SCHMITSPARTNERS collects data from individuals with whom it interacts in person, as well as via interactions with its web site. This data is collected in order to provide our consultancy services to you. You provide some of this information directly to us, for example when speaking with one of our representatives or using our online contact form.
We collect other data about you through your interactions with our websites using technologies like cookies and methods for obtaining usage and device data. We use this data to personalize our website to provide you with the best website experience
For more information about the technologies, such as cookies, used and your choices regarding them, see the “Cookies, Web Beacons, and other Technologies” section of this statement.
Data is collected at your consent through your use of the website or explicitly via consent requests. When asked to provide personal data, you may decline. If you decline to provide information required to access our website, you may be unable to visit our website properly.
The data collected depends upon the nature of your interaction with SCHMITSPARTNERS and the web features you use, as well as any decisions you make about providing data, including decisions through privacy settings that you may set on your browser or device. Categories of data collected may include the following depending on your choices:
Contact Information and Name. This data includes first and last name, email address, postal address, telephone number, fax number, company name and similar contact data.
Device and Usage Data. SCHMITSPARTNERS collects information about the device you use to access our websites, and the interactions of you and your device with our web properties and applications. That personal data includes the Internet Protocol address (IP address) associated with your computer or device, the access time, the domain name of your Internet Service Provider, your device type and identifiers, browser type, operating system, the content or pages you view on the SCHMITSPARTNERS website, time spent on our sites, and similar usage and device information. This data is collected using cookies, web beacons and other technologies. For more information about these technologies and your choices regarding them, see the “Cookies, Web Beacons, and other Technologies” section of this statement.
2
How Does SCHMITSPARTNERS Use Personal Data?
SCHMITSPARTNERS uses the personal data that it collects for three purposes:
- Provision of our consultancy services to you
- Managing and supporting the relationship with our clients; and
- Communications, including promotional communications.
As part of any communications, we offer you the opportunity to choose whether or not we can use your personal data in the described way. You may at any time choose e.g. not to receive marketing communications from us by following the unsubscribe instructions included in each marketing e-mail you receive, by indicating so when we call you, or by contacting us as outlined in the “How to Contact Us” section of this statement.
Mobile Applications and Social Computing Environment. SCHMITSPARTNERS makes available mobile applications for download from various mobile application marketplaces. When downloading and using these applications, you are asked to provide certain personal data. Such information will be subject to and protected in accordance with this statement, except for the personal data that is automatically made available to other participants in such social computing environment as part of your profile or settings. In this case the processing of your personal data by respective social computing service providers is subject to their respective privacy statements. Such privacy statements provide specific information about their personal data collection and handling practices. We recommend that you read those supplemental statements to understand how the social media service providers are processing your personal data trough their applications and tools.
Any content you post, such as pictures, information, opinions, or any other type of personal data that you make available to other participants in such social computing environment, is not subject to this privacy statement. Rather, such content is subject to the terms of use of the respective social computing services provider, and any additional guidelines and privacy information provided in relation to its use, as well as the process by which you can remove your content from such tools or get help to do so. Please refer to the respective social computing service provider to better understand yours, SCHMITSPARTNERS’, and other parties’ rights and obligations with regard to such content. You should be aware that the content you post on any such social computing environment may be made broadly available to others inside and outside SCHMITSPARTNERS due to your profile and settings.
4
SCHMITSPARTNERS Legal Basis for Processing of Personal Data
As discussed above, SCHMITSPARTNERS processes personal data for a number of reasons. In all cases, SCHMITSPARTNERS ensures that such processing is legal, fair, and reasonable. The various processing activities are justified by varying legal bases under the GDPR and similar laws.
Data Processed to Provide Consultancy Services. In those cases where data is collected in order to provide our consultancy services, SCHMITSPARTNERS processing is based upon your consent or the client agreement we have agreed upon with you.
Promotional Communications. In those cases where data is collected in order to provide promotional materials or communications, SCHMITSPARTNERS processing is based upon your consent.
5
How Does SCHMITSPARTNERS Secure Personal Data?
SCHMITSPARTNERS maintains administrative, technical, organizational, and physical measures designed, taking into account the nature of the data and the processing, the state of the art, the costs of implementation, and the potential for impact to the rights and freedoms of individuals whose data is being processed, to protect personal data in accordance with this statement and applicable laws against loss, and unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure, Such measures include, by way of example, encryption and strict access controls.
6
How Long Does SCHMITSPARTNERS Retain Personal Data?
The retention of personal data collected depends on the purpose it has been collected for. For example, we will retain your client account data in our database for as long as your client account is active and thereafter as required by legal obligations (e.g. tax retention periods), to resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Requests regarding data retention may be made as outlined in the “Your Rights as a Data Subject” section of this statement.
8
Links to Third-Party Websites and Third-Party Applications
To allow you to interact with other website on which you may have accounts (such as Facebook and other social media service providers) or join communities on such sites, we may provide links or embed third-party applications that allow you to log in, post content, or join communities from our sites. We may also provide you with general links to third-party websites.
Your use of these links and applications is subject to the third parties’ privacy statements, and you should become familiar with these third-party sites’ privacy statements before using the links or applications. SCHMITSPARTNERS is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of those other third-party websites.
9
Notification of Changes to this Statement
We will post a notice for 30 days at the top of this page notifying individuals when this statement is updated or modified in a material way. If we are going to use your personal information in a manner different from that what is stated in this statement at the time of collection, we will notify you, and you will have a choice as to whether or not we can use your personal information in such a way. We recommend that you check this statement regularly to familiarize yourself with SCHMITSPARTNERS practices and to be aware of any material changes.
10
How to Contact Us
If you have a question about this statement or SCHMITSPARTNERS’ handling of your personal data, or if you wish to provide instructions regarding our use of your data as set forth in this statement, you may contact us:
By sending an email to:
privacy@schmitspartners.com
or
By writing to:
SCHMITSPARTNERS
Schmits Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB
Attn: Data Protection Officer
Maximilianstrasse 2
80539 Munich, Germany
11
Your Rights as a Data Subject
You have the right to request access to and rectification or erasure of your personal data or restriction of processing and to object to processing of such data as well as the right to data portability. You also have the right to withdraw any consent that you may have given for the processing of personal data at any time.
You may make such requests by contacting us as set forth in the “How to Contact Us” section of this statement.
Please note that before SCHMITSPARTNERS is able to provide you with any access to personal data, correct any inaccuracies, or delete your personal data, we may ask you to verify your identity and to provide other details to help us to respond to your request. We will contact you within 30 days of your request.
12
SCHMITSPARTNERS’ Supervisory Authority
The Supervisory Authority of SCHMITSPARTNERS is the
Bayerisches Landesamt für Datenschutzaufsicht, BayLDA
Postfach 606, 91511, Ansbach, Germany
Telefon: +49 (0) 981 53 1300
Telefax: +49 (0) 981 53 98 1300
E-Mail: poststelle@lda.bayern.de
13
How to Report a Concern
You may report any concerns you have regarding our processing activities of personal data by contacting us as outlined in the “How to Contact Us” section.
You may also choose to report your concern directly to our Supervisory Authority via the BayLDA’s form to report a concern.