The Platform is owned and managed by Rizwan Law Associates (“We” or “Us” or “Our”), a full-service law firm engaged in providing legal services (“Services”). This Privacy Policy applies to all current and former users accessing or using Our Platform, or otherwise engaging with us through email or other means (collectively, “You” or “Your”).

By using the Website, you hereby consent to our collection, use, sharing, and disclosure of your information as described in this Policy. It is hereby clarified that we may modify or update this Policy from time to time, and your continued access to, or use of the Website, will be deemed to be an acceptance of the said modifications.

1. Information Collected

We collect your Information when you access our website or communicate with us through email or other digital channels. This information may include personal information as defined under applicable Indian data protection laws. The Information we collect includes, but is not restricted to, the following:

• Name, qualifications, an identification number for our personnel, work and home contact details (email address, phone numbers, physical address), language(s) spoken, gender, date of birth, Voter ID, passport number, PAN Card, marital status, dependents, emergency contact information, photograph, biometric information, medical records, and history, information relating to your physical, physiological or mental health, and passwords.
• Financial details (including bank and Demat accounts), salaries, retainership fees, and stipends.
• Career management information, designation, contractual information, system and application access data, and device-related information.
• Performance-related information: letters of application, resume / CV, or other provided documents, performance, and development reviews.
• Data collected while using the Website or any mobile applications, including data collected automatically such as device ID, IP Address, web browser type, page views, operating system, timing and frequency of use of the Website or application, application/website navigation.
• Any other Information that is collected pursuant to our contractual relations with service providers or clients while providing services or during on-boarding.
• Aadhaar information: You may provide your Aadhaar details for identification purposes. Please note that it is not mandatory for you to do so, and you may give other identification documents such as a PAN card, passport, or driving license. However, we may require Aadhaar information from you to comply with the requirements of applicable law. We shall inform you when such collection is mandatory.

We limit the data collected to what is strictly necessary to complete the purposes provided below in Clause 2.

2. Usage of Information Collected

We use Your Information for the following purposes:

• To operate and improve the Platform in order to foster a positive user experience and to improve Our business as a whole;
• Analysing data, tracking trends, building algorithms, creating databases for rating systems, recommendations engines, etc.;
• Research;
• For non-targeting reasons such as frequency capping, compliance, information reporting or delivery, market research or product development purposes;
• To conduct audits and quality assessment procedures; and
• To analyse the use of Our resources and troubleshooting problems in relation to Our Platform.

In addition to the above, We also use Your Information, including Personal Information, for the following purposes:

• For Our internal operational purpose such as record keeping, accounting and compliance with applicable taxation laws;
• For the purposes of recording information including dates times and locations at which Our Platform have been accessed by using various tracking technologies and thereby improve Our Platform and Your experience by providing You with relevant information based on the above. Your disabling of tracking technologies on the Platform by changing settings on Your smartphone and/or web browser may result in Your inability to use the Platform fully or at all;
• For providing You with regulatory updates which We believe are relevant for You;
• To invite You for seminars, webinars and workshops conducted by Us which We believe may be of interest to You;
• To comply with applicable law;
• To investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud, situations involving potential threats to the safety of any person, or as otherwise required by law;
• To respond to any queries that You may have, and to communicate information to You, including notifications of any alerts, any updates to the Platform; and
• To contact You from time to time to record Your valuable feedback on Our Platform, as they currently stand, and/or any potential services that may be offered in the future;

(Collectively, the above constitute “the Purposes”).

If You wish to opt out of receiving communications such as information regarding the Platform and/or any regulatory updates provided by Us, You may do so by emailing Us at chambers@rizwanlawassociates.in.

Further, We may use social media platform such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. If You connect with Us through any of these services, then such engagement will be subject to the terms of service and privacy policy of the relevant social media platform and You should review the same before connecting with Us on such social media platform.

Our processing of Your Personal Information in the context of Your visit to, and use of Our Platform are based on Our legitimate interests to operate an internet website and blogs for general information and communication purposes, to optimize Our website and blogs, and to protect it from attacks. Furthermore, Our processing of Your Personal Information for providing regulatory updates or conducting other business development activities serves the legitimate interests of the users to receive training in legal matters and know-how and serves Our legitimate interests to develop Our business and promote client relationships. 

3. Disclosure of the Information

We disclose Your Information including Personal Information, as the case may be to third parties in the manner specified below:

• Disclosing Your Information including Personal Information to companies and individuals who are acting as our counterparties, consultants and advisors in relation to the Platform;
• Disclosing Your Information including Personal Information to companies and individuals who are authorised by Us to perform certain functions in relation to the Platform and/or Our business, including Our third party service providers, consultants and professional advisors and insurers;
• We also share aggregated information about You with partners, other Platform users, and other third parties for the purpose of improving Our Platform;
• We may transfer Information including Personal Information to third parties, including persons outside India, in furtherance of the above; and
• We may disclose Your Information, including Personal Information, if legally required to do so, pursuant to an order from a governmental entity or in good faith. We will disclose the Information to:
  • Conform to legal requirements or comply with legal process;
  • Protect Our rights or property;
  • Prevent a crime or protect national security; or
  • Protect the personal safety of users or the public.

