Your privacy is in our interest. In this Policy, you can learn what data we collect about you and how we use it. This Policy will always be up-to-date, so we encourage you to check it occasionally.

About us
We are a Slovak law firm providing various legal services to national, international, and foreign clients. In this Policy, the term “we” represents our firm, including all its associates and employees.

Below you will find answers to essential questions regarding collecting and processing personal data. Please get in touch with us if you have any further questions or want to exercise your rights.

Personal data processing controller:

What data do we collect?
We may collect the following data about you:

• Identification data: such as name, middle name, surname, title, date and place of birth, residential address, face depiction, signature, gender, marital status, nationality, birth number, or another unique identifier (e.g., tax, social security, and/or health insurance number), travel/identity document details (e.g., passport, driver’s license, national ID or residence card number, date of issuance, issuing authority, and expiration date);
• Contact data: such as a postal address, phone number, e-mail address, social media accounts, or other means of communication;
• Business and employment data: such as your business, entrepreneurial, or other economic activities, your employer identification details, job title/position, salary, or other income;
• Financial data: such as payment-related data (e.g., name of a bank or another financial institution and account number);
• Attendance data: such as your attendance at our office or our events for security purposes;
• Technical data: such as data collected from your visits to our website via cookies or analytics;
• Other data you provided us before, during, or after rendering legal or other services.

How do we collect the data?
We obtain all of the above data directly from you when you provide it to us, when we render legal services to you, when you interact with our website and social sites, or from publicly available sources (such as social sites and open registers). We usually do not collect your data from third parties except public authorities. In some cases where data about third parties is provided or disclosed to us, we assume that whoever has provided or disclosed it to us has consent from the third party to provide or disclose their data. If you are not our client, we may obtain all of the above data related to you from our clients, business partners, or publicly available sources. This usually happens when our client has or is about to have a dispute with you or is in contract negotiations with you.

How do we use the data?

• Providing and paying for services: reviewing cases, analyzing solutions, creating strategies, implementing actions, providing consultations, rendering services, and setting up the billing process;
• Communicating with you: calling, messaging, e-mailing, and informing you of everything you need to know about the provision of legal services;
• Building a relationship with you: using data about your business or other activities so that we can tailor our services portfolio to our client needs;
• Developing our law firm: analyzing your interests, producing statistics, monitoring analytical data from our website and social sites to adapt to the market;
• Fulfilling our obligations to you and other subjects;
• Fulfilling our legitimate interests specified below.

How do we protect the data?
We do everything we can to protect your data from misuse or unauthorized access, both physically and digitally. However, in today’s technology age, the internet is not entirely secure; we cannot ensure that all data you provide or disclose to us electronically will be available to us exclusively. Therefore, you are also responsible for securely transmitting the data to us.

How long do we keep the data?
We keep your data while providing legal or other services until payment is made for all services and related expenses. If you are our regular client, we may also keep your data for extended periods, mainly for the efficient and prompt provision of further legal or other services. In other cases, we only retain data if it is consistent with our legitimate interests or if we are required to do so by law.

Who do we share the data with?
Your data does not leave our firm unless it is necessary to provide the requested legal or other services. In that case, your data may be disclosed to public authorities, our tax advisors, accountants, experts, business partners (e.g., translators, interpreters, couriers, agents, and brokers), or cooperating law firms while ensuring their protection.

On what legal basis do we process the data?
Every personal data processing controller must have a valid lawful basis to process personal data. The legal bases for processing personal data are governed by Article 6 GDPR and § 13(1) of the Slovak Personal Data Protection Act. 
We use three lawful bases to process your data:

• Performance of a contract;
• Compliance with legal obligations to which the controller is subject;
• Legitimate interests (see the chapter “What are our legitimate interests?” below).

To distinguish whether data provision is a legal or contractual requirement or a requirement necessary to conclude a contract, it is essential to examine the context of obtaining the data. In case of doubt, do not hesitate to ask us explicitly whether data provision is a legal or contractual requirement or a requirement necessary to conclude a contract. The same applies to whether you must provide us with specific data and the potential consequences of not providing it.

What are our legitimate interests?

• Provide quality and efficient services;
• Improve the quality and efficiency of provided services;
• Develop client relationships;
• Understand our clients and their interests/needs;
• Acquire new clients and adapt to their interests/needs;
• Ensure security

Do we use automated decision-making, including profiling?
No, we do not use automated decision-making or profiling.

What rights do you have?
GDPR and the Slovak Personal Data Protection Act establish a wide range of data subject rights from the data processing standpoint. However, their mere application does not necessarily mean they will be complied with, as GDPR and the Slovak Personal Data Protection Act also provide for several exceptions. However, your request will always be considered accordingly.

You, as the data subject, have the following rights:

• The right to request access to data we process about you (Article 15 GDPR), including the right to confirm whether we process data related to you, the right to access such data, and the right to obtain a copy of the data we process about you, if technically feasible;
• The right to correct and supplement data if we process incorrect or incomplete data about you (Article 16 GDPR);
• The right to delete your data (Article 17 GDPR). You may ask us to delete your data, e.g., if the data we obtained about you is no longer necessary to fulfill the original processing purpose. However, we must consider all the relevant circumstances, e.g., we may have specific legal obligations, so we may not be able to approve your request;
• The right to restrict data processing (Article 18 GDPR). Under certain circumstances, you may ask us to stop processing your data, e.g., when you believe the data we have about you may be inaccurate or no longer needed;
• The right to data portability (Article 20 GDPR);
• The right to object if the processing is based on the legal basis of legitimate interest, public interest, or if it is for direct marketing, including profiling (Article 21 GDPR).

If you wish to exercise any of the above rights or any of the rights guaranteed by current legislation, please get in touch with us at office@falathpartners.sk. As we already explained, you might not have all the rights mentioned above in every case of data processing. If you are unsure whether you have any of the rights mentioned above in a specific case of personal data processing, please contact us, and we will be happy to explain.

You also have the right to submit a complaint under Article 77 GDPR or to initiate proceedings under § 100 of the Slovak Personal Data Protection Act at the Office for the Protection of Personal Data of the Slovak Republic, which you can contact at the address below or file an action with the competent court. In any case, we recommend resolving disputes, questions, or objections primarily by communicating with us.

Do we use automated decision-making, including profiling?
No, we do not use automated decision-making or profiling.

Úrad na ochranu osobných údajov Slovenskej republiky:
Hraničná 12, 820 07 Bratislava, Slovakia
phone: +421 2 3231 3214
fax: +421 2 3231 3234
e-mail: statny.dozor@pdp.gov.sk
website: www.dataprotection.gov.sk