PRIVACY NOTICE
1 About us
Hemingways Solicitors Limited (company number 7432273) (SRA number 552740) is the entity responsible for managing any personal data collected or provided as described in section 2 below.
We are a data controller. We decide how we hold and use personal information about data subjects. This privacy notice outlines how we collect and process your personal data in relation to the provision of legal services, or through your use of this website, as well as your rights regarding that information.
If you have questions about this privacy notice or wish to contact us about how we handle your personal data, please contact the firm’s privacy partner, as detailed in section 8 below.
2 Scope of this privacy notice
This notice applies in the following situations:
2.1 When we conduct searches as part of our business development or client acceptance processes;
2.2 When we provide legal services to you or your organisation;
2.3 When you or your organisation are a counterparty to one of our clients;
2.4 When you request or provide information to us;
2.5 When you apply for a job, work experience, open day, or insight event with us; and
2.6 When you visit our office or website.
While we do not specifically target or offer services to children, we may process children’s data in connection with legal services or if provided by you or your employer. If you are asked for information about children and are unclear about the purpose, please get in touch with us at info@Hemingways.co.uk.
3 Information we collect and how we obtain it
We collect personal data about prospective clients, their beneficial owners, and directors as part of our client acceptance processes when providing legal services and conducting business development.
The types of data we may collect include:
3.1 Identity data: names, addresses, nationalities, identification details, date of birth, gender and marital status;
3.2 Contact data: contact and billing details, email addresses and telephone numbers;
3.3 Financial and transaction data: bank account and payment details;
3.4 Matter data: matter details, your contract with us, business interests, employment history, and related information; and
3.5 Job application data: application details, qualifications, employer, organisational affiliations, professional history, roles and details provided by recruitment agencies involved in our hiring process.
The above information may come directly from you or your employer, third parties with whom we deal in the course of carrying out legal services or from publicly available sources. We may also collect data from third parties such as your employer, government agencies, credit bureaus, and public records for compliance purposes and to support the services we provide.
We may also collect information about individuals connected to our clients, such as those involved with counterparties.
If you fail to provide data, we may not be able to provide you with services.
In some circumstances, we may collect ‘special categories of personal data’ about you (such as race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life, sexual orientation, political opinions, trade union membership and information about your health). We may also collect data on criminal convictions and offences.
4 How we use your information
We will only use your personal data in accordance with applicable laws, and we process it when:
4.1 It is necessary to perform a contract with you or your organisation or for us to provide legal services;
4.2 It is required by law or by our regulator;
4.3 You have provided consent (where required), or your organisation has obtained consent to share your data with us; and
4.4 We or a third party have a legitimate interest that does not override your rights. These legitimate interests include (for example) the provision of or promotion of legal services, ensuring our services meet regulatory standards, and ensuring compliance with policies, practices or procedures.
We may use your data to;
4.5 Meet our legal obligations, such as identity verification and compliance with anti-money laundering laws;
4.6 Deliver legal services;
4.7 Conduct security checks when you visit our offices;
4.8 Manage the firm’s operations, including recruitment;
4.9 Maintain and enhance our relationship with you;
4.10 Improve our services; and
4.11 Process and respond to your inquiries or complaints.
We will retain your data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected in accordance with legal or regulatory requirements.
Where we have provided legal services to you, we will generally retain any files for 7 years (unless we agree otherwise with you).
5 Sharing your personal information
We share your personal data with third parties who provide services on our behalf, such as technology suppliers or other service providers. Some of these third parties may have access to your data to support us in providing our services.
We may also need to share your data with lawyers, auditors, bankers, regulatory bodies, government agencies, courts, or other third parties, including in situations where:
5.1 It is necessary to provide legal services;
5.2 You or your organisation have consented to sharing;
5.3 We are legally obliged to share your information (e.g., to comply with anti-money laundering regulations);
5.4 It is necessary for legal proceedings or to protect our legal rights; and
5.5 We have a legitimate interest in sharing the data, provided it doesn't outweigh your rights.
We require all third parties to respect the security of your personal data and treat it in accordance with the law. We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes and only permit them to process it for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.
We do not generally transfer your personal data outside the UK. If we do transfer your data outside the UK, we will only transfer it to countries that the UK considers to provide an adequate level of protection for personal data.
6 Security
We use the latest data security technologies to protect your information in both electronic and physical formats. This includes secure storage maintained under ISO 27001 security protocols.
While we take all necessary precautions, we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your data when transmitted over the internet.
7 Website
We do not collect data through our website and we do not use cookies.
8 Third-party websites
Our website contains links to third-party sites, such as LinkedIn, which have their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for their practices, and we recommend that you review their privacy notices.
9 Your rights
You have certain rights regarding your personal information:
9.1 Request access to your data subject to legal professional privilege and our duties of confidentiality;
9.2 Request corrections to your data;
9.3 Request the deletion of your data (in a limited number of cases);
9.4 Request restrictions on how your data is processed; and
9.5 Object to the processing of your data. This will apply in limited circmstances where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or that of a third party) and there is something about your particular circumstances which entitles you to object. You may also object to our using your personal data for direct marketing.
If you consented to our processing of your data for a specific purpose, you can withdraw that consent at any time. If you wish to exercise any of these rights, contact our privacy partner at info@hemingways.co.uk or by mail:
Privacy Partner
Hemingways Solicitors
11 Westbourne Road
Sheffield
S10 2QQ
Generally, you will not be charged for exercising these rights, though we may charge a fee or deny access if permitted by law.
10 Further information
Our privacy partner oversees compliance with this privacy notice. If you have questions or concerns, please contact them or any relevant contact from supplementary notices.
If we do not resolve your concerns, you may contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk/concerns or call 0303 123 1113.
11 Review and applicability
We keep this policy under review and may updated it at any time. it does not form part of any contract with you.
Last updated: February 2025