Alma Law Firm - PRIVACY POLICY
Scope
Effective Date: January 1, 2025 | Last Updated: January 1, 2025
This Privacy Policy describes how Alma Law Firm (“Firm,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, discloses, and protects information obtained through almalawfirm.com (the “Site”). By accessing or using the Site, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
1. Scope and Application. This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through the Site. It does not apply to information collected through any other channel, including in-person consultations, telephone communications, email outside the Site, social media, or third-party platforms not operated by us. Information provided in the course of a formal attorney-client engagement is governed by the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, the terms of the applicable engagement letter, and the attorney-client privilege and attorney work product doctrine, not by this Privacy Policy.
2. No Attorney-Client Relationship Through the Site.
Your use of the Site, submission of information through any Site form, or communication with us via the Site does not create an attorney-client relationship. No attorney-client relationship is formed unless and until we have executed a written engagement letter with you and confirmed in writing that we have agreed to represent you. Until that relationship is formally established:
(a) do not send us confidential, privileged, or sensitive information through the Site;
(b) information you submit through the Site may not be protected by the attorney-client privilege or the attorney work product doctrine; and
(c) our confidentiality obligations toward prospective clients are governed by Rule 4-1.18 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, as described in Section 9 below.
4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies.
The Site uses cookies, pixel tags, and similar technologies to operate the Site, analyze usage, and improve functionality.
(a) Essential Cookies. These cookies are required for the Site to function and cannot be disabled through the Site interface.
(b) Analytics Cookies. These cookies help us understand how visitors use the Site. We use [Google Analytics or equivalent] for this purpose.
(c) Cookie Controls. You may control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect Site functionality.
(d) Do Not Track. The Site does not currently respond to “Do Not Track” browser signals. If this practice changes, we will update this Privacy Policy.
5. How We Use Information.
We use information collected through the Site to:
(a) respond to inquiries and evaluate potential representation, including running conflicts checks and other intake procedures required by applicable rules of professional conduct;
(b) provide, maintain, secure, and improve the Site;
(c) communicate with you regarding our services, subject to your consent where required by law;
(d) comply with legal, regulatory, and ethical obligations, including anti-money laundering, sanctions screening, tax reporting, and document retention requirements; and
(e) protect the security and integrity of the Site, investigate suspected violations of our terms, and defend against legal claims.
Jurisdiction
6. Legal Bases for Processing (EEA, UK, and Switzerland).
If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we process your personal data on the following legal bases:
(a) your consent, where required and given, which you may withdraw at any time;
(b) performance of a contract with you or steps taken at your request prior to entering into a contract;
(c) compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject; and
(d) our legitimate interests in operating a law practice, responding to inquiries, and preventing fraud, except where those interests are overridden by your rights and freedoms.
7. Disclosure of Information.
We do not sell personal information. We may disclose information:
(a) to service providers that perform functions on our behalf, including hosting, email delivery, analytics, document management, and conflicts-checking services, subject to contractual confidentiality obligations;
(b) to comply with legal process, court order, subpoena, or governmental or regulatory request;
(c) to enforce our rights, investigate suspected fraud, or protect the safety of any person;
(d) in connection with a business transaction such as a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, subject to applicable confidentiality requirements and rules of professional conduct; and
(e) with your express consent.
8. Third-Party Links and Services. The Site may contain links to third-party websites, platforms, or services. We do not control and are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties. Review the privacy policy of any third-party service before providing information through it.
9. Prospective Client Information. Rule 4-1.18 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar governs information received from a prospective client. Information you submit through the Site for the purpose of seeking legal services will be treated in accordance with Rule 4-1.18, subject to the limitations stated in Section 2. To minimize the risk of imputed conflicts that could preclude the Firm from undertaking a matter, you should limit information submitted through the Site to the minimum necessary for an initial conflicts check and preliminary assessment. Detailed factual narratives, documents, and other sensitive materials should be provided only after a written engagement letter is in place.
10. Data Retention. We retain information collected through the Site for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, comply with legal and ethical obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. Retention periods vary by data category and may be extended to the extent required by applicable laws, rules of professional conduct, and document retention obligations. Upon expiration of the applicable retention period, information is deleted, anonymized, or securely archived.
11. Data Security. We implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect information collected through the Site against unauthorized access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. No method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is fully secure. You transmit information to us through the Site at your own risk.
Your Rights
12. Your Rights.
(a) California Residents. If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (collectively, the “CCPA”), affords you certain rights, including:
(i) the right to know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and (if applicable) sell or share about you;
(ii) the right to delete personal information we have collected about you, subject to statutory exceptions;
(iii) the right to correct inaccurate personal information;
(iv) the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (we do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined by the CCPA);
(v) the right to limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information; and
(vi) the right to be free from retaliation or discrimination for exercising CCPA rights.
(b) EEA, UK, and Switzerland Residents. If you are located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you have the following rights under applicable data protection law:
(i) access to your personal data;
(ii) rectification of inaccurate or incomplete personal data;
(iii) erasure of personal data, subject to exceptions;
(iv) restriction of processing;
(v) data portability;
(vi) objection to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing; and
(vii) withdrawal of consent where processing is based on consent.
(c) You may also lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.
(d) Other Jurisdictions. Residents of other U.S. states (including Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and others with comprehensive privacy statutes in effect) and of other non-U.S. jurisdictions may have rights similar to those described above. Contact us to inquire about rights available to you.
(e) How to Exercise Rights. To exercise any of the rights described above, contact us using the information in Section 17. We may verify your identity before responding and may decline requests to the extent permitted by law, rules of professional conduct, or our legal and ethical document retention obligations.
13. Children’s Privacy. The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected personal information from a child under 13, contact us and we will delete that information.
14. International Data Transfers. The Site is operated from the United States. If you access the Site from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States, which may not provide the same level of data protection as your home jurisdiction. Where required by law, we implement appropriate safeguards for international transfers, including European Commission standard contractual clauses or the UK International Data Transfer Addendum, as applicable.
15. Changes to This Privacy Policy. We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The revised Privacy Policy will be posted on the Site with an updated “Last Updated” date. Where required by law, we will provide additional notice or seek your consent. Your continued use of the Site following posting constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.
16. Governing Law. This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to its conflict of laws principles, except to the extent that mandatory provisions of the law of another jurisdiction apply.
17. Contact Information.
For questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise the rights described above:
Alma Law Firm
Attn: Privacy Officer
Email: hector@almalawfirm.com