Client Privacy Notice
What we need
Blair Cadell Solicitors will be a “controller” of personal information provided to us by (i) individuals who are (or are to become) clients as and when (or in advance or anticipation of being) we are instructed to act on their behalf, and/or (ii) individuals who are third parties connected with clients in relation to whom we are instructed, as representatives, trustees, beneficial owners or otherwise, by conversation, letter, form, email, telephone or other valid means.
Blair Cadell Solicitors will collect, store and use the personal information that is provided to us during the course of the solicitor/client relationship concerned.
We may also collect, store and use the following personal information relating to clients and third parties from other third parties including the following:
| Third party | Personal information |
| AML Search (providers of electronic anti money laundering client due diligence services) | confirmation of identity confirmation of address date of birth matching alert sources & financial sanctions files PEP (Politically Exposed Persons) list CIFAS (UK Fraud Prevention Service) electoral roll insolvency records court decrees |
| Millar & Bryce (searchers of public records) | confirmation of identity confirmation of address insolvency records court decrees |
Why we need your personal information
Contractual purposes. We need to collect and process this personal information so that we can perform our conduct our services. We will use this personal information to:
- provide legal advice, including communicating by email, letter and/or telephone, etc;
- represent clients as solicitors in connection with the business or transaction in respect of which we have been instructed;
- respond to and communicate regarding any questions, comments, or concerns in relation thereto; and
- any other contractual requirements.
If we are not provided with all of the personal information that we need to collect then this may affect our ability to provide legal advice and/or represent clients as their solicitors.
Legitimate purposes. We also process our clients’ personal information in pursuit of our legitimate interests to:
- communicate with our clients in relation to information concerning the details of our firm, delivery of our services, and legal updates; and
- any other legitimate interests.
Where we process personal information in pursuit of our legitimate interests, clients and third parties connected with clients have the right to object to us using this personal information for the above purposes. If clients or third parties connected with clients wish to object to any of the above processing, please contact us in writing to the data protection lead at Blair Cadell Solicitors, The Bond House. 5 Breadalbane Street, Edinburgh EH6 5JH, or by emailing us at office@blaircadell.com. Note that if we comply with an objection, this may affect our ability to undertake the above task.
Legal obligations. We are under a legal obligation to process certain personal information relating to our clients or third parties connected with clients for the purposes of complying with our obligations under:
- the Law Society of Scotland requirements for solicitors;
- anti money laundering requirements; and
- any other applicable legal requirements.
How long we keep your personal information
We keep our clients’ personal data for a minimum of 10 years. We have a data retention policy that sets out the methods and periods for retaining and reviewing all information that we hold. A copy of this can be supplied on request.
Your rights
You can exercise any of the following rights by writing to the data protection lead at Blair Cadell Solicitors, The Bond House, 5 Breadalbane Street, Edinburgh EH6 5JH or by emailing us at office@blaircadell.com. Your rights in relation to your personal information are:
- you have a right to request access to the personal information that we hold about you by making a “subject access request”;
- if you believe that any of your personal information is inaccurate or incomplete, you have a right to request that we correct or complete your personal information;
- you have a right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information for specific purposes; and
- if you wish us to delete your personal information, you may request that we do so.
Any requests received by BlairCadell will be considered under applicable data protection legislation. If you remain dissatisfied, you have a right to raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ico.org.uk.