Privacy Policy

Garafola King & McCardle LLP (“GKM” or the “Firm”) is committed to being a responsible custodian of the information you provide to the Firm. We collect information in a variety of ways, and for a variety of purposes, in conducting our business and services as a law firm, including for business and information services (IS or IT) administration, billing, marketing, and providing legal services to clients, as described below. Garafola King & McCardle LLP does not share or sell information to third parties without consent, except when legally required to do so.

Garafola King & McCardle LLP complies with the California Consumer Privacy Act.

How The Firm Collects and Uses Information

Public Services, Website and Marketing

We may collect data that identifies or is associated with you (“personal information”) when you access our website including our mobile-device enabled website and other interactive features, when you register or attend an event organized or hosted by us, or when you otherwise contact us (“public services”). Our website also may collect other information about how you use the website so the Firm can improve the website’s performance.

We use the information we collect in our capacity as a law firm in providing legal services to our clients and potential clients, and in the administration of the Firm. Personal information collected may be used for marketing our legal services: maintaining our contact database; maintaining our relationships and contacts with clients, potential clients, business contacts, referral sources, law firms, press contacts, and firm alumni, among others; detecting and protecting against security incidents or malicious activity on our networks and devices; protecting our confidential and privileged client files, documents, and communications; protecting other confidential communications; and maintaining the security and safety of firm devices and assets.

Personal information collected may include personal identifiers, internet data, and geolocation data, where applicable.

Our website contains links to other sites that are not governed by this privacy policy.

Legal Services

We also may collect personal information about you when we provide legal services or market our legal services (“legal services”) to you, your employer, or any other person who has authorized you to communicate with us regarding the provision of legal service to them, in accordance with our client engagement agreement. In providing legal services, the Firm collects information from clients and potential clients (including, but not limited to, their employees, partners, contractors, interns, associates, and agents), as well as opposing parties, witnesses, subpoenaed parties, and third parties in legal matters. We also collect information from anyone who emails, text messages, instant messages, mails, telephones, or otherwise sends correspondence to the Firm or any sacbusinesslaw.com address, including, but not limited to, counsel and other parties in legal matters we handle on behalf of our clients.

Information may be collected at various stages of a legal matter, including, but not limited to, checking conflicts to determine whether the Firm may perform legal services; evaluating a legal matter; client interviews; client internal investigations; collection of relevant material in preparation for discovery; engaging in the discovery process, including obtaining discovery from opposing parties, third parties, and witnesses; obtaining information pursuant to subpoenas; and in providing other substantive legal services.

Personal information collected may include personal identifiers, protected class information, commercial information, employment information, educational information, and biometric data, where applicable.

Human Resources, Recruiting and Employment Inquiries

Garafola King & McCardle may collect information from employees, counsel, partners, job applicants, interns and internship applicants, law schools, temporary employees, staffing agencies, recruiters, recruiting firms, and contractors. Such information may include personal identifiers, protected class information, professional employment information, and education information. The Firm collects such information in recruiting, hiring, and employing qualified talent and labor in order to provide legal services; conducting internal administration and management of the law firm; paying and providing benefits to our employees, counsel, partners, interns, and associates (where applicable); ensuring compliance with legal, state bar, and governmental requirements; billing our clients for completed work; and obtaining and maintaining appropriate insurance for the Firm.

If you apply to the Firm for a job, we need to consider your personal information as part of our review process. We normally retain information from candidates after a decision has been made, unless you ask us not to retain the information. If you are offered a job and become an employee of the Firm, the information will be retained in accordance with our privacy procedures for employee records.

Personal information collected may include personal identifiers, protected class information, employment information, educational information, and biometric data, where applicable.

Accounting

Garafola King & McCardle’s Accounting Department may collect personal information in providing legal services to our clients and in the administration of the firm. The Firm collects such information from clients and potential clients, consumers, employees, counsel, summer associates, interns, contractors, providers of goods and services to the Firm, non-profits and charitable organizations, and third parties to legal matters.

Uses include processing their payments and fee deposits and handling client trust accounts; making payments to those who provide property, rentals, services supplies, or goods to the firm; third parties in substantive legal matters; charitable or non-profit organizations to which the firm donates or contributes; handling settlement funds or other funds related to legal services provided; processing payroll and reimbursements for our employees, counsel, summer associates, interns, and contractors; and processing payments and reimbursements to our partners. We also use such information in completing and maintaining required paperwork for employees, and for other internal firm administration purposes.

Personal information collected may include personal identifiers and commercial information.

How The Firm Protects Collected Information

Garafola King & McCardle implements administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the information you provide to it. When the Firm uses third-party service providers, the Firm asks those service providers to implement safeguards as required under the California Consumer Privacy Act.

Note, however, that no information system is 100% secure. Accordingly, the Firm cannot guarantee that your information is absolutely secure within its or its third-party service providers’ information systems.

Garafola King & McCardle maintains strict privacy policies to protect the personal information of our users obtained for text message communications. This information is never sold, rented, released, or traded to others without prior consent or legal obligation. Any sharing of information with third parties is solely for the purpose of fulfilling the organization's obligations to the user. We guarantee that it will never be shared with third parties for marketing purposes.

Your Rights

To opt out of text communications at any time, notify the Firm by text, phone, or email.

Here is an example of our text message Opt-Out message:

If you are receiving text messages from us and wish to stop receiving them, simply respond with either “STOP” or “UNSUBSCRIBE” to the number from which you received the message. Once we receive your message, you will no longer receive further text messages from us.

California consumers have the right to request access to information, request the deletion of information, request the Firm to disclose information, and request information about how the Firm discloses your information to third parties for a business purpose. Regarding information we disclose to third parties, you have the right to opt-out of such disclosure at any time. You can exercise your right to opt-out by contacting our Privacy Point of Contact at: