Privacy Policy
About
As a national network of leading civil litigation lawyers, SALA’s members are dedicated to creating safe spaces for victims of sexual assault, advocating changes to the law and broader social systems that have long perpetuated sexual abuse and silenced survivors.
With multiple lawyers from firms across Canada, SALA is committed to upholding privacy laws and procedures as outlined in the following policy.
Privacy Legislation
Since January 1, 2004, all Canadian organizations engaged in commercial activities have been required to comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”) and the Canadian Standards Association Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information incorporated by reference into PIPEDA. BC’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) is similar to PIPEDA and applies to private sector and non-profit organizations across British Columbia. These obligations extend to lawyers and law firms, including the firms involved with SALA.
In addition, an Act respecting the Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector has been in force in Quebec since 1994 and sets out rules regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information within that province.
Personal Information
Personal information is defined in PIPEDA as “any factual or subjective information, recorded or not, about an identifiable individual.”* This may include, but is not limited to, age, name, income, ID, and medical records. This privacy policy outlines how SALA collects, uses, and discloses personal information in accordance with PIPEDA’s 10 fair information principles. In addition to these principles, PIPEDA states that “any collection, use or disclosure of personal information must only be for purposes that a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances.”*
Accountability
Identifying Purposes
SALA members request personal information to administer quality legal counsel upon intake and/or during the course of a retainer with the corresponding firm. To provide representation for a client, personal information may be obtained from other sources such as a government registry or medical professionals. The purpose for collection of personal information will always be outlined in the client contract.
Consent to Collection of Personal Information
SALA firms collect, use, and/or disclose personal information only where express, implied or deemed consent is given, or as provided in this Policy. Express consent can be given orally, electronically or in writing. Implied consent is consent that can reasonably be inferred from one’s action or inaction. Deemed consent (or “opt-out” consent) is consent assumed and relied upon when an informed individual provides no objection after volunteering personal information and does not exercise the offered opt-out mechanism.
Upon retention, consent to the collection and use of personal information is implied- however, express consent, either verbally or in writing, may be requested.
Withdrawal of Consent
Consent to the collection, use, storage, and disclosure of personal information may be withdrawn at any time, subject to legal and/or contractual restrictions and upon reasonable notice. To withdraw consent, please reach out through the contact page on salagroup.ca. Withdrawal of consent may impact the lawyer’s ability to provide representation and legal advice as well as other offered services.
If another individual’s personal information is given to a SALA member by a client, it is assumed said individual has consented to the collection, use, and/or disclosure of their personal information as described in this Policy.
In certain situations, such as the collection of owed debt or in order to comply with applicable laws and/or court orders, personal information may be collected/used/disclosed without prior consent.
It is assumed, unless otherwise stated, that by receiving a copy of this Policy one consents to the collection, use and disclosure of personal information as dictated throughout.
Limiting Collection
The collection of personal information is limited to the purposes identified in the client contract, and any amendments to the reason for collection will be clearly detailed in discussions between the client and lawyer. Collection of personal information will always be conducted using fair and lawful means.
Use, Disclosure, and Retention of Personal Information
Use of Personal Information
The members of SALA use personal information to provide legal advice and services, issue invoices, and maintain an up to date and confidential client database. In addition, if an individual or firm applies for a position/membership with SALA, their personal information will be used to assess their candidacy.
Contact information (name, email, and postal address) may also be used by a SALA firm for communications and marking purposes.
To opt out of marketing communications, follow the opt-out instructions in each communication or contact the administrative department at the respective firm.
Disclosure of Personal Information
Personal information is never disclosed to third parties without consent unless permitted or required by applicable laws or court orders. Such disclosure is necessary to collect fees or disbursements owed as well as for the use of third-party services such as archival file storage, outsourcing of data processing and storage (such as but not limited to externally hosted or “cloud” computing resources and services), and/or insurance.
In such cases, sharing information with SALA implies consent to the storage of said information either by the firms themselves, expert witnesses, or third-party service providers in Canada (or elsewhere if the same privacy protection exists as under PIPEDA). In addition, contractual or other means are employed to ensure third party service providers comply with the ethical, moral, and legal obligations of privacy protection as is consistent with this policy.
