We respect your rights to data protection and privacy
This Privacy Notice only relates to the processing of personal data directly provided by you or collected as a result of visiting this website. Should we process your personal data in a different context or circumstances (for instance if you instruct us and become our client), we will provide you with a separate notice. For data subjects in Hong Kong, please see here for our personal information collection statement.
Who are we?
Karas So LLP is an investigative dispute resolution law firm. We assist clients to resolve disputes through litigation and arbitration throughout Asia, Europe, and the Americas. In respect of personal data processed when you use this website, we are the controller. "Personal data", "processing" and "controller" are all used in this notice according to their definitions in the UK General Data Protection Regulation ("UK GDPR") and the Data Protection Act 2018.
What personal data do we collect?
As a result of your visiting this website, we may collect or otherwise process your personal data in the following ways:
- When you provide your personal data on a contact form.
- When you contact us by other means, such as email, telephone or fax
- In the form of information provided by your web browser, through the use of cookies or similar software
What is our basis for processing your personal data?
Any personal data that you give to us may be retained by us for the following purposes:
- to provide a requested service;
- to meet our legal, regulatory and ethical obligations (including in respect of managing potential conflicts of interest);
- for recruitment purposes (where you have given us your personal data in connection with an application for a post);
- to market our services (provided you consent to this); or
- for our legitimate interests as a business.
You do not have to give us any of your personal data in order to use most of the website or associated online systems. However, if you wish to take advantage of some of the more special personalised services that we offer on our website, you will need to provide certain personal data.
In general, our legal basis for processing your personal data is that it is in our legitimate interests (and, indeed, in some cases, yours) to do so, although we would refrain from doing so if our legitimate interests were overridden by your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms. We have an interest in operating our business in the most customer-focused and professional way, and our processing of your personal data is done in accordance with this.
We will maintain this Privacy Notice from time to time on this site.
Who might access or receive your personal data?
Recipients of personal data provided as a result of your visiting this website will generally only consist of our employees. In certain circumstances we may be compelled to provide personal data we hold to third parties, such as regulatory or law enforcement bodies. We would only do so in compliance with the law, and where strictly necessary.
Marketing
As a result of your providing requests for services or updates, we may occasionally send you those mailings which you have requested or, in accordance with marketing laws, which we feel may interest you and/or are relevant to your practice/work. Such mailings may include details of our products and services, newsletters, briefing notes and legal updates and invitations to our various training seminars and other events. We will not send you such marketing unless you have asked to receive it, and we will always offer you the option to opt out of any future marketing (please note that the situation might be different if you subsequently become one of our clients).
We do not rent, sell or otherwise disclose your personal data to any other third party.
Your rights
Your personal data provided or collected as a result of visiting our website will be stored for six months after the most recent activity recorded.
You have the right to:
- request from us access to, and rectification or erasure of, personal data;
- request that we restrict processing concerning you
- object to our processing of the data; and
- data portability, where applicable.
If we hold your personal data, we will, on your request and in accordance with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486):
- give you access to your personal data; or
- take reasonable steps to correct, rectify or erase any personal data we hold, if necessary.
If you choose not to provide personal data, or where you exercise your right to limit the processing of personal data, we may be unable to provide relevant services, or there may be a restriction on the services that can be provided by us.
A complaint can be made via the channels set out by the Hong Kong Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data.
Contacting us about your information
If you have any requests, questions or concerns regarding your personal data or how it is used, please contact us.
To help us keep your personal data up-to-date, you should let us know should any of your contact details change, or if you notice any inaccuracies in them. You can do this via email here. From time to time we may contact you to confirm that the data we hold for you is correct.
Explanatory note:
This Privacy Notice is in place to inform you, in line with our general obligations, and in particular in line with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) and Article 13 of the UK GDPR, of the processing by us of your personal data. This is not a contractual document, so we do not ask you to "agree" to it, or claim that by reading it you are taken to have agreed to it. Please note that where we are offering goods or services to individuals in the European Union we will also be subject to the GDPR itself (not just the UK GDPR). In those cases you would also have the right to make a complaint, under Article 77, to another GDPR supervisory authority