Privacy Policy

1. Hillier Quinn Law Pty Ltd (collectively ‘HQ Law’, ‘we’ or ‘us’) and privacy:

At HQ Law, we are committed to protecting your personal and sensitive information (collectively ‘Information’). This privacy policy sets out how we collect, use, disclose, and manage your Information.
We are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 and other relevant legislation, laws, and codes in relation to your Information (‘Applicable Laws’). Your Information will only be collected, used, and/or disclosed in accordance with these Applicable Laws and this privacy policy.

2. The personal information that we collect:

The personal information that HQ Law collects during your dealings with us and our website, might include, but is not limited to, the following:
1. your name;
2. your date of birth;
3. your contact details;
4. your internet protocol address;
5. your bank, debit card and/or credit card details;
6. your dealings with HQ Lawand/or our clients, referrers, agents, and/or suppliers;
7. if you apply for a job with us, your name, contact details, qualifications, employment history, Tax File Number, Superannuation Account details and contact details of your referees; and
8. any complaint details.

3. How we will use your personal information:

HQ Law will collect and hold your personal information for the purposes of:
1. identifying you;
2. contacting you;
3. managing conflicts of interest;
4. managing, administering, and providing you with our services;
5. engaging third parties on your behalf;
6. completing transactions associated with you;
7. paying our accounts;
8. providing you with our newsletter;
9. marketing;
10. Google Analytics; and/or
11. Internal analytics.

4. Your sensitive information:

HQ Law may collect, but will not disclose sensitive information about your:
1. political opinions,
2. racial or ethnic origin(s),
3. religious or philosophical beliefs or affiliations,
4. disability,
5. health,
6. tax file number,
7. membership of a trade union,
8. sexual orientation, and/or
9. criminal convictions.
The non-disclosure of the sensitive information is subject to a number of exceptions, including, but not limited to:
1. disclosures require by law; and
2. information that you consent to us using for the purposes of establishing, exercising or defending a legal claim.

5. Collecting and storing your Information:

We collect your Information through:
1. our website;
2. our client information sheet;
3. our credit card deduction authority;
4. our questionnaires;
5. subscriptions,
6. third parties (including referrers); and
7. your communication with us by phone, email and letters.
Your Information will be stored in multiple ways, including on paper and in electronic form. We take the protection of your Information seriously and take all reasonable steps to protect it from unauthorised access, misuse, loss, unauthorised disclosure or modification. Examples of our protection measures include:
1. passwords;
2. multi-factor authentication;
3. firewalls;
4. staff training, monitoring, and assessment; and
5. allowing access to Information only after the party seeking the access has satisfied our identification requirements.
Please note that your Information may also be stored by our legal practice management software, domain host, email provider, and backup service provider (‘Our Service Providers’). Our Service Providers are located in Australia. Their details can be provided on request.

6. Our website:

HQ Law aims to maintain the security of the Information provided by you to us through our website.
External website links included on our website are not subject to this privacy policy. We do not recommend, endorse or support the contents, products or services provided on external websites.

7. Accessing your Information:

You have a right to access your Information held by HQ Law.
Unless HQ Law is compelled to supply the Information by law, we will only provide individuals to which the Information relates access to that Information.
To access Information held by us please contact our Privacy Officer, by email to reception@hqlaw.com.au or by telephone call on (03) 5454 3000.
Unless an exception applies, HQ Law will provide you with access to your Information on request.
The exceptions include, but are not limited to the following:
1. the request posing a serious threat to the health or life of an individual;
2. the request having an unreasonable impact on the privacy of another,
3. the request being frivolous or vexatious,
4. the Information requested relates to a commercially sensitive issue,
5. access to the Information would be unlawful,
6. access to the Information would prejudice enforcement activities relating to criminal activities and other breaches of law, public revenue, a security function or negotiations with you; and/or
7. the request involves Information that is the subject of legal proceedings.
You will be provided with a reason for any denial to a request for the Information.

8. Updating your Information:

You have a right to update your Information held by HQ Law.
To update your Information held by us please contact the Privacy Officer, by email to reception@hqlaw.com.au or by telephone call on 03 5454 3000.

9. Contacting us about privacy:

A copy of this privacy policy can be provided in print on request.
If you have any queries, issues, or complaints about HQ Law’s privacy policy, and/or how we have collected, used, disclosed or managed your Information, please contact the Privacy Officer, by email to reception@hqlaw.com.au or by a telephone call on 03 5454 3000.
All complaints must be made in writing and will be responded to within thirty (30) days of receipt. If you are unsatisfied with our response, you can make a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

It may be necessary for us to review and revise our Privacy Policy from time to time. We may notify you about changes to this Privacy Policy by posting the new version on our website. Please check our website regularly to ensure that you are familiar with our latest Privacy Policy.

Our Privacy Policy was last updated 1 June 2023.