Privacy Policy – Raghavendra Law Chambers

Introduction to Our Privacy Policy

Welcome to the Raghavendra Law Chambers Privacy Policy, a prominent law firm operating in Fresno, California. Our primary areas of practice include criminal law, intellectual property law, and divorce law. Clients place their trust in us with their personal and private information. Protecting that trust and confidentiality is key to our business. The following policy details the ways we use, gather, and store your personal information. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of privacy, transparency, and law as set forth by governing authorities in the United States. By doing business with our firm or visiting our website (https://raghavendralawchambers.com/), you clearly consent to the terms laid out in this policy. Please take time to read this policy thoroughly and if anything seems unclear about your privacy or information protection, feel free to get in touch with us.

Scope and Applicability

This Privacy Policy governs all persons and entities (“clients”, “users”, “you”) availing legal services from Raghavendra Law Chambers through our website, email, telephone, personal interaction at our office in Fresno or any other means of communication. The policy applies to information we collect about you from prospective and existing clients, law students working with us on our blog, and other people visiting our website and social digital media. The policy covers residents and non-resident Indians (NRIs) who avail our legal services from abroad and other foreign citizens and entities. This privacy policy does not cover any third-party websites or their services that may be linked to and from our website. We recommend reviewing the privacy policy of those websites before proceeding further.

Information We Collect

Raghavendra Law Chambers gathers diverse information as part of its endeavor to provide superior service and sustain valued relationships with clients. This includes information:

Personal identification details, such as name, address, email address, phone number, date of birth, nationality, and other identifying documents.
Information pertinent to the case or legal matter at hand including information or documents pertaining to a divorce, criminal or IP matter, evidence, finances, and other relevant documents.
Communication details such as email correspondence, call details, meeting notes, and chat logs.
Website usage details through the use of IP address, device details, browser type, time of access, referring website URL, and activity on our website through cookies and analytics.
Payment information such as transaction details, billing address, and mode of payment (such as card or bank account numbers for payments made through electronic transfer and the names of third-party service providers where full credit card, banking, or other personal information is not requested).
Details for blog posts or other content submitted by law students or guest contributors such as name, email address, contact numbers, and content submitted.
Power of attorney details of NRIs or other remote clients in respect to what is required to draft, authenticate, and process full power of attorney documents.

All information is collected in a manner that is lawful and with your knowledge and consent.

How We Use Your Information

Raghavendra Law Chambers processes your information only for purposes directly relevant to the provision of our legal services, maintenance of our client relationships, and fulfillment of our compliance obligations. In particular, we process your information in order to:

Provide consultation, representation, and advisory services in the areas of divorce, criminal law, and intellectual property law
Conduct case assessment, prepare paperwork, and represent you as part of any litigation or tribunal proceeding
Communicate with you about your case, appointments, and other matters relating to your case or case status
Process payment(s) and manage billing matters
Provide alternative dispute resolution, mediation, and negotiation services
Assist NRIs and other clients based overseas or remotely in securing power of attorney and to manage presentation of their cases
Enhance our website, service, and client experience through use analytics
Respond to questions, feedback, or requests for information that you make
Fulfill our legal, regulatory, and ethical obligations including record keeping and court directives
Post blog articles or legal updates with appropriate credit to contributors

We will never process your information for purposes unrelated to the scope of your legal representation without explicit consent issued by yourself.

Legal Basis for Processing Data

Our processing of your personal information will be based at all times on one or more of the following legal bases, as required by applicable data protection laws and by United States legal ethics. The legal bases include:

The performance of a Contract – Information we need to comply with our obligation to provide services that you have asked us to deliver.
Compliance with Legal Obligations – Data or information that we process in order to comply with our obligations under applicable law, or under order of a court or bar association.
Legitimate Interests – Information processed for purposes of internal administration, enhancement of service delivery, client relationship management, and service improvement pursuant to our legitimate interests, provided these do not outweigh your rights to avoid such processing.
Consent – We need consent when you divulge data voluntarily (such as sending us a blog article or requesting consideration of a matter). We will obtain any specific consent required (or nil objection, which has the same effect) for “optional” processing of personal information. If you wish at any time to revoke such consent as to optional processing, please contact us via any of the means set out below.

Confidentiality and Attorney-Client Privilege

Confidentiality is foundational to our practice. As your professional advisers, Raghavendra Law Chambers is subject to high professional standards and the attorney-client privilege. Confidentiality attaches to all information you provide or we obtain about you, or the underlying basis for legal advice or representation, except as such disclosure may be required or authorized by law, or with your prior express consent. Other than such exceptions, we shall not disclose your case information, identity, or professional/sensitive information to unaffiliated third parties, except as may be necessary to advance your underlying purposes (e.g., pleadings filed in court, or disclosures made in commercial negotiations), and always subject to your prior knowledge. Our personnel and third-party service providers’ activities are carried out under binding agreements subject to strict requirements, and ongoing training.

