Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Whitemore & Sons is a law firm established at: 143 Avenue Louise, 1050 Brussels, Belgium

For any question regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, you may contact us at:

Email: contact@whitemoreandsons.be 
Phone: +32 2 555 47 12

Given the size of our firm, we have not appointed a dedicated data protection officer. Data protection matters are handled directly by our office manager, Charlotte Dunn, who can be reached at the contact details above.

2. What personal data we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

Data you provide directly Name, email address, phone number, company name, and any information you share through our contact form, appointment booking form, or by email or phone, including the details of your legal matter when you request a consultation.

Data collected automatically Technical information such as your IP address, browser type, device information, and browsing behavior on our website, collected through cookies and similar technologies (see Section 7 below).

Client data If you become a client, we collect and process the personal data necessary to provide legal services, which may include identity documents, financial information, corporate records, and other data relevant to your matter. This data is subject to additional confidentiality obligations under our professional rules as lawyers, in addition to the GDPR.

3. Why we process your data, and on what legal basis

Purpose	Legal basis under the GDPR
Responding to a contact form or consultation request	Consent (Art. 6.1.a) and pre-contractual measures (Art. 6.1.b)
Providing legal services to a client	Performance of a contract (Art. 6.1.b) and legal obligation (Art. 6.1.c)
Managing appointments and scheduling	Performance of a contract (Art. 6.1.b)
Website analytics and improving our site	Legitimate interest (Art. 6.1.f) or consent, depending on the cookie (see Section 7)
Complying with legal, tax, or professional obligations	Legal obligation (Art. 6.1.c)
Marketing communications [if applicable]	Consent (Art. 6.1.a)

4. How long we keep your data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described above, and in accordance with our professional and legal obligations. As a general guide:

Contact form and inquiry data: 12 months from your last contact with us, if no client relationship follows

Client file data: 5 years from the closing of your file, in accordance with the retention rules of the Ordre des barreaux francophones et germanophone (OBFG)

Cookies and analytics data: as described in Section 7

This section reflects our current retention practices as of the last update above.

5. Who we share your data with

We do not sell your personal data. We may share it with:

• Service providers who support our operations, including our website and appointment scheduling platform (Odoo), our email provider, and our cloud file storage provider, acting under our notice and bound by confidentiality and data processing agreements.
• Courts, regulators, or public authorities, when required by law or in connection with a legal proceeding.
• Co-counsel or experts, when necessary to handle your matter, and always under confidentiality obligations.

We do not transfer personal data outside the European Economic Area unless appropriate safeguards are in place (such as standard contractual clauses), in accordance with Articles 44 to 49 of the GDPR.

6. Your rights

Under the GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Rectify inaccurate or incomplete data
• Erase your data, where applicable (this right may be limited for client file data subject to our professional retention obligations)
• Restrict the processing of your data
• Object to processing based on legitimate interest or for direct marketing
• Data portability, where technically feasible
• Withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at contact@whitemoreandsons.be. We will respond within one month, as required under Article 12 of the GDPR.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority (Autorité de protection des données / Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit):

Rue de la Presse 35, 1000 Brussels www.autoriteprotectiondonnees.be

7. Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to ensure the site functions correctly, to understand how visitors use it, and, where applicable, to support marketing efforts.

Essential cookies Necessary for the website to function (e.g. session management, security). These do not require consent.

Analytics cookies Used to understand website traffic and usage patterns. We use Google Analytics, with IP anonymization enabled. These require your consent, collected through our cookie banner.

Marketing cookies We do not currently use marketing or advertising cookies on our website.

You can manage your cookie preferences at any time through the cookie settings link in our website's footer, or through your browser settings.

8. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse, in line with Article 32 of the GDPR. As a law firm, we apply additional confidentiality safeguards to protect client data in accordance with our professional obligations.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The date at the top of this page indicates when it was last revised. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

10. Contact us

For any question about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data:

Whitemore & Sons 143 Avenue Louise, 1050 Brussels, Belgium contact@whitemoreandsons.be +32 2 555 47 12.