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STINSON LEONARD STREET PRIVACY POLICY

Stinson Leonard Street LLP (“SLS”) is committed to safeguarding your privacy on our website located at www.stinson.com. We use this privacy policy to clearly disclose to you our privacy practices in a manner that is easy to understand. If there is something you do not understand about our privacy practices, please feel free to contact us at privacy@stinson.com.

This privacy policy does not apply to services or information obtained, other than through the website. We may change this policy from time to time so please check back often. If we significantly change our collection, use, or disclosure practices, we will try to send you a notice via email if you have provided us with an email address. This Privacy Policy is effective as of January 1, 2014.

What information does SLS collect from you?

We collect information in several ways. Some of the information we collect is personal to you. Other information is anonymous. We collect the following categories of information:

  • When you sign up to receive e-alerts and announcements, we ask you for your first and last name, email address and company
  • When you log into our client extranet site to upload documents, we ask you for the Username and Password that have been previously provided to you
  • When you report a problem with our site or services we will collect contact information along with a description of your problem
  • When you contact us via the firm email addresses, we will collect your contact information and any information you include in your email
  • When you pay a bill online under our “Online Payments” section, we ask for transaction information including your company name, first and last name, mailing address, phone number, email address, client matter number, invoice number and payment information. If you chose to pay with a bank account, payment information includes accountholder name, address, and phone number along with bank routing number and bank account number. If the account is a corporate bank account, we ask for the name of the person submitting the payment on behalf of the company
  • When you visit and navigate our site, use our applications or third party sites, or open our emails, we may collect technical information about your use of our site including IP address, device identifier, and viewing information

How do we collect information from you?

Direct Collection

We collect much of the information listed above directly from you when you submit it on our website. This includes information such as registration information, contact information and payment information. If you do not want to share your information, you can choose not to participate in a particular service or activity.

Indirect Collection – Cookies and Other Technology 

As part of offering and providing customizable and personalized services, many websites use cookies and other online tracking technologies to store and sometimes track information about you. We may use these technologies to:

  • Provide you with personalized content based on your use of our site.
  • Enable you to more easily use our site by remembering and using contact information, purchasing information, and registration information.
  • Evaluate, monitor and analyze the use of our site and its traffic patterns to help improve our site and services.

The types of technologies we use include:

  • Cookies. A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser from a Web server and stored on your computer’s hard drive. Cookies enable us to identify your browser as a unique user. Cookies may involve the transmission of information from us to you and from you to us. Cookies may also be used by another party on our behalf to transfer information to us in accordance with their privacy policy.

Some cookies are “persistent cookies”. They are used by us each time you access our website. We may, for example, use a persistent cookie to help you pre-populate information when you log into our payment gateway. Other cookies are called “session cookies”. Session cookies are used only during a specific browsing session. We may use a session cookie, for example, to remember that you have already navigated through a particular menu, or that you have entered in age information for a portion of a site that is restricted by age.

We may also use “analytics cookies” that allow web analytics services, such as Google Analytics and Ektron, to recognize your browser or device and, for example, identify whether you have visited our website before, what you have previously viewed or clicked on, and how you found us. This information is provided anonymously for statistical analysis only. Analytics cookies are usually persistent cookies.

You may disable browser cookies in your browser or set your browser to warn you when a cookie is being sent. You may lose some features or functionality when you disable cookies. Remember, also, that disabling cookies is browser specific. If you log on using Internet Explorer, you must also disable cookies in Safari if you use that browser at a different time.

  • Log Files. Like most standard website servers, we use log files. Log files track Internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, Internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, platform type, date/time stamp, and number of clicks. We utilize this information to analyze trends, administer the site, prevent fraud, track website navigation in the aggregate, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use.
  • Web Beacons. We also employ a software technology called a clear GIF (Graphics Interchange Format), also known as a pixel tag or Web beacon. A clear GIF is a line of code that we place on our websites or in e-mails which allows us to analyze our advertising and the general usage patterns of visitors to our websites. These help us better manage content on our site by informing us what content is effective. We do not collect personally identifiable information from you through the use of web beacons. You may not disable Web beacons. 

Indirect Collection – Social Networking

Our website permits you to use a third-party social networking platform such as Twitter and Google+ to share articles and other information on our website. This includes use of social media plugins such as Twitter and Google “+1” buttons, along with the ability to share by email. When you use social networking platforms and plugins, you share your information with them and their privacy policy applies disclosure of such information. In addition, they may be able to collect information about you, including your activity or may notify your connections on the social networking platform about your use of the SLS website. Such services may allow your activity to be monitored across multiple websites for purposes of delivering more targeted advertising. Please note that their own privacy polices apply and we encourage you to read them. We may add new social networking plugins and buttons to our websites from time to time.

How do we use your information?

Our main goal in collecting information is to improve the site and provide you with the best possible experience on the site. For example, by using the information we collect, we can provide you with an easy to use and readily available forum to learn about our legal services.

We will also use your personal information to: 

  • Notify you of other services, events, or information available from SLS
  • Enable you to participate in online bill payments
  • Enable you to upload documents using our client extranet service
  • Personalize online content so that is applies to you and your interests
  • Make our services and website better
  • Analyze and understand the use of our website
  • Detect, investigate and prevent activities that may violate our policies or be illegal

Who is collecting information?