Information Sharing and Disclosure

Raghavendra Law Chambers does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes. Personal information may be shared in the following situations:

With courts, government agencies, opposing counsel, or other involved parties in strict accordance with relevant services related to your legal matter
With trusted third-party service providers (for example document management systems, payment processors, or IT support) that help us provide certain services under strict contractual confidentiality requirements
With regulatory, judicial investigatory, and law enforcement agencies as required by and in accordance with law or applicable professional obligations
For referral purposes or joint legal work where you provided express consent for us to work with other legal professionals
In the course of a sale, merger, or reorganization of our practice, including transfers of any client information as part of the transferred assets, for which existing confidentiality restrictions still apply, subject to client notification

We limit disclosure to the extent reasonable under the circumstances and applicable law, and only disclose personal information and records in ways that are responsible and maintain the privacy of your information.

Storage and Protection of Your Information

We take a number of steps to safeguard your personal and client matter information from unauthorized access, disclosure, manipulation, or destruction. These measures include:

Use of secure, access-controlled offices and facilities in Fresno, California
Encrypted electronic storage of client files using widely accepted security solutions
Secure email and document exchange systems and secure communication channels
Regular data security audits and training of our staff in privacy and security best practices
Use of secure payment processing systems, for billing and financial transactions
Secure storage and controlled destruction practices for physical documents

While we strive to take all reasonable precautions to safeguard data, no computer or communication system can be 100% secure. We recommend that you use secure communication channels when sharing highly sensitive information with us. Please notify us immediately if you believe that any of your information may have been compromised.

Retention of Your Information

Raghavendra Law Chambers retains client information for the period that is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which we collected it, to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, and to preserve attorney-client privilege. Our retention periods are as follows:

Active clients – retain for as long as case remains active/open, as per applicable state bar association requirements for client files, and a minimum of seven (7) years after the case has closed.
Prospective clients – retain information gathered during initial inquiry or consultation for up to two (2) years unless a retainer is signed.
Blog contributors – retain personal and editorial information for as long as the article in question is published/live, and for up to three (3) years thereafter.
Financial records – retain billing/payments information for a minimum of seven (7) years for taxation purposes, audits, etc.

When no longer needed, information is deleted or destroyed.

Your Rights and Choices

We recognize your privacy rights in your personal information and endeavor to provide meaningful choices and access. Depending on the nature of your relationship with Raghavendra Law Chambers and applicable law you have the right to:

Access: Obtain a copy of the personal information that we hold about you
Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
Erasure: Deletion of your personal information, subject to legal and ethical record retention obligations
Restriction: The ability to limit how we process your information
Portability: Your right to receive an electronic copy of your information in a commonly used format
Object: Opting out of certain data processing activities, such as direct marketing (we do not participate in unsolicited direct marketing)
Withdraw Consent: Where our processing of your personal information is based on your consent you may withdraw consent at any time

If you would like to exercise any of the above rights please contact us at [email protected] or by telephone at (559) 695-5786. We will respond to your request in timely manners, consistent with applicable law.

Cookies and Website Analytics

Our site (https://raghavendralawchambers.com/) uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site usage, and generally improve our services. Cookies are small data files placed on your device that enable us to recall your preferences and how you use the page. We utilize both session cookies (these expire when you close your browser) and persistent cookies (these reside on your device until you delete them).

We further employ analytical programs such as Google Analytics so that we can gather information about our site usage (for example, what pages are accessed, for how long, general regions of Internet locations our site is used) in an anonymous, non-personally identifiable manner in order to enhance functionality and the user experience. You can control whether cookies are saved to your computer or you can opt not to use cookies at all through your browser settings but this may impact website functionality. For more details, you may refer to our Cookie Policy.

Children’s Privacy

Raghavendra Law Chambers will not knowingly collect or maintain personal information from children under age 18 without the permission of a parent or legal guardian. The services and information on Raghavendra Law Chambers Website (‘Services’) are designed to be of use to adults and legal representatives. If you have reason to believe that a child under age 18 has submitted personal information to Raghavendra Law Chambers without such submission having been made with a parent’s or guardian’s permission please contact us at [email protected] so that we can take appropriate steps to ensure such information is deleted and processed in accordance with applicable laws.

Links and Information from Third Parties

Our site includes links to other web sites, resources, and legal tools which we make available to you for your convenience and guidance. Raghavendra Law Chambers is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of those external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies on external web sites. Our Privacy Policy only applies to information collected by our firm and by official means.

International Clients and Cross-Border Data Transfers

Raghavendra Law Chambers provides services to clients in Fresno, California, and also to other NRIs and cross-jurisdictional clients. You may be accessing this website outside the United States of America. Please note that any such information you submit may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States of America where our offices and servers are based. We take appropriate safeguards to help keep your information secure and in accordance with this Policy regardless of the country where you reside. By using our services, you give us your consent on such transfers, to the extent permitted by applicable data protection laws.

Marketing Communications

Raghavendra Law Chambers does not send unsolicited promotional messages or use your personal information for sending marketing material. Occasionally, we may send legal updates, email alerts, newsletters, and/or information related to our services by email to clients and subscribers who have expressly agreed to receiving such communications. To unsubscribe from such communication, you may use the instructions at the end of the communication received or contact us at [email protected]. We do not use your additional information for advertising or similar purposes without your express consent.

Alterations to Our Privacy Policy

We may amend this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, applicable law, or service offerings. If we make material changes we will alert you by updating the policy on our Site, and if appropriate, through email or other direct communication with you. The most current version will always be clearly posted at the top of this policy. Please check back on a regular basis.

Contact Information

Any questions, concerns, or requests for your personal information or this Privacy Policy can be addressed by contacting us at:

Raghavendra Law Chambers
1400 E Shaw Ave Ste 20, Fresno CA 93710
Phone: (559) 695-5786
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: https://raghavendralawchambers.com/

We can guide you through any privacy-related issues or any requests to review or update your information; or concerns with respect to our protection of your information. For further assistance, you may also visit our Contact Raghavendra Law Chambers page.

Your Responsibilities and Acknowledgements

By interacting with Raghavendra Law Chambers, you acknowledge and agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. You are responsible for providing us with accurate, complete, and up-to-date information. If providing information on behalf of another individual (e.g. as a legal guardian or power of attorney), you must have the authority and consent to do so. Make sure to promptly advise us of any changes to your contact details or personal circumstances that may be relevant to your matter. Your assistance helps us keep the matter active in terms of accuracy and security.

Privacy of NRI and Remote Clients

We understand the nuances of privacy for our NRI clients and those who instruct us remotely. We ensure the communication channels, documentation processes, and confidentiality protocols for all remote client communications are secure and authenticated. We have encrypted email, secure online conference calls and video chats, and trusted identity verification procedures to safeguard your data through every step of the cross-border legal engagement process. Electronic/digital data we receive and share are stored securely, and hard copy documents receive the same rigorous confidentiality safeguards that apply to our in-person clients. Our NRI privacy standards meet or exceed international expectations and practices. You can be assured that our NRI privacy standards provide the same level of confidentiality and information protection that there is for local clients.

Professional and Ethical Responsibilities

The legal profession in general is governed by strict ethical and professional standards including the American Bar Association’s Model Rules and corresponding state bars’ rules. Raghavendra Law Chambers adheres to these standards in all areas of their practice including privacy and data protection. All attorneys and staff at Raghavendra Law Chambers receive continual training on confidentiality, data security, and their professional responsibilities. A breach of a client’s confidentiality by Raghavendra Law Chambers is taken seriously, investigated immediately, and reported in accordance with professional and applicable legal standards and requirements. You can always feel confident that your trust in the Raghavendra Law Chambers is well placed due to our commitment to high ethical practice standards.

Privacy Policy for Law Student Contributors

Law students and guest authors who send us an article or other content for posting at the Raghavendra Law Chambers blog will need to provide their name, contact information, and a short author biography. This is used only to publish your content, credit your authorship of its content, or communicate with you concerning your content submission. Raghavendra Law Chambers shall never release contributor information to third parties. At any time, a contributor may request changes or removal of personal data and/or posted content from this blog. By submitting content for posting you grant to the publisher the right to include your name and biography on any content published unless specifically otherwise requested.

Response and Procedures for Data Breaches and Security Incidents

While Raghavendra Law Chambers takes all reasonable steps to avoid data breaches, we have procedures in place to act promptly and responsibly should a data security incident occur. In the event of any unauthorized access to, disclosure of, or loss of client data, we will:

Investigate promptly and contain any breach
Notify any affected clients and relevant authorities/regulators as necessary
Remedy the situation to mitigate against future incidents
Provide information about mitigating risk and protection of information to clients

Raghavendra Law Chambers is fully committed to transparency and accountability with regards to any data security breach and will keep you abreast of any developments.

Disputes and Complaints

Your concern or complaint about any aspect of our company’s privacy practices or the manner in which Raghavendra Law Chambers handles your personal information is important to us. The matter will be reviewed promptly upon receipt. We take our clients’ feedback seriously and will act quickly and in good faith to address any concerns you may have. Upon examination, if you are not satisfied with the result advised by this office, you may also have a right to file a complaint with other governmental agencies, such as the California State Bar Association and other law regulatory agencies. Raghavendra Law Chambers strives to act in good faith to resolve disputes or complaints amicably and to maintain our current image as a law firm of a trustworthy nature.

Accessibility and Alternative Formats

At Raghavendra Law Chambers, we strive to make our Privacy Policy and any related documents accessible to all, including those with disabilities. If you need this policy or any other information in an alternative format (from large print, braille, or audio), please email us at [email protected] or call us at (559) 695-5786. We are committed to making our legal services and information available to everyone and can provide documents in a variety of formats.

Final Statement and Commitment

At Raghavendra Law Chambers, our commitment to privacy is not just a matter of compliance with legal requirements; it is our way of doing business. Raghavendra Law Chambers continuously strives to meet or exceed those and other applicable legal standards for confidentiality, security, and integrity. Raghavendra Law Chambers Privacy Policy sets out the principles under which we respect the information, use our clients and other third parties have entrusted to us and their related rights. Thank you for trusting Raghavendra Law Chambers as your legal counsel. We appreciate the trust you have placed in us, and we are always here to answer your questions about client privacy.