Privacy Policy

Introduction

Expand Counsel ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of our clients and website visitors (“you,” “your,” or “yours”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information when you visit our website, expandcounsel.com ("Site"), and when you engage our legal services, including the use of our chatbot. This policy complies with applicable privacy laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and other relevant privacy laws.

By using our Site, chatbot, and services, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this Privacy Policy, please do not use our Site, chatbot, or engage our services.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information that you provide directly to us, information that is automatically collected when you use our Site, and information collected through our chatbot.

1.1 Information You Provide to Us:

Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, postal address, and other contact details.
Client Information: Information related to your legal matters, including personal details, case history, and other relevant data.
Payment Information: Billing information, including credit card numbers, banking details, and transaction history.
Communications: Any information you provide when you contact us via email, phone, through our contact forms, or via our chatbot.

1.2 Information We Collect Automatically:

Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activity, IP address, browser type, operating system, and the pages you visit on our Site.

Analytics Data: We use third-party analytics tools to collect information about how you use our Site, including the pages you visit, the time spent on those pages, and other usage statistics.

1.3 Information Collected Through Our Chatbot:

Chat Interactions: When you interact with our chatbot, we collect the content of your messages and responses provided by the chatbot. This may include any personal information you share during the conversation, such as your name, contact information, and details about your legal inquiry.

Usage Data: We may collect data on how you interact with the chatbot, such as the date and time of your conversation, the duration of the interaction, and any feedback provided.

1.4 Sensitive Personal Information:

In certain cases, we may collect sensitive personal information vis the Site, such as financial information or other highly personal data necessary for the provision of legal services. If we collect such information, you have the right to limit the use and disclosure of this information for certain purposes, as outlined below in Section 4.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for various purposes, including:

2.1 Providing Legal Services: To deliver legal services, advice, and representation.

2.2 Communication: To communicate with you, respond to inquiries, and provide customer support, including through our chatbot.

2.3 Billing and Payments: To process payments, send invoices, and manage accounts.

2.4 Compliance: To comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

2.5 Site Improvement: To improve our Site’s functionality, enhance user experience, monitor security, and improve our chatbot's performance.

2.6 Marketing: To send newsletters, promotional materials, and other information about our services, subject to your preferences.

3. Legal Basis for Processing Personal Information (For EU Residents)

If you are a resident of the European Union, our legal basis for processing your personal information is:

3.1 Consent: Where you have given explicit consent for the processing of your personal information, including when using our chatbot.

3.2 Contractual Necessity: Where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract.

3.3 Legal Obligations: Where processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation.

3.4 Legitimate Interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests, such as improving our services and chatbot functionality, provided that such interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.

4. Your Rights and Choices

4.1 Rights of California Residents (CPRA): Under the CPRA, California residents have the following rights:

Right to Know: You have the right to request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.

Right to Delete: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
Right to Correct: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate personal information we hold about you.
Right to Limit Use and Disclosure of Sensitive Personal Information: You have the right to limit our use and disclosure of sensitive personal information, such as your Social Security number, financial details, or racial/ethnic data, to those uses that are necessary to provide our services.
Right to Opt-Out of Sharing or Selling Personal Information: We do not sell personal information. However, under the CPRA, you have the right to opt out of the sharing of your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes.
Non-Discrimination: You have the right to non-discriminatory treatment for exercising your privacy rights.

4.2 Rights of EU Residents:

Access: You have the right to access your personal data that we hold.

Rectification: You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Erasure: You have the right to request deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances.
Restriction: You have the right to request the restriction of processing of your personal data.
Portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
Objection: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.

4.3 How to Exercise Your Rights:

To exercise your rights, please contact us at expandcounsel.com/contact. We may require additional information to verify your identity before processing your request. You may also use our "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link on the website, as required by the CPRA.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information gathered through the Site for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law. This includes personal information collected via our chatbot. You can request more specific information about our data retention practices by contacting us.

6. Automated Decision-Making and Profiling

We do not engage in automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects on you. If we implement such technologies in the future, you will be notified, and you will have the right to opt-out of any automated decision-making processes.

7. How We Share Your Information

We may share your personal information with:

7.1 Service Providers: Third-party vendors who provide services on our behalf, such as payment processing, data analysis, chatbot technology providers, and marketing assistance.

7.2 Legal Authorities: When required by law, or to protect our rights, we may disclose your information to law enforcement, government agencies, or other third parties.

7.3 Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our business, your information may be transferred to the new owner.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. This includes securing communications through our chatbot. However, no data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed as completely secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot ensure the absolute security of any information you transmit to us.

9. International Data Transfers

If you are located outside the United States, please note that your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States, where our servers and chatbot providers are located. If you are located in the United States, please note that your information may be transferred to and processed in locations outside the United States, where our servers and chatbot providers maybe located. By using our Site, chatbot, and services, you consent to the transfer of your information to and from the United States.

For EU residents, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place when transferring your data outside the European Economic Area (EEA), such as Standard Contractual Clauses or other lawful mechanisms.

10. Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any websites you visit.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on our Site and updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, including those related to our chatbot, please contact us at:

Expand Counsel

12800 Whitewater Drive #100

Minnetonka, MN 55343