Except as provided in this Privacy Policy, only SLS and its service providers will have access to your personal account information. When you are on the SLS site and are asked for personal information, you are sharing that information with SLS and service providers. If personal data is to be collected and/or maintained by any company other than SLS or its service providers, we will try to notify you on the website or in an updated version of this Privacy Policy. If you do not want your data to be shared, you can choose not to allow the transfer by not using that particular service.

Other websites to which we link may collect personally identifiable information about you when you visit those sites. The information practices of other websites linked to our websites are not covered by this Privacy Policy.

With whom does SLS share my information?

We will not disclose any of your personally identifiable information except when we have your permission or under special circumstances, such as when we believe in good faith that the law requires it or under the circumstances described below. These are some of the ways that your information may be disclosed:

Service Providers

We occasionally hire other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, including website development and operation, preparing marketing materials, sending postal mail or email, analyzing website use, processing payments and processing data. We will only provide those companies the information they need to deliver the service, and they are contractually prohibited from using that information for any other reason.

Data in the Aggregate

We may disclose “blinded” aggregated data and user statistics to prospective partners and other third parties. Blinded data is data that does not identify an individual person.

Other

We also may disclose your information in special cases. For example, when we believe that we must disclose information to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be violating our Terms of Use, or may be causing injury to or interference with our rights or property, other website users or clients, or anyone else who may be harmed by such activities. We may disclose or access account information when we believe in good faith that the law requires it and for administrative and other purposes that we deem necessary to maintain, service and improve our products and services.

As we continue to develop our firm, we may combine with other firms or groups of attorneys. In such transactions, confidential client information generally is one of the transferred business assets. In the event of such a transaction client and site visitor information may be one of the transferred assets and may be disclosed in connection with negotiations relating to a proposed transaction. In such case, the transferred information may become subject to a different privacy policy.

How can I control my personal information? 

We offer our clients choices for the collection, use and sharing of personal information. You may contact us at privacy@stinsonleonard.com if you wish to view, edit, or delete your personal information from our database, and we will use commercially reasonable efforts to accommodate your request.

If you believe that any inaccurate or inappropriate information has been obtained or provided to others through your use of this website, you should contact a representative of SLS at privacy@stinson.com 

How does SLS protect financial-related information?

Keeping your personal financial information private is very important to us. As a matter of policy and long-time business practice, we do not sell or share financial information provided by our users. We will transfer your credit card number, bank account number or other personal information to the appropriate credit card company, bank or other service provider in order to process any online payments.

What security precautions are in place to protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of my information?

Your SLS account information for the client extranet is password-protected so that only you have access to this information. We use encryption technology for credit card numbers, bank account numbers, passwords, and extranet access information. Remember to sign out of your extranet account and close your browser window when you have finished your work. This is to ensure that others cannot access your account by using your computer when you are away from it. We do not use encryption for information you submit when you subscribe to e-alerts or other notifications. Because information sent through the Internet travels from computer to computer throughout the world, when you give us information that information may be sent electronically to servers outside of the country where you originally entered the information. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. Except as specifically stated, this site does not use security encryption measures. Information that you disclose by use of this site (as with any site that is non-secure), by posting a message or using e-mail, potentially could be collected and used by others. This may result in unsolicited messages from third parties or use of such information by third parties for their own purposes, legal or illegal. As a result, while we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us or from our services, and you do so at your own risk. Once we receive your transmission, we use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure its security on our systems.

Choice/Opt-out

To ensure that you will not receive recurring marketing or other information from us unless you choose to, we will provide you with simple instructions on each marketing email from Company for you to let us know that you have chosen to stop receiving such emails from us.

What else should I know about my privacy?

Please keep in mind that whenever you voluntarily disclose information online, that information is accessible to other customers and users. Ultimately, you are solely responsible for maintaining the secrecy of your passwords and/or any account information. Please be careful and responsible whenever you are online.

When you or we end your client relationship with us, we will treat the information we have about you as if you were still our client.

Your California Privacy Rights

California Civil Code Section 1798.83 permits our visitors who are California residents to request certain information regarding our disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please send an email to or write us:

privacy@stinson.com

Stinson Leonard Street LLP

Attn: Director of Public Relations

50 South Sixth Street

Minneapolis, MN 55402

Make sure to state that you are a California resident.

Do Not Track

Do Not Track (DNT) is a privacy preference that users can set in their web browsers. While the United States Federal Trade Commission has endorsed DNT, our website does not support DNT codes. However, except in the case of analytics cookies described above, our website limits tracking to the internal uses described above and does not enable the tracking of our users across multiple websites. Except in the case of analytics cookies described above, our website does not track your use across multiple websites, however, other websites to which we link may. Please review their privacy policies to understand how you may be tracked.

Who do users contact with questions or concerns about our Privacy Policy?

If you need further assistance, please send an email with your questions or comments to privacy@stinson.com or write us at:

Stinson Leonard Street LLP

Attn: Director of Public Relations

50 South Sixth Street

Minneapolis, MN 55402