Privacy Policy

At Black & Blanco (B&B), we place great importance on protecting the privacy of individuals and we take all reasonable steps to ensure your information is protected from misuse and unauthorised disclosure.

This Privacy Policy describes our practices in collecting, using, disclosing, retaining and protecting the information that we or our service providers collect, including when you visit blackandblanco.com.au (the Website).

It is our intention to always comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Act) including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

This Privacy Policy uses definitions of “Personal Information” and “Sensitive Information” which are set out in the Act.

1. What Personal Information do we collect?

The type of information we may collect and hold includes Personal Information about:

clients, business associates and potential clients and their employees;
information about individuals we collect in the course of acting for clients;
suppliers and their employees;
employees, prospective employees and contractors; and
other people who come into contact with a member of B&B.

Generally, the Personal Information we collect and hold includes name, contact details, occupation, personal preferences, payment details, employment history, education and qualifications, testimonials and feedback, and other information which assists us in conducting our business, providing and marketing our services and meeting our legal obligations.

In some cases we may also collect Sensitive Information, such as information about an individual’s membership of a professional association, criminal record or health information. Such Sensitive Information is only collected where the individual has provided consent to such collection and the information is reasonably necessary for our function or activities or as otherwise permitted by the APPs.

A failure to collect this information will prevent us from providing our clients with adequate legal services.

2. How we collect Personal Information

Generally we will collect Personal Information:

from you directly when you provide your details to us;
from you indirectly through emails, forms, face-to-face meetings, interviews, mailing list subscriptions, registration and attendance at seminars, business cards and telephone conversations and through use of the services and facilities available through our websites and social media channels; and
from third parties, such as agents or advisors acting on behalf of an individual, third party referrals, through reports from professionals, from publicly available services, internet service providers.

3. Why do we collect, hold, use and disclose Personal Information?

We may collect, hold, use or disclose your Personal Information for the following purposes:

to conduct our business and provide our clients with legal services;
to provide and market our services;
to communicate with you to provide or promote our services;
to purchase goods or services;
to carry our identity verification;
to help us manage and enhance our services;
to protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property, and/or that of our affiliates, you, or others;
to comply with our legal obligations; and
for a related purpose, where the individual concerned would reasonably expect us to use it for that related purpose.

We may disclose your Personal Information to:

our affiliates for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy;
our third-party service providers, agents or contractors;
barristers, legal agents or other advisors we or our clients engage to assist in providing services; and
third parties in the event of any reorganisation, merger, sale, joint venture, assignment, transfer, or other disposition of all or any portion of our business.

We will only disclose Personal Information:

with the consent of the individual concerned;
as otherwise permitted by law; or
as required by any law, court or tribunal order.

4. Non-personal information

We and our third party service providers track and collect traffic patterns through our Website:

through your web browser;
using cookies; and
using pixel tags, web beacons, clear GIFs or other similar technologies.

a. Web browser

Our internet service provider may record and advise us of your service address, domain name, the date and time of your visit, the pages viewed and information downloaded.

b. Cookies

Cookies are pieces of information stored directly on the computer you are using. Cookies allow us to collect information such as browser type, time spent on the Website, pages visited, and language preferences. We use cookies to gather statistical information about the Website to continually improve its design and functionality and understand how individuals use it.

You can refuse to accept these cookies by following your browser’s instructions. However, if you do not accept them, you may experience some inconvenience in your use of the Website.

c. Using pixel tags, web beacons, clear GIFs or other similar technologies

Pixel tags, web beacons, clear GIFs or other similar technologies may be used in connection with some Website pages and HTML formatted e-mail messages to, among other things, measure the success of our marketing campaigns, and compile statistics about Website usage and response rates.

5. Third Party Sites and Services

This Privacy Policy does not address, and we are not responsible for, the privacy, information, or other practice of any third parties, including any third party operating any site or web property (including, without limitation, any application) that is accessed through a link from our Website. We cannot and do not make any warranty or representation as to the practises of any linked websites in the handling of your personal information. Additionally, the availability of, or inclusion of a link to, any such site or property on the Website does not imply endorsement of it by us or by our affiliates.

6. Security

We store Personal Information securely through computer or cloud storage and paper-based files.

We take all reasonable steps to ensure that all information we collect or use is accurate, complete, up-to-date, protected from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification and disclosure and accessed only by authorised personnel for permitted purposes.

Where we no longer require your Personal Information we will take reasonable steps to destroy it.

7. Your Choices

If you wish to:

update, seek access to or correction of any Personal Information which we hold;
request removal of your name from any of our marketing or distribution lists; or
obtain additional information about the way we manage the Personal Information we hold,

please contact us using the details set out in the “Contact us” section of this Privacy Policy. We will respond to your request as soon as reasonably practicable.

8. Complaints

Please forward any complaints to us in writing using the details set out in the “Contact us” section of this Privacy Policy. We will respond to your request as soon as reasonably practicable.

9. Updates to this Privacy Policy

We may modify the Privacy Policy at any time, and such modifications shall be deemed effective immediately upon posting on the Website. Continued use of the Website shall constitute your acceptance of the modified Privacy Policy. Since you will be bound by the amended terms and conditions, you should visit this page periodically to review the Privacy Policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us by email to hello@blackandblanco.com.au or in writing at PO Box 270, Oyster Bay NSW 2225.