Data Protection Statement

In order to complete the property transaction we will need the following:

• identification documents;
• client contact information and/or relationship manager (name, address, contact information);
• details of the property involved;
• financing information relevant to the transaction; and
• bank account information (so we can transfer funds if applicable).

This data will be requested at first instruction. If, on receipt of this information, we determine we need additional personal data we will speak with you or your nominated contact about this.

Naturally, dependent upon the scope of your instruction, we may need to collect additional personal information from you in order to advise and support you. We will explain to you as the matter progresses where personal information needs to be collected, the purpose for that collection and our intended use.

We may also need the following third party information to process your transaction:

• identity and contact information of any applicable agent/developer/property professional;
• details of the lender (if applicable);
• identity and contact information of the business/individual on the other side of the transaction (including contact information of their legal representative);
• any relevant referral information;
• name and contact information of a guarantor (if applicable);
• name of any individual to whom third party payments are made (for example a service or rent charge);
• any third party in possession of your deeds;
• name and address of broker (if applicable);
• information on any tenancy in place or proposed (or other occupier of the property);
• information on any landlord/freeholder and/or management company; and/or
• information on any assignee.

This information will be requested at the start of the instruction.

This information will usually be collected from you or your nominated contact.

We may also receive:

• some preliminary contact information about your nominated contact and your proposed purchase from your agent and/or the legal representative acting for the other side (where you have agreed this disclosure);
• publicly available sources, such as Companies House (where we need to check the status of your business and the currently appointed directors);
• information from the electoral role; and/or
• financial information from your lender (again where you have agreed your lender can disclose this to us).

All personal information we obtain will only be used for the following reasons:

• for the provision of our legal services to you (our contract);
• to ensure we comply with our legal obligations (for example our money laundering responsibilities); or
• in respect of third party information, for our legitimate business interests to support the transaction.

As part of the transaction we may have to disclose personal information to the following third parties (if relevant):

• the lender/financial advisor;
• the agent;
• the broker;
• the indemnity insurer (if relevant);
• the legal representative on the other side of the transaction;
• NHBC;
• data room providers;
• search providers;
• portals for the visibility of workflow/transaction status/secure document exchange;
• HM Revenue and Customs; and/or
• HM Land Registry.

We will always discuss with you or your nominated contact which third parties we need to involve, before we disclose any personal information to them.

If the instruction involves international assets or funding we may need to transfer personal information relevant to those assets/funding outside of the United Kingdom. You will be informed if this is the case and the agreement to any transfer obtained in advance.

We collect limited personal information in order to commence an instruction:

• basic contact information of the instructing client (or nominated client contact) to include name, address, email address (business and private), contact telephone numbers;
• basic contact information of the counterparty to the transaction/deal; and
• financial information pertinent to the instruction.

Where we act for your business in a corporate sale, we act for the shareholders of that business.

Naturally, dependent upon the scope of your instruction, we may need to collect additional personal information from you in order to advise and support you. We will explain to you as the matter progresses where personal information needs to be collected, the purpose for that collection and our intended use

Where we act for your business in a corporate sale, the other side will request personal information about your employees that they will inherit as part of the sale. You should only provide such information if you have a lawful basis to disclose or the data has been anonymised. Where we act for your business in a purchase we will expect only to receive personal data of employees where the seller has a lawful basis to disclose or the data has been anonymised.

Where applicable, we may:

• require personal information of shareholders relevant to a corporate deal;
• require personal information of staff for option holders (including name, address and details of their employment to ascertain whether they qualify for the share option).

Personal information pertinent to the transaction will usually be gathered from the client or the client nominee. Other sources of personal information may include:

• the other side to the transaction;
• HR advisors (where external to the client);
• publicly available sources, such as Companies House (where we need to check the status of your business and the currently appointed directors);
• pension advisors; and/or
• investors (where we are instructed to act for a company that is private equity backed)

All personal information we obtain will only be used for the following reasons:

• for the provision of our legal services to you (our contract);
• to ensure we comply with our legal obligations (for example our money laundering responsibilities); or
• in respect of third party information, for our legitimate business interests to support the transaction.

