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Privacy Policy

INTRODUCTION

MacDonald Associates pc ( “we” or “us” ) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it by adhering to this policy. As a law firm operating in Ontario, we also take additional steps to ensure that any information subject to solicitor-client privilege or other professional obligations is handled in compliance with the Law Society of Ontario’s Rules of Professional Conduct ( “Rules of Professional Conduct” ) and applicable law.

We recognize that the lawyer-client relationship is founded on trust and integrity. We consider it our professional and ethical duty to preserve that trust by safeguarding any personal or confidential information entrusted to us.

This policy describes:

  1. How we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information, as defined by Canadian privacy laws, as well as any client information that may be subject to solicitor-client privilege.
  2. The types of information we may collect from you or that you may provide when you visit www.macdonaldsanderson.com ( our “Website” ).
  3. Our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information, including additional provisions for legal services.

Application of This Policy

  • This policy applies to information we collect, use, or disclose about you on this Website and in electronic communications sent through or in connection with this Website.
  • Important: Visiting our Website or communicating with us via email or contact forms does not by itself create a solicitor-client relationship. Until we have confirmed in writing that we represent or advise you on a matter, any information you provide may not be treated as privileged or confidential (except as otherwise required by law). For more on this, see Conflicts and Disclaimers.

Please read this policy carefully to understand our policies and practices for collecting, processing, and storing your information. By accessing or using this Website, you indicate that you understand, accept, and consent to the practices described. If you do not agree with these practices, please refrain from using our Website.

We may revise this privacy policy at any time, in our sole discretion, and without notice. We will, however, provide appropriate notice for material changes (e.g. via email or a prominent notice on our Website). It is your responsibility to check back periodically for non-material updates. Your continued use of our Website after any changes means you accept those changes.

INFORMATION WE COLLECT ABOUT YOU

Personal Information 

Under Canadian privacy laws, personal information generally means any information about an identifiable individual, which includes information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person. such as your:

  • Name and contact information, including address, telephone numbers and email addresses;
  • Billing and account information, including bank or credit card information;
  • Internet protocol (IP) address (where it can be linked to you); and
  • Any other information that could identify you directly or indirectly.

For business contacts, certain business-related information (e.g., job title, business address) may not be considered personal information in some jurisdictions, but we nonetheless handle such information with care.

We do not use Social Insurance Numbers (SINs) or similar government identifiers as a means or organizing or tracking your information, except where specifically required or permitted by law (e.g. certain tax, employment or estate-related matters).

Non-Personal Information

We also collect non-personal information that does not directly or indirectly identify you, such as:

  • Demographic or statistical information (e.g., aggregated site usage data);
  • Technical information, including browser type, operating system, and usage details; and
  • Website interaction data, such as pages visited, links clicked, and the time and date of visits.

We may use or share aggregated and anonymized information (which cannot be used to identify you) for any legitimate business purpose, including internal analytics, marketing insights, or to improve our Website’s functionality.

Information Related to Legal Services 

We may collect additional information if you become a client or potential client for legal services. Such information may include:

  • Detailed personal data for client identification or verification;
  • Financial, employment or other data necessary for providing legal advice or representation; and
  • Any information disclosed in the course of seeking or receiving legal services.

Where such information is collected in the context of legal representation, we handle it in accordance with solicitor-client privilege, confidentiality obligations and the Rules of Professional Conduct.

HOW WE COLLECT YOUR INFORMATION

Direct Interactions

We collect personal information directly from you when you:

  • Fill out forms on our Website (e.g. contact forms);
  • Correspond with us by email, phone or other means; and
  • Provide feedback or request additional services from us.

Automated Technologies

As you navigate through and interact with our Website, we use cookies and other automatic data collection technologies to collect certain information. This may include:

  • Usage data (e.g. pages visited, links clicked, etc.); and
  • IP addresses, operating systems and browser types.

Cookies and similar technologies help us improve our Website and deliver a more personalized experience. You can set your browser to refuse cookies, although doing so may limit some functionality.

Third-Party Links and Plug-Ins 

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites or services. Clicking on those links may allow third parties to collect or share information about you. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit. We do not control these third parties or their privacy practices.

ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS FOR LEGAL SERVICES

Confidentiality and Privilege

Any information that you provide for the purpose of seeking or obtaining legal advice may be considered confidential or privileged, subject to the Rules of Professional Conduct and applicable laws. We will not disclose privileged or confidential information except:

  • As required or permitted by law or Court order;
  • To the extent necessary to fulfill our professional obligations; and
  • To protect our rights or property, if it does not violate our ethical and legal obligations.

Compliance with Professional Rules 

We comply with all applicable privacy laws and the Rules of Professional Conduct in our collection, use and disclosure of personal information. Where these requirements impose higher standards than those set out elsewhere in this policy, we adhere to the more stringent requirements to protect your information and privilege.

Purpose and Scope of Collection for Legal Services

If you engage our legal services, we may collect additional personal information (e.g. identification documents, financial records, or other data) to:

  • Confirm your identity (e.g. “know your client” requirements and compliance with the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (Canada));
  • Determine conflicts of interest;
  • Provide legal advice and representation; and
  • Fulfill our contractual and ethical obligations.

We will not use this information for purposes unrelated to your legal representation unless required by law or with your express consent.

Retention and Destruction of Client Information 

We will retain client files and personal information:

  • For the duration of your legal matter; and
  • As mandated by legal, regulatory or professional obligations, including the Law Society of Ontario’s retention rules.

After the required retention period, we securely destroy or anonymize the information. If we cannot fulfill a request to destroy or return certain records due to legal or regulatory constraints, we will inform you to the extent permitted by law.

