Privacy Policy
Effective June 10, 2021.
This privacy policy is designed to tell you about the information we, Funkhouser Vegosen Liebman & Dunn Ltd. (“FVLD” or “we”) collect on or through our website (accessed via fvldlaw.com) (“Website”), what we do with that information, your rights with respect to that information, and related topics.
Sections of this Privacy Policy
You can use the hyperlinks below to navigate to a section of the privacy policy.
Information we collect through the Website
Information we do not collect through the Website
When we collect this information
What we do with this information
Your Rights With Respect to Your Information
Other sharing of your information
Changes to this privacy policy
What we do
FVLD is a general practice, Chicago-based law firm. The Website allows you to learn about what we do, who we are, read our newsletters, and to contact us. Use of the Website and/or contacting us through the Website does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Information we collect through the Website
Non-Personal Information
When you browse our Website, you do so anonymously, meaning no personally identifiable information is collected. Through Google Analytics, we receive non-personally identifiable information (i.e. information we cannot connect to any specific individual) including date and time of visit, pages visited, and general geographic location. We may also receive aggregated data (from which we cannot identify any individual user) about the performance and use of our website.
Personally Identifiable Information
We collect personally identifiable information (information that relates to a specific use and through which we can identify you) only when you voluntarily provide it to us by contacting us by email, clicking on links to email us, or subscribing to our newsletter. We only receive the information you provide.
The above is a full description of the types of information we have collected about consumers in the past 12 months.
Information we do not collect through the Website
We do not collect information not explicitly described above.
We also do not request, require or seek to collect Social Security numbers, driver’s license or other government issued ID numbers, financial account numbers, health insurance or medical identification numbers, account passwords, security question and answers, or biometric information. Additionally we do not request, require or seek to collect personally identifiable information about racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data, sexual orientation or health information.
When we collect this information
We collect non-personal information whenever you browse our Website.
We collect personally identifiable information only when you voluntarily provide it to us.
What we do with this information
We use the non-personal information to understand how many, when and where visitors come to our Website and how they got there. We also use it to understand which parts of our Website are most relevant and how, when and where they are being used. This data is provided to us by Google Analytics, and we cannot identify any individual user who visits our Website. You can find out more about Google’s data privacy and security policies here.
We use the personally identifiable information, which you voluntarily provide to us, in order to contact you in response to your request, or send you emails you have agreed to receive. All emails that you sign up to receive from us contain “unsubscribe” links. You can also unsubscribe at any time by contacting us directly.
WE DO NOT SELL ANY PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION.
Your Rights With Respect to Your Information
You may have heard about the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) as well as other similar regulations and laws elsewhere. Such laws give people certain rights with respect to their personally identifiable information collected by us. Accordingly, FVLD recognizes and intends to comply with GDPR, CCPA and other laws, and provide those rights for all users, except as limited by applicable law. These rights include:
- Right to Disclosure– This is your right to request that we inform you of the specific pieces and categories of personally identifiable information we have collected about you, the categories of sources from which we collect that information, what we use it for, what we disclose to others, and to whom we disclose that information. We do not sell your personal information.
- Right of Access – This includes your right to access the personally identifiable information we gather about you, and your right to obtain information about the collection, use, sharing, disclosure, storage, security and processing of that information.
- Right to Correction – This is your right to request correction of your personally identifiable information.
- Right to Delete – This is your right to request, subject to certain limitations under applicable law, that your personally identifiable information be deleted from our possession (also known as the Right to Erasure or the Right to be forgotten). However, if applicable law requires us to comply with your request to delete such information, fulfillment of your request may prevent you from receiving emails, information, and other items you have requested to receive from us. (you will still be able to use the basic features of the Website).
- Right to Complain – You have the right to make a complaint regarding our handling of your personally identifiable information with the appropriate authority.
- Right to Restrict Processing – This is your right to request restriction of how and why your personally identifiable information is used or processed.
- Right to Object – This is your right, in certain situations, to object to how or why your personally identifiable information is processed.
- Right to Portability – This is your right to receive the personally identifiable information we have about you and the right to transmit it to another party.
- Right to not be subject to Automated Decision-Making – This is your right to object and prevent any decision that could have a legal, or similarly significant, effect on you from being made solely based on automated processes. This right is limited, however, if the decision is necessary for performance of any contract between you and us, is allowed by applicable law, or is based on your explicit consent.
FVLD does not discriminate against any user, in terms of price, service, or otherwise, for exercising these rights. However, as noted above, the exercise of certain rights may prevent or limit your ability to continue to receive information you previously requested to receive as your personally identifiable information is necessary for us to send that information to you.
You, or your authorized agent, can exercise these rights by making a request to FVLD by contacting us using any of the contact information located below. Upon receiving a verifiable request – verified by for example comparing information you provide in your request to the information we already have – by a user to exercise these rights, FVLD intends to comply within a reasonable time, but in no event more than 30 days, unless we notify you otherwise in writing. If the request is uniquely burdensome or otherwise causes FVLD to incur significant costs, we reserve the right to request reimbursement, to the extent allowed by applicable law or regulation.
To submit a request, please provide at least three of the following (a) first and last name (as you provided them to us), (b) the email address you provided to us (unless the request is made by email), (c) the phone number (if any) you provided to us, (d) the company name (if any) you provided to us, and (e) how you provided your information to us (email, newsletter sign-up, etc.). Additionally, depending on the request, you may be asked to provide a signed declaration. If we are unable to sufficiently verify your identity, we may use other methods of verification or may be required to deny the request.
If you have questions about exercising these rights, or need assistance, please contact us at the information located below.
If you wish to designate an agent to make a request on your behalf please contact us at the information located below.
Retention of Your Information
We retain your personally identifiable information only as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected or as required for necessary business purposes. For example, if you subscribe to our newsletter, we will keep your personally identifiable information for as long as you are subscribed, and delete it within a reasonable time after receiving your unsubscribe request. If you provide personally identifiable information in order to communicate with us, we keep that information to respond to your question or request and delete the information once we have closed the issue (unless we need to keep the information for legal reasons).
Processors we use
As part of the services we provide, and only to the extent necessary, we may use certain third party processors to process some or all of your personally identifiable information. The processors we use for this purpose, and a short description of what they do, are:
Constant Contact: Constant Contact is a permission-based e-mail marketing platform that FVLD uses to send out its newsletters and other announcements of interest to those that sign up for our newsletters. Through the Website, Constant Contact only collects information that you provide to sign up for our newsletters. Constant Contact also tracks information about our newsletter emails including opens, clicks, bounces and other information. To learn more about Constant Contact and its privacy and security practices click here and here.
Cookies and Log Files
Our Website uses 1st party cookies from WordPress and Google Analytics. Cookies are small strings of text that are sent by a website to your browser on your computer’s hard drive. Cookies can be used to recognize you when you return to a website, to maintain your Web session while you browse throughout the website, as well as help provide you with a better, more personalized experience. WordPress’ and Google Analytic’s cookies are not tied to personally identifiable information.
The WordPress 1st party cookies used on the Website are used solely for allowing the website to function (“functional cookies”). The Google Analytics cookies are used for general Website analytics (“non-functional cookies”).
Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but it is possible to change your browser setup so that it does not accept cookies. To learn more about cookies, including how to see which cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, please visit: www.allaboutcookies.org.
Do Not Track
When you visit a website, your browser automatically shares certain information, such as your IP address and other device information. Some of this information may also be sent to third-party content providers (for example: advertisers, website analytic companies, and others) that provide content on the website. Such sharing may allow the website and/or content providers to track you over time and across multiple websites. Today, many browsers offer Do Not Track plugins that allow you to express a preference that you not be tracked, and that tell websites that you visit, by sending an electronic beacon, this preference. At this time, our Website does not respond to Do Not Track beacons sent by browser plugins. However, while FVLD does collect information about the site you came from to get to the Website, we do not track where you go to next after visiting our Website.
Data Security
We are committed to keeping your information safe. Therefore, FVLD utilizes reasonable security procedures and practices appropriate to the nature of the personally identifiable information we collect and store. Among other things, FVLD utilizes techniques such as but not limited to; encryption for transmission /storage, access and identity controls and proper disposal of equipment and data, to manage information. However, no protection method, hardware, or software is 100% perfect and information can be lost, even with appropriate protections. You understand and agree that there is no such thing as perfect security and therefore FVLD cannot, and is not, guaranteeing, ensuring or warranting that the information that you provide and we collect about you will never be compromised, and that you are accepting that risk.
Other sharing of your information
If we have personally identifiable information we may be required by law to respond to valid subpoenas, court orders, and other types of legal requests. We may also personally identifiable information, as required by law, with the relevant legal authorities. We anticipate few requests for this information. We may also share your information to defend ourselves against any lawsuit, claim or similar action, or to investigate potential violations of our policies or otherwise protect FVLD or the Website.
If FVLD is involved in a merger, acquisition, or similar transaction, we will give affected users who have provided contact information, and which information has not been deleted under this Policy, notice before their information becomes subject to a different privacy policy and the opportunity to delete such information prior to any other privacy policy going into effect.
Accuracy of Information
We endeavor to keep accurate and up-to-date records to help ensure the integrity of the services we offer. It is your responsibility, however, to ensure that your information is accurate, complete and up-to-date. If you would like to review the personally identifiable information we have about you, or if you know there is an inaccuracy, or need to make a change to any personally identifiable information you have provided to us, please update the information using any of the methods below. Please include your name and the email address you previously provided to us when you contact us.
Opt Out
Even after you have consented to our collection and use of your personally identifiable information, you may opt-out of having your personally identifiable information data collected or used by us by contacting us via any of the methods below.
Additionally, when you sign up to receive newsletters from us, those emails have links enabling you to opt-out of receiving those emails in the future.
Children
In compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 6501-06 and 16 C.F.R. Part 312, we and our Website do not knowingly collect information from children. By using our Website and/or contacting us, you represent that you are not under 18 years of age. If we discover that we have personally identifiable information of a person under 18 years of age, FVLD will delete all information relating to that person and will cease any communications with them.
Location of Website and Data
This Website is operated in the United States. If you are located in the European Union or elsewhere outside of the United States, please be aware that any information you provide to us will be transferred to the United States. By using our Website and/or providing us with your information, you consent to this transfer.
Changes to this privacy policy
We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will not reduce your rights under this Privacy Policy without your explicit consent, and will not reduce any rights guaranteed under GDPR or CCPA, or other similar laws. We always indicate the date the last changes were published and we offer access to archived versions for your review. When we make changes to this privacy policy, we will (a) post the changes in red font, and (b) post a notice on our homepage that the privacy policy has been updated and the effective date of those updates for a period of 30 days after the effective date.
Contact information
If you have questions about, or issues with, this privacy policy, or wish to exercise any rights or opt-outs under this privacy policy, please contact us as follows:
By email at: [email protected]
By mail at:
Funkhouser Vegosen Liebman & Dunn LTD
Attn: Privacy Coordinator
55 W. Monroe
Suite 2300
Chicago, Illinois 60603