As Controller of personal information relating to your employees you should ensure that it is lawful for you to disclose the personal information of your staff for the transaction (including any Sensitive Personal Data and data proposed to be held in an international data room). We can advise if needed.

As part of the transaction/advice we may have to disclose personal information to the following third parties (if relevant):

• the legal representative on the other side of the transaction;
• Counsel (although rare);
• Investors (where we are acting for a company that is private equity backed);
• Data room providers; and/or
• Search providers (such as LegalLinks and HM Land Registry Direct) as part of the completion process.

If the instruction involves international parties, assets or funding we may need to transfer personal information relevant to the transaction outside of the United Kingdom, including to in a data room that can be accessed outside of the UK. You will be informed if this is the case and the agreement to any transfer obtained in advance. If necessary we can discuss with you the data privacy considerations of this, prior to any upload. As far as possible all data you upload should be anonymised.

The attorney, trustee or deputy will be advised at each point personal information is collected about the individual who lacks capacity of the proposed use of that data. In circumstances where a client lacks capacity, personal information will be collected and used in accordance with the best interests of the individual according to the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

We always need to obtain identification from the person or person instructing us. We also need identification for the person who lacks capacity but understand that obtaining this can be difficult and we will provide you with assistance, we we can.

In other cases, personal information will be collected and used in accordance with client instructions (dependent upon the personal circumstances of the case). In some circumstances we may require information about:

• you (name, title address, email address, contact information, date of birth, NI number);
• your family relationships (if applicable);
• your relationship to any person who lacks capacity (if relevant to your instruction);
• any third party body that has been involved in the matter (such as social services);
• your financial assets and any insolvency proceedings concerning you (if relevant to the instruction); and
• your occupation.

We acknowledge that information we hold in this regard will be Sensitive Personal Data and/or data relating to a child. We will treat this with the highest level of confidence and security.

All personal information we obtain will only be used for the following reasons:

• for the provision of our legal services to you (our contract with you);
• to ensure we comply with our legal obligations (for example our safeguarding and money laundering responsibilities);
• to protect the vital interests of the individual or another;
• as part of performing a task carried out in the public interest or the exercise of official authority vested in us; or
• in respect of third party information, for our legitimate business interests to support our instruction.

Any Sensitive Personal Data we hold for your case will only be processed:

• with the explicit consent of the individual to whom it relates (where this can be obtained);
• as necessary to protect vital interests of the individual where he/she cannot consent;
• as necessary to carry out obligations in social protection law with appropriate safeguards in place;
• if made public by the individual to whom it relates; or
• where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim.

We ensure that any data usage in respect of information pertaining to a child is fully discussed with the adult instructing us.

We collect limited personal information in order to commence an instruction:

• basic contact information of the instructing client (or nominated client contact) to include name, address, email address (business and private), contact telephone numbers; and
• basic contact information of the opposing party (if applicable);
• financial information pertinent to the instruction;
• the output of credit searches.

Naturally, dependent upon the scope of your instruction, we may need to collect additional personal information from you in order to advise and support you. We will explain to you as the matter progresses where personal information needs to be collected, the purpose for that collection and our intended use.

The information listed in this section will come from the instructing client (or the nominated client contact). The only exception is where personal information is received from:

• a third party opponent directly making contact and/or serving proceedings; and/or
• a referrer (where you have authorised the referrer to contact us directly).

All personal information we obtain will only be used for the following reasons:

• for the provision of our legal services to you (our contract with you);
• to ensure we comply with our legal obligations (for example our money laundering responsibilities);
• in respect of third party information, for our legitimate business interests to support our instruction.

Any Sensitive Personal Data we hold for your case will only be processed:

• with the explicit consent of the individual to whom it relates (where this can be obtained);
• if made public by the individual to whom it relates; or
• where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim.

In progressing your instruction we may have to disclose personal information to the following third parties (if relevant):

• the legal representative on the other side of the dispute;
• legal professionals (including counsel, mediators, adjudicators, costs draftsman);
• insolvency practitioners, administrators, receivers and/or the official receiver;
• accountants;
• third party experts;
• tracing agents;
• data room providers; and
• HM Courts and Tribunals Service (including through the Online Court Service).

We will always discuss with you/your nominated contact which third parties we need to involve, before we disclose any personal information to them.