Retention of Personal Information
Personal information may be retained until it fulfills the purposes for which it was collected, in accordance with our documented retention policy or as otherwise permitted by law. The length of time it is retained varies and may extend beyond the end of a contract or retention period.
Accuracy of Information
It is important that the information in a firm’s client database be accurate, complete, and up-to-date. If during the course of the retainer any information changes, please inform the legal team of the given SALA member. Regular queries regarding up-to-date personal information will also be conducted between the lawyer and client.
Safeguards
SALA uses various physical, organizational, and technological security safeguards to ensure that your personal information is protected against loss, theft, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying or alteration. These include but are not limited to the following: end-to-end encryption for payment, security of our physical premises, security software and firewalls to prevent unauthorized computer access or “hacking”, privacy training, adherence to PIPEDA and other applicable laws/regulations, and internal passwords that restrict access to files stored digitally.
Any personal information that has fulfilled its designated purpose will be securely disposed of in accordance with our documented retention and disposal policy or as required by law.
Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed as completely secure. Although security measures are in place protect such information (including using a third-party provider to process and encrypt account payments), SALA cannot fully guarantee security of any information transmitted through the company site.
Openness
Individual Access
Access to Personal Information
An individual has the right to request access to their personal information and receive an accounting of how that information has been used and disclosed at any time, subject to certain exceptions prescribed by law. An individual is also able to challenge the accuracy and completeness of their personal information and have it amended, as appropriate.
If the requested information may reveal personal information about another individual, the request for access may be limited or denied, in which case the respective SALA member will respond to the request in writing with the reason for the denial.
To request access or to amend your personal information, please contact the lawyer or agent with whom you correspond.
Challenging Compliance
Challenging Compliance
Any inquiries about policies and practices relating to the handling of personal information should be directed to the Privacy Contact of your SALA firm. Additionally, each firm has its own Privacy Policy that should be regularly reviewed by clients.
Company Website Information
Information Collected through this Website
This website (salagroup.ca) collects information provided through the contact form. This includes service. This site also tracks website usage statistics such as the number of pages visited, which pages were visited, and website search history. The website’s server automatically logs IP addresses, but they are not linked to personally identifiable information.
How Information is Collected
Google Analytics tracks general statistics about which pages are visited (or not visited) on the site. This enables personalization and relevancy for different users. No identifiable information about individuals visiting the site is tracked except for contact information provided through the contact form, which is used to respond to the corresponding client inquiry.
Information collected through the website is used for internal purposes only (within the 5 partner firms of SALA). No information collected via this website is passed to any outside source unless required to do so via court order. Google Analytics possesses only confidential and non-identifiable website usage information such as the website’s IP log, which may be accessed internally for security purposes.
Storage of Personal Information
Collected information is stored and processed by each SALA firm primarily in Canada, regardless of country of residence. Third party service providers, including payment processors and technology partners, may be used by the various firms to supply infrastructure required to provide law services. Those third parties may store and process personal information in Canada, the United States and other jurisdictions. Personal information provided to third parties outside of Canada is subject to the laws of those jurisdictions and may not be afforded the same legal protections that are available in Canada. In those cases, refer to the law firm’s individual privacy policy for details on third party privacy contracts.
By providing salagroup.ca with your personal information, you consent to the transmission, processing and storage of your personal information as stated above.
Secure Communications
Direct Communications
If you receive a letter, email or other communication setting out a legal opinion or reference letter in a manner that suggests that it is from one of SALA’s members, please contact the person identified as the writer of the communication and their firm to verify its authenticity before placing reliance on its contents. SALA and its members are not responsible for any personal information disclosed to an unverified source.
Privacy Contacts
If you have any questions or complaints about this Policy or wish to access/update your personal information, please contact your lawyer or law firm directly or refer to the contact info on the Contact page.
If any complaint or inquiry is not handled to your complete satisfaction, you may contact:
Privacy Commissioner of Canada
112 Kent Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1A 1H3
Telephone: 1.613.995.8210
Toll free: 1.800.282.1376
Commission d’acces a l’information du Quebec
480 St. Laurent
Suite 501
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
H2Y 3Y7
Telephone: 1.514.873.4196
Toll free: 1.888.528.7741
This Privacy Policy is effective June 9, 2025.
Last updated: June 2025
*for more information, visit PIPEDA fair information principles – Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada