Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 1, 2025

1. INTRODUCTION

This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) describes how Flexner Houser Injury Law (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, shares, and protects personal information obtained from clients and visitors to our website getflexner.com. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your information in accordance with applicable data protection laws, ethical obligations, and our professional duty of confidentiality. By using our services, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

2. DEFINITIONS

“Personal Information” means any information that identifies or can be used to identify an individual.
“Sensitive Information” means personal information that reveals racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, health information, or information about criminal convictions or offenses.
“Client” means any individual or entity that engages our legal services.
“Data Subject” means an individual who is the subject of personal information.

3. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

3.1 Client Information
In the course of providing legal services, we may collect the following types of information from our clients:
a) Contact information (e.g., name, address, email address, telephone number)
b) Identification information (e.g., date of birth, government-issued identification numbers)
c) Financial information (e.g., bank account details, payment information)
d) Employment information
e) Information related to legal matters or inquiries

3.2 Sensitive Information
When necessary for providing legal services, we may collect sensitive information, including:
a) Health information
b) Information about racial or ethnic origin
c) Political opinions or religious beliefs
d) Information about criminal convictions or offenses

3.3 Attorney-Client Privileged Information
We collect and maintain information protected by attorney-client privilege. This privileged information is subject to special handling and disclosure protections as required by law and professional ethics. The attorney-client privilege means that, with few exceptions, we cannot be compelled to disclose your confidential communications with us that are made for the purpose of obtaining legal advice. This privilege enhances our ability to provide candid and comprehensive legal advice.

3.4 Website Usage Information
We collect certain information automatically when you visit our website, including:
a) IP address
b) Browser type and version
c) Operating system
d) Referring website
e) Pages viewed and time spent on our website

4. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

We use your personal information for the following purposes:
a) Providing legal services and fulfilling our contractual obligations
b) Communicating with you about your legal matters
c) Managing our relationship with you, including billing and collections
d) Complying with legal and regulatory obligations
e) Improving our services and website functionality
f) Protecting our legal rights and interests

Examples of specific uses include:

• Conducting legal research relevant to your case
• Preparing and filing legal documents on your behalf
• Negotiating settlements or representing you in court proceedings
• Sending you invoices and processing payments
• Responding to your inquiries and providing updates on your legal matters
• Analyzing trends in our services to improve our offerings

We do NOT sell your personal data.

5. SMS COMMUNICATIONS

By providing your phone number, you consent to receiving SMS messages regarding contacting you, service updates, or other related communications. You can opt out of receiving SMS messages at any time by replying “STOP” to any message or contacting us directly.

Standard data and messaging rates may apply, depending on your mobile service provider.

Messaging frequency may vary.

For assistance, text HELP or visit our website at getflexner.com.

Visit https://www.getflexner.com/privacy-policy/ for privacy policy and https://www.getflexner.com/termsofservice for Terms of Service.

6. LEGAL BASIS FOR PROCESSING

We process your personal information on the following legal bases:
a) Performance of a contract: When we provide legal services to you based on our engagement agreement.
b) Compliance with legal obligations: When we are required to process your information to comply with laws and regulations applicable to our practice.
c) Our legitimate interests: When we use your information to manage our business, improve our services, or protect our legal rights. We balance our interests against your privacy rights in these situations.
d) Your consent: In some cases, we may ask for your explicit consent to process certain types of personal information or for specific purposes.

6. INFORMATION SHARING AND DISCLOSURE

6.1 Third-Party Service Providers
We may share your information with third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business and providing legal services. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes for which we disclose it to them. Examples of such providers include:

• Cloud storage and document management services
• Legal research platforms
• E-discovery software providers
• IT support and cybersecurity services
• Accounting and billing software providers

6.2 Legal Requirements
We may disclose your information when required by law, subpoena, or other legal process, or if we have a good faith belief that disclosure is necessary to:
a) Comply with legal obligations
b) Protect our rights, property, or safety
c) Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with our services

6.3 Business Transfers
If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or a prominent notice on our website of any change in ownership or uses of your personal information.

7. DATA SECURITY

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. These measures include:
a) Encryption of sensitive data in transit and at rest using industry-standard protocols (e.g., TLS, AES-256)
b) Multi-factor authentication for access to our systems
c) Regular security assessments, penetration testing, and vulnerability scans
d) Employee training on data protection, confidentiality, and cybersecurity best practices
e) Physical security measures for our offices and data centers
f) Strict access controls and logging for all systems containing client data
g) Regular backups and disaster recovery planning

While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, 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 for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. The retention period for attorney-client privileged information is determined by applicable legal and ethical requirements, which may include indefinite retention of certain case-related information.

Factors we consider in determining retention periods include:

• The nature and sensitivity of the information
• The potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure
• The purposes for which we process the information and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means
• Applicable legal, regulatory, tax, accounting, or reporting requirements

9. DATA TRANSFERS

Your information may be processed or transferred to locations with different data protection laws than your jurisdiction. By using the service, you consent to such transfers, provided that we ensure adequate data security protections are in place.

10. YOUR RIGHTS

Subject to certain limitations and legal obligations, you have the right to:
a) Access your personal information
b) Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
c) Request deletion of your information
d) Object to or restrict certain processing activities
e) Receive a copy of your information in a structured, machine-readable format (data portability)
f) Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

To exercise these rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer using the information provided in Section 13. We will respond to your request within 30 days of receiving it. Please note that we may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

In some cases, we may not be able to fully comply with your request. For example, we may need to retain certain information to comply with our legal obligations or to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims. In such cases, we will explain the reasons for our decision.

11. MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

We may send you marketing communications about our services if you have given your consent or if we have a legitimate interest to do so. You have the right to opt-out of receiving marketing communications at any time by:

• Clicking the “unsubscribe” link in our emails
• Contacting us using the information provided in Section 13
• Updating your communication preferences in your account settings (if applicable)

12. COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience and analyze website traffic. For more information about our use of cookies, including the types of cookies we use, their purposes, and your choices regarding their use, please see our separate Cookie Policy available at https://www.getflexner.com/privacy-policy.

13. AUTOMATED DECISION-MAKING AND PROFILING

We do not engage in automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects or similarly significant effects on you. While we may use automated tools to assist in our work (e.g., legal research platforms, document review software), all significant decisions in your legal matters are made by our attorneys based on their professional judgment.

14. INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

Flexner Houser Injury Law is based in the United States of America, and our servers are located in North Carolina. If you are accessing our services from outside these countries, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in these locations.

When we transfer personal information across borders, we take steps to ensure that your information receives an adequate level of protection, including:

• Using standard contractual clauses approved by relevant authorities
• Transferring to countries that have been deemed to provide an adequate level of protection
• Obtaining your consent for certain transfers

By using our services, you consent to the transfer of your information to these countries. If you have questions about our international data transfers, please contact our Data Protection Officer.

15. CONFLICTS BETWEEN PRIVACY OBLIGATIONS AND LEGAL/ETHICAL DUTIES

As a law firm, we may face situations where our privacy obligations conflict with our legal or ethical duties. In such cases, we will strive to balance these competing obligations while prioritizing our professional responsibilities and the administration of justice. We may be required to disclose information:

• To comply with a court order or other legal process
• To prevent imminent harm to a person or property
• To comply with mandatory reporting obligations (e.g., suspected child abuse)
• As required by rules of professional conduct governing attorneys

In any such situation, we will carefully consider our obligations and, where possible, limit the disclosure to the minimum necessary information.

16. DATA BREACH NOTIFICATION

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you and the relevant supervisory authorities (where required) without undue delay. Our notification will include:

• A description of the nature of the breach
• The categories and approximate number of individuals concerned
• The likely consequences of the breach
• The measures taken or proposed to address the breach and mitigate its possible adverse effects
• The name and contact details of our Data Protection Officer

17. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The most current version will be posted on our website with the effective date. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically. If we make material changes that affect your rights or how we use your personal information, we will notify you by email or through a notice on our website before the changes take effect.

18. CONTACT US

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us.

19. THIS WEBSITE USES GOOGLE ANALYTICS

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies” and other technologies to help analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) is transmitted to Google and stored on servers in the U.S. Google uses this information to evaluate your use of the website, compile reports on website activity, and provide other services related to website activity and internet usage. Google may transfer this information to third parties if required by law or if those parties process information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser; however, if you do this, you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using this website, you consent to Google’s processing of your data as described above.

20. USE OF GOOGLE ADS, YOUTUBE ADS, REMARKETING, MICROSOFT ADS, FACEBOOK ADS, CUSTOM AUDIENCES, AND OTHER ONLINE ADVERTISING SERVICES AND TACTICS

Our business may use Google Ads and other similar services to advertise on third-party websites (including Google) to new and previous visitors of our site. In the case of previous visitors (called Remarketing), this allows us to display ads to previous visitors. Ads may be shown on the Google search results page or sites in the Google Display Network and/or on YouTube. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on past visits to our site. Data collected will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and Google’s privacy policy.

You can set preferences for how Google advertises to you via the Google Ad Preferences page or opt out of interest-based advertising entirely by adjusting your browser settings or using a browser plugin. You can also visit www.aboutads.info/choices or Facebook Ad Settings to opt out of targeted ads. Other services may have their own opt-out processes.

We may also use third-party digital advertising services such as Microsoft Ads, Facebook/Instagram, LinkedIn, and others. We may also utilize Google’s “cross-device functionality” to show ads on devices other than the one used to first visit our website.

21. CALL TRACKING NUMBERS

This website may track phone calls made to the phone numbers listed on its web pages or ads. Caller ID information and data related to the ad clicked may be passed to a third-party call tracking service. To minimize information passed, you can block caller ID before making the call or contact us via email instead of by phone.

22. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

This Policy is designed to comply with relevant privacy laws including North Carolina Consumer Privacy Act, Public Records Laws, and Invasion of Privacy Act, and any federal laws, as applicable to our operations and your jurisdiction.  Any disputes arising under or in connection with this Policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of North Carolina.

23. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS

If you are a California resident, you may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Please see our CCPA Privacy Notice [LINK] for more information about these rights and how to exercise them.

24. RELATED POLICIES

This Privacy Policy should be read in conjunction with our other policies, including:

• Terms of Service
• Cookie Policy

By using our website or engaging our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this Policy, please do not use our website or services