If the instruction involves international assets and/or where the opponent is overseas we may need to transfer personal information outside of the United Kingdom. You will be informed if this is the case and the agreement to any transfer obtained in advance.

A record of service of proceedings internationally is kept.

Following completion of the matter (or abandonment) we will hold the information in the case file (paper and electronic) for a period of 7 years.

We collect limited personal data in order to commence an instruction, being the basic contact information of the instructing client (or nominated client contact(s)). This will include:

• name(s);
• addresses;
• email addresses (business and/or private); and
• contact telephone numbers.

Naturally, dependent upon the scope of your instruction, we may need to collect additional personal data from you in order to advise and support you. We will explain to you as the matter progresses where personal data needs to be collected, the purpose for that collection and our intended use.

Owing to the nature of employment and/or immigration services, we will also collect basic information regarding the individuals to whom a specific employment query relates. This will include the names and addresses of the following categories of individuals, dependent upon the particular matter:

• employees;
• workers;
• executive and non-executive directors;
• contractors;
• consultants;
• agency workers;
• volunteers;
• interns;
• job applicants/candidates for any of the above positions; or
• any individual who formally held one of the above positions.

In the event of a contentious matter, we will collect basic contact information of the opposing party and their legal representative (if applicable).

We may also collect the contact details of other third parties involved in a matter, which may include:

• your insurance provider and their nominated contact;
• your accountant or financial adviser;
• other legal professionals;
• HR Consultants (if applicable);
• directors or shareholders of your business; 
• third party experts; and/or
• in the event of employment tribunal proceedings, any relevant witnesses (provided they have given their consent to you providing us with their personal data and are happy to act as a witness).

The information listed above will typically come from the instructing client (or the nominated client contact).

We may also receive personal data from:

• a third party opponent directly making contact and/or serving proceedings;
• an ACAS Conciliator;
• a referrer, such as a HR Consultant (where you have authorised the referrer to contact us directly);
• a third party, such as an accountant (where you have provided us with their details and they are involved in a matter);
• HM Courts and Tribunals Services; and/or
• publicly available sources, such as Companies House (where we need to check the status of your business and the currently appointed directors).

All personal data we obtain will only be used for the following reasons:

• for the provision of our legal services to you (our contract with you);
• to ensure we comply with our legal obligations (for example our money laundering responsibilities);
• in respect of third party information, for our legitimate business interests to support our instruction to provide legal services.

Any Sensitive Personal Data we hold for a matter will only be processed:

• with the explicit consent of the individual to whom it relates (where this can be obtained);
• if made public by the individual to whom it relates; or
• where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim.

In progressing your instruction we may have to disclose personal data to the following third parties (if relevant):

• an opposing party or the legal representative on the other side of the dispute (if applicable);
• legal professionals (including counsel, mediators, adjudicators, costs draftsman);
• insurance providers;
• HR Consultants;
• accountants;
• third party experts;
• data room providers, where required as part of a corporate transaction; and
• HM Courts and Tribunals Service (including the Employment Tribunal).

We will always discuss with you/your nominated contact which third parties we need to involve, before we disclose any personal data to them.

If the instruction involves international angles and/or where the opponent is overseas, we may need to transfer personal data outside of the United Kingdom. You will be informed if this is the case and the agreement to any transfer obtained in advance.

When you first instruct us, we will ask you for information about you including:

• name;
• title;
• address;
• email address;
• date of birth;
• telephone number;
• occupation; and
• financial information (such as your salary and whether you have Home Contents Insurance Cover).

We will ask you to provide identification documents to us to prove your identity, which may also include a copy of a recent payslip.

Naturally, dependent upon the scope of your instruction, we may need to collect additional personal data from you in order to advise and support you. We will explain to you as the matter progresses where personal data needs to be collected, the purpose for that collection and our intended use.

Some of the information you provide to us about you and others will be Sensitive Personal Data (such as your physical or mental health). We will treat this with the highest level of confidence and security.

Owing to the nature of employment services, we will also collect basic information regarding your previous, current or future employer (as applicable) and the relevant contact. This will include basic contact information, such as their name, email address and telephone number.