International Data Transfers and Outsourcing

Where we engage third-party service providers (e.g. cloud hosting or eDiscovery platforms) located outside Canada, we use contractual and other safeguards to ensure they maintain comparable privacy, security and confidentiality standards. Please note that data outside Canada may be subject to the laws of those jurisdictions, but we take steps to preserve solicitor-client privilege and other professional obligations.

Conflicts and Disclaimers 

Submitting information through our Website or via email does not automatically create a solicitor-client relationship. We must first check for conflicts of interest and verify in writing that we agree to represent you. If we cannot represent you or identify a conflict, we may delete or retain your submission only as necessary to comply with our obligations under professional or legal requirements.

Privilege Overrides and Legal Demands

We will disclose privileged or confidential information only when:

  • Required by law, regulation or Court order;
  • In good faith to comply with valid legal processes; and/or
  • Consistent with the Rules of Professional Conduct, including asserting privilege on your behalf when appropriate.

When feasible and lawful, we will inform you of such demands and will limit disclosures to what is legally required.

HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION (GENERAL WEBSITE USE)

Outside the scope of providing legal services, we use the information we collect (including personal information) to:

  • Present our Website and its contents to you;
  • Fulfill requests for information or services;
  • Administer surveys, promotions or other Website features;
  • Improve our Website, services and user experience; and
  • Comply with legal obligations and enforce our legal rights, including for billing and collection.

Marketing and Promotional Communications

We may send promotional or informational emails about legal developments, upcoming firm events or other news that may interest our clients and contacts. Where necessary, we may engage third-party service providers (e.g. mailing list platforms) to assist in distributing such communications. We share personal information with these providers only to the extent needed and require them to adhere to confidentiality obligations. You can unsubscribe or opt out of these communications at any time (see Choices About How We Use and Disclose Your Information).

DISCLOSURE OF YOUR INFORMATION 

We may disclose personal information to:

  • Subsidiaries and affiliates within our corporate group;
  • Service providers who assist with functions like analytics, Website hosting, or IT support, provided they adhere to confidentiality obligations;
  • Successors or assigns in the event or a merger, restructuring or similar transaction involving our assets, subject to appropriate confidentiality agreements;
  • Law enforcement, government authorities or other parties if legally required to do so, or if disclosure is necessary to protect our rights or the rights of others; and
  • Any other party with your express consent.

If we disclose information that is covered by solicitor-client privilege, we do so only as authorized or required under applicable laws and the Rules of Professional Conduct.

TRANSFERRING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We may process and store your personal information outside Canada. Your personal information may therefore be subject to foreign laws and accessible to foreign governments, courts or law enforcement and regulatory agencies. Where we engage third parties, we require them to protect your personal information in accordance with this policy and applicable Canadian privacy laws.  By submitting your personal information or engaging with the Website, you consent to this processing and storage.

CHOICES ABOUT HOW WE USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR INFORMATION

Tracking Technologies

You can set your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable cookies, some parts of our Website may become inaccessible, or not function properly.

Promotional Emails

If you no longer wish to receive promotional emails from us, you can opt out by following the unsubscribe link in the email or by contacting support@maclawyers.ca.

DATA SECURITY

We take reasonable physical, electronic and administrative measures to secure your personal information from accidental loss and unauthorized access, use, alteration and disclosure. However, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted to our Website; any transmission is at your own risk. If you have a password for certain features of our Website, you are responsible for keeping it confidential.

DATA RETENTION

Except as otherwise required by our professional obligations or permitted by applicable law, we will retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting or regulatory requirements. We may anonymize your information so it can no longer be associated with you. We reserve the right to use anonymized data for legitimate business purposes.

CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 13

Our Website is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without parental or legal guardian consent. If you believe we have such information, please contact us at support@maclawyers.ca.

ACCESSING AND CORRECTING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and to request corrections if it is inaccurate or incomplete. If you wish to review, verify, correct or withdraw consent to the use of your personal information, contact support@maclawyers.ca.

Access to personal information may be denied in certain situations, including where disclosure would:

  • Reveal personal information about another individual;
  • Interfere with or prejudice an ongoing legal matter, dispute or negotiation;
  • Breach solicitor-client privilege or another legal protection;
  • Contravene a Court order or other legal requirement; or
  • Be manifestly frivolous or vexatious.

We may need to confirm your identity before granting access or making changes. Certain legal or regulatory requirements may allow us to refuse access or limit the information we provide. If we cannot fulfill your request, we will provide an explanation, subject to any legal or regulatory restrictions.

WITHDRAWING YOUR CONSENT

Where you have provided your consent to collecting, using or disclosing your personal information, you have the right to withdraw the consent in certain circumstances. Please note that withdrawal may affect our ability to provide you with some services. For more information, contact us at support@maclawyers.ca.

CHANGES TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY

We will post any changes we make to our privacy policy on this page. If we make material changes to how we treat our users’ personal information, we will notify you by email or through a notice on the Website home page. The date this policy was last revised is noted at the top of this page.

CONTACT INFORMATION AND COMPLIANCE

If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about this policy or our handling of personal information, please contact our Privacy Compliance Officer:

MacDonald Associates pc

Attention: Privacy Compliance Officer

702-15 Wertheim Court, Richmond Hill, Ontario, L4B 3H7

Telephone: 905-731-9251

Email: support@maclawyers.ca.

We have procedures in place to receive and respond to complaints or inquiries about our handling of personal information, our compliance with this policy, and applicable privacy laws. If you remain unsatisfied, you may have the right to contact the applicable privacy commissioner (e.g., the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada). 

For general inquiries regarding this policy, you can also contact us at support@maclawyers.ca.

Last modified: March 27, 2025

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