We understand the importance of privacy to our clients. Our commitment to our clients and others is to respect and protect the privacy and confidentiality of personal and business information that is entrusted to us in the course of rendering services to clients.
This policy relates to the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by the firm. Personal information includes any information about an identifiable individual, but does not include the name, title or business address or business telephone number of an individual.
The firm’s privacy policy is to adhere to ten principles of privacy based on the Canadian Standards Association’s Privacy Principles.
1. Accountability
The firm is accountable for all personal information in its possession or control. This includes any personal information that the firm received directly from clients who are individuals, or indirectly, through clients that are organizations (e.g. corporations, government entities, not-for-profit organizations).
The firm has:
- Established and put into effect policies and procedures aimed at properly protecting personal information;
- Educated its partners and employees regarding its privacy policy and their role and responsibilities in keeping personal information private; and
- Appointed a Privacy Officer to oversee privacy issues at the firm.
2. Identifying Purposes
The firm collects personal information from clients and uses and discloses such information, only to provide professional services that the client has requested. Each service the firm provides is described in an engagement letter with the client.
3. Consent
Before the firm undertakes a professional services engagement, it requires the prospective client to sign an engagement letter or contract. By signing the engagement letter or contract, the client provides its agreement that proper consent to the collection; use and disclosure of personal information have been or will be obtained.
4. Limiting Collection
The partners and staff involved in an engagement need access to some or all of the types of personal information to complete the engagement. Our firm restricts the collection of personal information only to that information which is necessary for the purposes identified.
5. Limited Use, Disclosure and Retention
The firm uses or discloses personal information only for purposes for which it has consent, or as required by law. The firm retains personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill those purposes.
6. Accuracy
The firm endeavours to keep accurate, complete, and up-to-date, personal information in its possession or control, to the extent required to meet the purposes for which it was collected.
7. Safeguards
The firm protects the privacy of personal information in its possession or control by using security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.
8. Openness
The firm shall make information available to its clients and employees about the policies and procedures it uses to manage personal information.
9. Individual Access
The firm responds on a timely basis to requests from clients about their personal information which the firm possesses or controls. A client may verify the accuracy and completeness of their information, and may request that it be amended if appropriate.
10. Challenging Compliance
Clients may challenge the firm’s compliance with its Privacy Policy.
If you have any questions, concerns or complaints about the firm’s compliance with its Privacy Policy, clients are asked to provide an email message or letter to the firm’s Privacy Officer. The firm’s Privacy Officer will ensure that a complete investigation of a client complaint is undertaken and will report the results of this investigation to the client, in most cases, within 30 days.