In the event of a contentious matter, we will also require details of the opposing party’s legal representation (if instructed).

We may also collect the contact details of other third parties involved in a matter, which may include:

• your insurance provider and their nominated contact;
• your accountant or financial adviser;
• your ACAS Conciliator;
• your partner or family (should you wish for us to liaise with them directly regarding your matter and provided they are happy for us to do so);
• in the event of employment tribunal proceedings, any relevant witnesses (provided they have given their consent to you providing us with their personal data and are happy to act as a witness); and
• third party experts (including, for example, occupational health or medical professionals).

The information listed above will mainly be collected from you during the course of your matter.

We may also receive personal data during the course of your instruction from:

• a third party opponent (such as your employer) or their legal representation (if applicable);
• other legal professionals;
• accountants or financial advisers;
• public registers;
• pension providers; and
• HM Courts and Tribunals Service (specifically, the Employment Tribunal).

Of course, the source of personal data collected will depend upon the specific circumstances of your matter.

All personal data we obtain will only be used for the following reasons:

• for the provision of our legal services to you (our contract with you);
• to ensure we comply with our legal obligations (for example, our money laundering responsibilities); or
• in respect of third party information, for our legitimate business interests to support our instruction.

Any Sensitive Personal Data we hold for your matter will only be processed:

• with the explicit consent of the individual to whom it relates;
• if made public by the individual to whom it relates; or
• where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim.

In progressing your instruction we may have to disclose personal data to the following third parties (if relevant):

• an opposing party or the legal representative on the other side of the dispute (if applicable);
• legal professionals (including counsel, mediators, adjudicators, costs draftsman);
• insurance providers;
• HR Consultants;
• accountants;
• third party experts, including occupational health or other medical professionals; and
• HM Courts and Tribunals Service (including the Employment Tribunal).

We will always discuss with you which third parties we need to involve, before we disclose any personal data to them.

If the instruction involves international angles and/or where the opponent is overseas, we may need to transfer personal data outside of the United Kingdom. You will be informed if this is the case and the agreement to any transfer obtained in advance.

When you first instruct us you will be asked to complete a “Family Department Client Information Form”. This will ask you for information relevant to your matter including:

• Information about you (name, title, address, email address, contact information, date of birth, NI number);
• information on your partner (to the same detail as above);
• information on your partner’s legal representation (if applicable);
• information relevant to your relationship (if relevant to your instruction);
• information on your dependents (including children) and contact arrangements;
• confirmation of any third party bodies that have been involved (such as social services);
• details of your financial assets (if relevant to the instruction);
• details of your occupation and that of your partner;
• information on any relevant sources of income outside of work; and/or
• details of any live or pending court proceedings.

Naturally, dependent upon the scope of your instruction, we may need to collect additional personal information from you in order to advise and support you. We will explain to you as the matter progresses where personal information needs to be collected, the purpose for that collection and our intended use.

Some of the information you provide to us about you and others will be Sensitive Personal Data and/or data relating to a child. We will treat this with the highest level of confidence and security.

The information listed above will mainly be collected from you by completing the Family Department Client Information Form and/or by you providing us with additional information during the course of your matter.

We may also receive personal information during the course of your instruction from:

• agents;
• competent authorities;
• social care professionals;
• medical professionals;
• other legal professionals;
• financial institutions;
• public registers;
• pension providers;
• HM Land Registry;
• HM Courts and Tribunals Service;
• property professionals;
• educational establishments;
• residential and nursing homes;
• the armed forces;
• corporate valuers; and/or
• utility providers.

The source of personal information collected will depend upon the specific circumstances of your case.

Please note that we cannot accept, hold, consider or utilise any document you pass to us belonging to a third party that has been obtained without the consent of that third party.

All personal information we obtain will only be used for the following reasons:

• for the provision of our legal services to you (our contract with you);
• to ensure we comply with our legal obligations (for example our safeguarding and money laundering responsibilities); or
• in respect of third party information, for our legitimate business interests to support our instruction.

Any Sensitive Personal Data we hold for your case will only be processed:

• with the explicit consent of the individual to whom it relates;
• as necessary to protect vital interests of the individual where he/she cannot consent;
• if made public by the individual to whom it relates; or
• where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim.

