1. Introduction
Irwin & Co. (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose personal information when you visit our website, use our services, or otherwise interact with us.
We comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) and other applicable South African data protection laws. By using our website or engaging our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
2. Information We Collect
Information You Provide Directly
We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us, including:
- Full name, title, and contact details (email address, phone number, physical address)
- Information submitted through our contact form or via email correspondence
- Details related to your legal matter when you engage our services
- Billing and payment information necessary for our professional services
- Company or organisation name and position, where applicable
- Any other information you choose to provide in communications with us
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain technical information, including:
- IP address and approximate geographic location
- Browser type and version, operating system, and device type
- Pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation paths
- Referring website or source that directed you to our site
- Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 7 below)
3. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal information for the following purposes:
- Providing legal services — To communicate with you, manage your matter, provide legal advice, and deliver our professional services
- Responding to enquiries — To respond to messages submitted through our contact form, email, or telephone
- Client administration — To manage our client relationships, issue invoices, and process payments
- Legal and regulatory obligations — To comply with applicable laws, regulations, court orders, and professional conduct rules
- Improving our services — To understand how our website is used and improve the user experience
- Communications — To send updates about our services or legal developments that may be relevant to you (only with your consent where required)
4. Legal Basis for Processing
Under POPIA, we process your personal information based on one or more of the following grounds:
- Consent — Where you have given us explicit consent to process your information
- Contractual necessity — Where processing is necessary to perform our engagement with you or take steps at your request prior to entering into an engagement
- Legal obligation — Where we are required to process your information to comply with a legal obligation
- Legitimate interest — Where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests (such as improving our services) and does not unduly prejudice your rights
5. Sharing and Disclosure
We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:
- Professional requirements — With other legal professionals, experts, or counsel involved in your matter, with your knowledge
- Service providers — With trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you, subject to confidentiality obligations
- Legal requirements — Where disclosure is required by law, regulation, court order, or legal process
- Professional regulators — With professional regulatory bodies where required by law or professional conduct rules
- With your consent — In any other circumstances where you have given your prior consent
6. Data Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:
- Secure storage of physical and electronic records
- Access controls limiting who within our firm can access personal information
- Encryption of sensitive data transmitted via our website
- Regular review and updating of our security practices
However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us understand how you use our website.
- Essential cookies — Necessary for the website to function properly
- Analytics cookies — Help us understand how visitors interact with our website so we can improve it
- Preference cookies — Remember your settings and preferences for future visits
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.
8. Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Specifically:
- Client matter files — Retained in accordance with the Legal Practice Act and professional conduct rules (typically a minimum of five years after the matter concludes)
- Contact form submissions — Retained for a reasonable period to respond to and follow up on your enquiry
- Website analytics data — Retained in anonymised or aggregated form
9. Your Rights
Under POPIA, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Right of access — Request confirmation of whether we hold personal information about you and access to that information
- Right to correction — Request correction or deletion of inaccurate, irrelevant, or excessive personal information
- Right to object — Object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances
- Right to deletion — Request deletion of your personal information where it is no longer necessary
- Right to withdraw consent — Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time
- Right to lodge a complaint — Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you believe your information has been mishandled
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 12 below.
10. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. The updated policy will be posted on this page with a revised “last updated” date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
12. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or have concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact us:
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa) if you are dissatisfied with how we have handled your personal information.