Such third parties may include:

• Any of Our agents, contractors or third party service providers that process or will be processing Your Information, on Our behalf, including but not limited to those which provide administrative or other services to Us such as mailing houses, telecommunication companies, information technology companies and data centres; and
• Third parties, such as service providers, to whom disclosure by Us is for one or more of the Purposes and such third parties would in turn be collecting and processing Your Information including Personal Information for one or more of the Purposes. 

4. Third Party Links

The Platform may contain links to third party websites and services (“Third Party Services”). We have no control over such Third Party Services, which are provided by persons or companies other than Us. We are not responsible for any collection or disclosure of Your information by such companies or persons thereof.

Further, We are not liable for any loss or damage which may be incurred by You as a result of the collection and/or disclosure of Your information via Third Party Services. We shall not be liable for any disputes arising from or in connection with such transactions between You and the aforementioned third parties.

Such third party websites, and external applications or resources, accessible via the Platform may have their own privacy policies governing the collection, storage, transfer, retention and/or disclosure of Your information that You may be subject to. We recommend that You exercise reasonable diligence, as You would in traditional offline channels and practice judgment and common sense before committing to any transaction or exchange of information, including but not limited to reviewing the third party website or application’s privacy policy. 

5. Changes to Your Information

You may review, correct, update, or change Your Personal Information on the Platform by emailing Us at chambers@rizwanlawassociates.in.

You may also request Us to delete Your Personal Information, and We will comply with such requests within a reasonable time, unless We are required to keep certain information for legal purposes.

Should You choose to delete Your Personal Information, or modify it in a way that is not verifiable by Us, or leads to such Personal Information being incorrect, We will be unable to provide You with access to Our Platform, and such a deletion or modification may be regarded as the user seeking to discontinue access to Our Platform.

We reserve the right to verify and authenticate Your identity and Your Personal Information in order to ensure accurate delivery of services through the Platform.

Access to, or correction, updating or deletion of Your Personal Information may be denied or limited by Us if it would violate another person’s rights and/or is not otherwise permitted by applicable law.

6. Security of Your Information 

We endeavour to maintain physical, technical and procedural safeguards that are appropriate to protect Your Information against loss, misuse, copying, damage or modification and unauthorized access or disclosure. Some of the security measures adopted by Us are:

• We review Our information collection, storage and processing practices, including physical security measures, to guard against unauthorized access to systems; and
• We restrict access to Personal Information, to Our employees, agents and service providers who need to know that information in order to process it for Us, and who are subject to strict contractual confidentiality obligations, and who may be disciplined or whose relationship with Us may terminate, if they fail to meet these obligations.

Further, We shall not be responsible for any breach of security or for any actions of any third parties or events that are beyond Our reasonable control including but not limited to acts of government, computer hacking, unauthorised access to computer data and storage device, computer crashes, breach of security and encryption, etc.

7. Retention of Information

We will put in place measures such that Your Personal Information, which is in Our possession or under Our control, is destroyed and/or anonymised as soon as and in any case, within 5 (five) years of it being reasonable to assume that (i) the Purpose for which that Personal Information was collected is no longer being served by the retention of such Personal Information; and (ii) retention is no longer necessary for any other reason including applicable law. 

If You wish that We no longer use Your Personal Information in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy, contact Us at chambers@rizwanlawassociates.in.

We, however, reserve the right to retain, store and use Your Information including Personal Information for Our business purposes, whether such Information has been deleted or not. After a period of time, Your data may be anonymised and aggregated, and then may be held by Us as long as necessary for Us to provide Our Services effectively.

Please note that Your withdrawal of consent to use Your Personal Information may result in Us not being able to provide You with access to the Platform, or terminate any existing relationship that We may have with You.

8. Disclaimer

We cannot ensure that all of Your Information including Personal Information will never be disclosed in ways not otherwise described in this Privacy Policy. Therefore, although We are committed to protecting Your privacy, We do not promise, and You should not expect, that Your Information or private communications will always remain private. As a user of the Platform, You assume all responsibility and risk for Your use of the Platform, the internet generally, and the information You post or access and for Your conduct on and off the Platform.

9. Indemnity

You agree and undertake to indemnify Us in any suit or dispute by any third party arising out of disclosure of information by You to third parties either through Our Platform or otherwise, and Your use and access of websites, applications and resources of third parties. We assume no liability for any actions of third parties with regard to Your Information or Personal Information which You may have disclosed to such third parties.