We ensure that any data usage in respect of information pertaining to a child is fully discussed with the adult instructing us.

As part of your case we may have to disclose personal information to the following third parties (if relevant):

• agents;
• Counsel;
• experts instructed on your behalf;
• competent authorities;
• social care professionals (including independent social workers);
• medical professionals (including therapists and counsellors);
• legal professionals (including mediators, collaborative lawyers, arbitrators, private financial dispute resolution judges and litigation funding providers);
• financial institutions;
• public registers;
• pension providers;
• HM Land Registry;
• HM Courts and Tribunals Service;
• property professionals;
• educational establishments;
• residential and nursing homes;
• the armed forces;
• corporate valuers; and/or
• utility providers.

We will always discuss with you which third parties we need to involve, before we disclose any personal information to them.

If your instruction involves international assets or international child relocation we may need to transfer personal information relevant to that issue outside of the United Kingdom. You will be informed if this is the case and your agreement to any transfer obtained in advance.

In order to advise you we will need you to provide:

• basic personal information about you (your name, address, contact information);
• basic contact information of the opposing party (if applicable);
• data relevant to the dispute e.g. Will, Grant of Probate;
• details of relevant finances – assets, debts, liabilities and tax information;
• details of named professionals who hold information; and/or
• information about relationships and beneficiaries.

Naturally, the breadth of personal information we need to collect will depend upon the scope of your instruction. We will only ask for information that we need in order to advise and support you. We will explain to you at each stage what personal information needs to be collected, the purpose for that collection and our intended use.

Some of the information you provide to us about you and others will be Sensitive Personal Data and/or data relating to a child. We will treat this with the highest level of confidence and security.

The personal information we collect will only be used in accordance with your instructions (for the purpose of advising you about the dispute and representing you in litigation) and/or responding to your instructions. In other words:

• for the provision of our legal services to you (our contract with you);
• to ensure we comply with our legal obligations (for example our safeguarding and money laundering responsibilities); or
• in respect of third party information, for our legitimate business interests to support our instruction.

Any Sensitive Personal Data we hold for your case will only be processed:

• with the explicit consent of the individual to whom it relates;
• as necessary to protect vital interests of the individual where he/she cannot consent;
• if made public by the individual to whom it relates; or
• where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim.

We ensure that any data usage in respect of information pertaining to a child is fully discussed with the adult instructing us.

If your instruction involves international assets we may need to transfer personal information relevant to those assets outside of the United Kingdom. You will be informed if this is the case and your agreement to any transfer obtained in advance.

In order to complete your property transaction we need you to provide us with the following:

• identification documents (confirming your name and address);
• your personal details (name, address, contact information, date of birth, NI number, Unique Tax Reference, employer, occupation);
• details of the property involved;
• your existing mortgage information (if applicable);
• details of any financial transaction relevant to your purchase (such as a private loan or gift); and
• your bank account details (so we can transfer funds if applicable).

This information will be requested in the Working Pack that you will receive at the start of the instruction. If, on receipt of replies in the Working Pack, we determine we need additional personal information about you we will speak with you about this.

We may also need the following third party information to process your purchase/sale:

• identity and contact information of any applicable agent;
• details of your lender (current and future) and the lender of the other side (if known);
• name of any individual to whom third party payments are made (for example a service or rent charge);
• name of any individual who is gifting or loaning money as part of the transaction;
• name of any guarantor on a mortgage;
• any third party in possession of your deeds;
• name and address of broker (if applicable);
• information on any tenancy in place or proposed (or other occupier of the property); and/or
• information on any landlord/freeholder and/or management company.

This information will also be requested in the Working Pack that you will receive at the start of the instruction.

The above categories of information will usually be collected from you directly by completing the Working Pack.

We may also receive:

• some preliminary contact information about you and your proposed purchase from your developer/agent (where you have agreed your developer/agent can disclose this to us); and/or
• some financial information from your lender about your current mortgage (again where you have agreed your lender can disclose this to us).

All personal information we obtain will only be used for the following reasons:

• for the provision of our legal services to you (our contract with you);
• to ensure we comply with our legal obligations (for example our money laundering responsibilities); or
• in respect of third party information, for our legitimate business interests to support the transaction.

