Privacy policy

Your privacy is important to us, and Armstrong Murray Limited (Armstrong Murray) is committed to protecting it.  By accessing and browsing this website you agree to be bound by our terms of use as outlined in our privacy policy below. Our policy outlines the way in which we manage personal information held about our clients, potential clients, and others. It sets out Armstrong Murray’s practices relating to the collection of personal information that we may collect from you during the course of providing our services.

Armstrong Murray is bound by the Privacy Act 2020, as amended from time to time, including the Information Privacy Principles.

This policy explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information, including personal information collected directly from you and personal information collected indirectly from other people or organisations. Where required by the Privacy Act, including Information Privacy Principle 3A, we will take reasonable steps to make sure individuals are aware of the fact that their information has been collected, why it has been collected and who it is intended to be provided to, unless an exception applies.

This website is owned by Armstrong Murray.

How does Armstrong Murray collect personal information?

We generally collect personal information directly from you when you contact us, instruct us, complete forms, communicate with us, use our website or social media channels, subscribe to updates, attend meetings, or otherwise provide information to us.

We may also collect personal information indirectly from other people or organisations where this is necessary or appropriate for providing legal services, managing our practice, or meeting legal and professional obligations. This may include information provided by clients, representatives, other advisers, counterparties, public registers, government agencies, service providers, or publicly available sources.

Where we collect personal information indirectly we will take reasonable steps to make sure you are aware of the fact of collection (unless the information has been collected from a publicly available source), the purpose of collection, the intended recipients, Armstrong Murray’s contact details, any law authorising or requiring the collection where applicable, and your rights of access and correction. We may provide this information through this policy, client care information, forms, correspondence, matter-specific notices, or other appropriate means. We may not provide a separate notice where the Privacy Act allows an exception.

Telephone calls and transcription

We use a cloud-based phone system to manage our telephone communications. Calls may be recorded, transcribed and summarised using AI to assist with accurate record-keeping and documenting client instructions. Where these features are used, you will be notified, and any recordings, transcripts or summaries will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy and professional confidentiality obligations.

Our website/social media 

When you visit our website or social media channels, as well as collecting information that you may provide to us by completing any forms subscribing to our services, we collect general information about the users of the website or channels in order for us to better administer our website and to gain a better understanding of how the users use our website or channels. This information helps us determine what content on our website or social media channels people are interested in. For example, if you post on our Facebook page or any other social media site of ours, we may collect that information to improve our services and for the purposes of determining what information clients or potential clients are interested in learning about.

We may use cookies, pixels, web beacons, analytics tools and similar technologies to operate our website, understand how people use our website and social media channels, improve our services, and support communications or marketing. Third-party platforms may also collect information through our website or social media channels in accordance with their own terms and privacy policies. You can usually manage cookies through your browser settings and may be able to opt out of some analytics or advertising features through the relevant third-party platform.

If you require further information, please click on the below links to understand further how we use information to help progress our services. http://www.aboutads.info/choices or http://www.youronlinechoices.eu/.

The information provided on our website or social media channels is general information only, not advice. We try to keep the information up to date, however please seek independent advice before acting on any of the information provided.

While we take reasonable steps to protect the information provided to us electronically, transmitting information over the internet may involve inherent security risks. If you are concerned about sending information electronically, please contact us to discuss alternative arrangements. Providing information through other internet channels is at your own risk.

Where do we store personal information?

We may store personal information at our offices, in our practice management and document management systems, and with technology providers who assist us to operate our practice and provide legal services. Some providers may store or process information outside New Zealand. Where personal information is disclosed overseas in circumstances where Information Privacy Principle 12 applies, we will only do so where permitted by the Privacy Act. We are committed to ensuring your information is secure and we have put in place suitable procedures to safeguard the information we collect.

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, misuse, disclosure, alteration and destruction. If a privacy breach occurs, we will assess and respond to it in accordance with the Privacy Act, including notifying affected individuals and the Privacy Commissioner where required.

Why do we collect personal information?

We collect personal information to provide legal services, communicate with you, manage client and business relationships, administer our practice, verify identity and meet client due diligence requirements, bill and receive payment, improve our services, market our services where permitted, and comply with legal and professional obligations.

In some circumstances, collection may be required or authorised by law, including under the Privacy Act 2020, the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009, the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006 and associated professional obligations, tax and accounting laws, trust account requirements, court or tribunal rules, or other laws relevant to a matter.

What personal information do we collect?

The personal information we collect depends on our relationship with you and the nature of the matter or service that you engage us to provide to you. It may include contact details, identity and verification information, financial and billing information, information required for AML/CFT and professional compliance, matter-related documents and communications, website or marketing information, and any other situations reasonably necessary for our services or practice operations. Providing information allows us to communicate with you so we can act for you in the most effective manner. Information we generally collect and hold in relation to us acting for you includes but is not limited to your name, address, contact details (email address, phone numbers), occupation, and payment details. 

How do we manage personal information?

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information that we collect and we respect the confidentiality of your private information. We will only use the information we collect from you for the purpose for which it is collected. 

Any information we receive about you will be treated as confidential and we will not use or disclose any personal information for any other purpose without your consent, other than when we may be required by law to disclose the information. 

How may we use your personal information?

We take reasonable steps to ensure personal information is accurate, protected and used only for the purposes for which it was collected, or for related purposes permitted by the Privacy Act or other law. Personal information is treated as confidential, subject to our legal and professional obligations however we respect the confidentiality of your private information. We will only use the information we collect from you for the purpose for which it is collected. 

We keep personal information for as long as reasonably required for the purposes for which it was collected, including to provide legal services, maintain records, comply with legal and professional obligations, resolve disputes, enforce rights, and meet accounting, tax, AML/CFT, trust account and insurance requirements. When personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to securely destroy it or de-identify it (if you ask us to do so), unless we are required or permitted to retain it. We will not use or disclose any personal information for any other purpose without your consent, other than when we may be required by law to disclose the information. 

Disclosures

We may need to disclose personal information to third parties in the course of representing/advising you. We may only disclose personal information if it is required by law, or it is authorised by you.

We may use or disclose personal information that you have provided to us, or which we have obtained about you, to our third parties providers, including technology providers who assist us in providing services or who perform functions on our behalf, such as providers that provide generative AI technologies to assist us in legal research, document review, document drafting and other legal tasks.

Our technology providers (including generative AI providers) may use your personal information to provide services to us, to administer, maintain, analyse, improve and/or develop their services, to undertake their business processes, to comply with their legal obligations and to conduct research.  Unless we state otherwise, our technology providers will not use your personal information to improve AI training models, train, retrain or improve foundation models, improve third party products or services, conduct user profiling, advertising or similar commercial purposes, or to market products and services to you.

Our technology providers may rely on and make your personal information available to their third party providers (which may be located in countries other than New Zealand) in the course of delivering their services to us, including for hosting, cloud storage, email communication and web analytics purposes, such as the Azure OpenAI Service operated by Microsoft. Our technology providers may share your IP address and other information about your device to Microsoft for security reasons.  Our technology providers may also share your personal information with their affiliates, any other entity that they merge with or sell their business or assets to, and other third parties (such as government agencies) if legally required to do so.

Jurisdiction

This website and content has been prepared in accordance with New Zealand law. Any conflicts will be governed by New Zealand laws and dealt with by New Zealand courts.

Queries

If you have any queries about this policy or if you believe that any information we hold about you is inaccurate, please contact us at  law@armstrongmurry.co.nz.

If you wish to seek access to personal information held about you or advise us of any inaccuracies in your information we will ask you to verify your identity.

We may amend these terms from time to time so you should check and read these terms regularly.