Privacy Policy
Who we are
IMPORTANT LEGAL DISCLAIMER:
This document is a general template for a Privacy Policy and should NOT be considered legal advice. Data protection laws vary significantly by jurisdiction. As a legal firm, Equilex Advocate & Solicitor handles sensitive client information and is subject to strict professional secrecy obligations and specific data protection regulations. It is absolutely CRUCIAL that you consult with a qualified legal professional, specializing in data privacy law (including the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation – NDPR), to review and tailor this policy to your firm’s exact data handling practices, the specific legal services you offer, your operational jurisdiction, your client base, and all applicable national and international data protection laws and ethical guidelines.
Privacy Policy
Effective Date: July 23, 2025
1. Introduction
Welcome to Equilex Advocate & Solicitor (“we,” “our,” or “us”). We are a law firm committed to upholding the highest standards of professional conduct and client confidentiality, which extends to the protection of your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information that we obtain from visitors to our website, equilexadvocates-solicitors.com, and individuals who interact with us through this platform.
By accessing or using our website, you signify your acceptance of the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy.
2. Who We Are
Equilex Advocate & Solicitor is a legal firm based in Lagos, Nigeria, dedicated to providing comprehensive legal services.
Our Website Address is: https://equilexadvocates-solicitors.com
3. Information We Collect
We collect various types of information to effectively provide our legal services, communicate with you, and improve our website experience.
a. Personal Information (Information you provide to us directly): This category includes data that can directly identify you. We may collect personal information when you:
- Contact us via our website’s contact forms, email, or telephone.
- Subscribe to our newsletters, legal updates, or publications.
- Request information regarding our legal services.
- Engage us for legal counsel or representation (this will be subject to a formal client engagement agreement, professional legal privilege, and specific confidentiality undertakings).
The types of personal information we may collect include:
- Full Name
- Email Address
- Telephone Number
- Organisation or Company Name
- Professional Title/Occupation
- Any other information you choose to provide within your communications with us or as part of an inquiry.
b. Usage Data (Information collected automatically): As you navigate and interact with our website, we may automatically collect certain non-identifiable information about your device, Browse actions, and patterns. This data helps us analyze website performance and user engagement. This may include:
- Your computer’s Internet Protocol (IP) address.
- Browser type and version.
- The specific pages of our website that you visit.
- The time and date of your visit.
- The time spent on those pages.
- Referring/exit pages.
- Unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.
c. Information from Clients (Sensitive Data): Upon establishing a formal client relationship, we will necessarily collect more extensive and often highly sensitive personal and legal information. The collection, processing, storage, and protection of such client information are governed primarily by our legal and ethical obligations (including attorney-client privilege and confidentiality), the terms of our specific client engagement agreement, and applicable laws such as the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation (NDPR). This website’s Privacy Policy applies to your interaction with us through the website prior to or outside of a formal solicitor-client relationship.
4. How We Collect Information
We collect information through:
- Direct Interactions: Information you provide when you fill out forms, send emails, or communicate with our team.
- Automated Technologies or Interactions: Through the use of cookies, server logs, and other similar tracking technologies as you browse our website.
5. How We Use Your Information
We use the information collected for various legitimate purposes, including:
- To respond to your inquiries and provide you with requested information or materials.
- To communicate with you regarding legal updates, firm news, or services that may be of interest to you.
- To improve and optimize our website’s functionality, content, and user experience.
- To analyze website usage trends and diagnose technical issues.
- To maintain the security, integrity, and stability of our website and services.
- To comply with legal and regulatory obligations, and to enforce our terms and conditions.
- To prevent fraudulent activities and ensure the security of our operations.
- For client-specific purposes, as agreed upon in engagement letters and governed by professional legal ethics.
6. Disclosure of Your Information
Equilex Advocate & Solicitor is committed to protecting your personal information. We will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may disclose your information only in the following limited circumstances:
- To Trusted Service Providers: We may share your information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as website hosting, analytics, IT support, or professional advisory services. These third parties are contractually bound to maintain the confidentiality of your information and use it only for the purposes for which we engage them.
- For Legal Compliance & Public Authorities: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or in response to valid requests from public authorities (e.g., government agencies, regulatory bodies).
- With Your Explicit Consent: We may share your personal information with any other third party when we have obtained your explicit consent to do so.
- Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will endeavor to notify you before your personal information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
- Professional Obligations & Confidentiality (Key for Legal Firms): As a law firm, any sharing of client-specific or sensitive data is strictly governed by our professional legal and ethical obligations, including attorney-client privilege and confidentiality rules, and is only done with client consent where legally or ethically required, or as mandated by law.
7. Data Security
We implement robust technical and organizational measures to safeguard your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include [mention specific general measures, e.g., encryption, access controls, secure networks, firewalls, regular security audits, staff training on data handling].
While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, it is important to acknowledge that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
8. Data Retention
We retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Our retention periods are determined based on the type of information, the purpose for which it was collected, and our legal and professional obligations.
9. Your Data Protection Rights (Under NDPR and other applicable laws)
Depending on your location and the specific data protection laws that apply to you (such as the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation – NDPR), you may have certain rights concerning your personal information. These rights may include:
- The right to be informed: To know what personal data is being collected, why, and by whom.
- The right to access: To request copies of your personal data held by us.
- The right to rectification (correction): To request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate or complete information you believe is incomplete.
- The right to erasure (to be forgotten): To request that we erase your personal data, under certain conditions (e.g., if the data is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected).
- The right to restrict processing: To request that we restrict the processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
- The right to object to processing: To object to our processing of your personal data, under certain conditions (e.g., for direct marketing).
- The right to data portability: To request that we transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.
- Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling: To object to decisions made solely on automated processing.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact details provided in Section 14 below. We will respond to your request within the timeframe required by applicable law (e.g., 30 days under NDPR).
10. Cookies
Our website utilizes “cookies” to enhance your Browse experience. Cookies are small data files placed on your device (computer or mobile device) when you visit a website. They help us remember your preferences, analyze website traffic, and understand how you interact with our content.
You have the option to accept or refuse cookies. Most web browsers are set to automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser settings to decline cookies if you prefer. However, please be aware that if you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience all features of our website.
11. Links to Other Websites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites that are not operated by Equilex Advocate & Solicitor. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party’s site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.
12. Children’s Privacy
Our website is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18 (“Children”). We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 18. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your Children have provided us with Personal Information, please contact us immediately. If we become aware that we have collected Personal Information from Children without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information from our servers.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update our Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the “Effective Date” at the top of this Privacy Policy. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy regularly for any updates. Changes to this Privacy Policy become effective when they are posted on this page.