As part of the transaction we may have to disclose your personal information to the following third parties (if relevant):

• your developer (if this is relevant to you, you will be informed within your Working Pack);
• your lender/financial advisor;
• your agent;
• your broker;
• your indemnity insurer (if relevant);
• the NHBC;
• ISIS (insurance broker) for the purpose of local search insurance, Key One and chancel repair;
• the legal representative on the other side of the transaction;
• the Conveyancing Quality Scheme (which regulates property transactions);
• search providers, such as Search Acumen, Search Flow and SDL;
• conveyancing form suppliers, such as Oyez and Laserform;
• family members (only where you have authorised us to do so);
• HM Revenue and Customs; and/or
• HM Land Registry.

We will always discuss with you which third parties we need to involve, before we disclose any personal information to them.

We will need to collect various categories of personal information from you in order to manage your claim. We will engage with you at each stage of the litigation to explain what personal information we need, why and where it will be sent.

In circumstances where a client lacks capacity, personal information will be collected and used in accordance with the best interests of the individual according to the Mental Capacity Act 2005. We will discuss collection and use with the individual’s litigation friend.

In other cases, personal information will be collected and used in accordance with client instructions (dependent upon the personal circumstances of the case).

We acknowledge that information we hold in this regard will be Sensitive Personal Data and/or data relating to a child. We will treat this with the highest level of confidence and security.

All personal information we obtain will only be used for the following reasons:

• for the provision of our legal services to you (our contract with you);
• to ensure we comply with our legal obligations (for example, our money laundering responsibilities);
• to protect the vital interests of the individual or another;
• as part of performing a task carried out in the public interest or the exercise of official authority vested in us; or
• in respect of third party information, for our legitimate business interests to support our instruction.

Any Sensitive Personal Data we hold for your case will only be processed:

• with the explicit consent of the individual to whom it relates (where this can be obtained);
• as necessary to protect vital interests of the individual where he/she cannot consent;
• as necessary to carry out obligations in social protection law with appropriate safeguards in place;
• if made public by the individual to whom it relates; or
• where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim.

Where we have consent to process medical information we ensure this consent is refreshed every six months.

We ensure that any data usage in respect of information pertaining to a child is fully discussed with the adult instructing us.

In order to prepare a Will, create a Power of Attorney, create a Trust or advise you on Estate Administration we will need you to provide:

• basic personal information about you (your name, address, contact information and in some cases you National Insurance number);
• details of relevant finances – assets, debts, liabilities and tax information;
• details of named professionals who hold information about your assets; and/or
• information about family relationships and beneficiaries.

Naturally, the breadth of personal information we need to collect will depend upon the scope of your instruction. We will only ask for information that we need in order to advise and support you. We will explain to you at each stage what personal information needs to be collected, the purpose for that collection and our intended use.

Some of the information you provide to us about you and others will be Sensitive Personal Data and/or data relating to a child. We will treat this with the highest level of confidence and security.

The personal information we collect will only be used in accordance with your instructions (for the purpose of preparing your Will, creating a Power of Attorney, creating a Trust, Administering your Estate and/or responding to your instructions). In other words:

• for the provision of our legal services to you (our contract with you);
• to ensure we comply with our legal obligations (for example our safeguarding and money laundering responsibilities); or
• in respect of third party information, for our legitimate business interests to support our instruction.

Any Sensitive Personal Data we hold for your case will only be processed:

• with the explicit consent of the individual to whom it relates;
• as necessary to protect vital interests of the individual where he/she cannot consent;
• if made public by the individual to whom it relates; or
• where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim.

We ensure that any data usage in respect of information pertaining to a child is fully discussed with the adult instructing us.

You will be informed prior to any intended disclosure of personal information to a third party. We will not disclose personal information outside of our organisation unless we have your agreement. The only exception to this is where we have a legal obligation to disclose (for example our safeguarding and money laundering responsibilities).

If your instruction involves international assets we may need to transfer personal information relevant to those assets outside of the United Kingdom. You will be informed if this is the case and your agreement to any transfer obtained in advance.

Please note that when a Grant of Probate is issued it becomes a public document.