Privacy Policy

DAC Beachcroft is an international legal business which operates through separately constituted and regulated legal entities providing legal and/or claims handling services in accordance with the relevant laws of the Jurisdictions in which the different entities operate. 

DAC Beachcroft is committed to protecting the data of all people we deal with.  Our Privacy Policy ("Policy") is divided into separate sections for ease of reference. Each section sets out important information about how DAC Beachcroft may collect and use data depending on the categories of individuals whose data we process (such reference to “data” means all forms of personal data).

This Policy applies globally, and contains jurisdiction-specific provisions detailed in the Appendix below. Unless a capitalised term is defined in the body of this Policy or the context requires otherwise, the term has the meaning ascribed to it in the table set out in the Appendix. We will update this Policy from time to time.

The use of words and/or phrases such as "DAC Beachcroft", "we", "us" or "our" is for convenience only and refers to any of the entities listed on our Legal and Regulatory page, each of which is a separate data controller in its own right.

What Data We Collect And Where We Get It From

DAC Beachcroft will collect, use and store your data for a wide variety of reasons in connection with your relationship with us and we collect your data from a range of sources.

The table below sets out the main categories of data that we collect and the sources we collect it from. The table is not exhaustive.

How we use your Data

DAC Beachcroft uses your data for a variety of purposes in order to provide our services as an international legal and/or claims handling services provider.

We have set out in the table below the main purposes for which your data may be processed and the ‘lawful basis’ for the processing i.e. the legal reason we are able to process your data. The list below is non-exhaustive, and is subject to any Applicable Data Protection Legislation in your Jurisdiction. For information regarding how we use cookies and similar technologies in connection with your use of our website, applications and digital platforms or forms of communication, please read our Cookies Policy.

Personal data

Special categories of data / Sensitive Personal Data

In some jurisdictions, certain categories of data are considered "special categories of data" and are subject to additional safeguards. The special categories of personal data which we process may relate to:

• Racial or ethnic origin;
• Political opinions;
• Religious or philosophical beliefs;
• Trade union membership;
• Genetic and/or biometric data;
• Physical and mental health; and/or
• Sex life and/or sexual orientation.

For the special categories of personal data set out above, additional lawful bases apply as set out in the table below. Again the information in the table is not exhaustive and DAC Beachcroft may undertake additional processing of this type of data based on the lawful bases set out below or as set out by the Applicable Data Protection Legislation in your Jurisdiction.

In addition to the above, there may be occasions where we process personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences. We process criminal offence data where necessary in relation to legal claims, to prevent or detect unlawful acts, to comply with regulatory requirements relating to unlawful acts and dishonesty and to prevent fraud / money laundering.

Marketing

Where you receive a marketing email, event invitation or other direct mailing from us, we may collect information about you in the following ways:

• Opening emails: if you open the email either by downloading images in the email or clicking in a link, we log such activity on our database so we can personalise future emails to you.
• View as web page: If you click on the "view it as a web page" link, a tracking code is generated so that the web page is personalised in the same way as the email.
• Links to web pages: If you click on any web link, a tracking code is generated which we use to log such activity on our database.
• Unsubscribe: If you unsubscribe from any direct marketing, invitation or alert, we will continue to store your data on a "marketing suppression list" so as to record your preference.
• Event RSVP buttons: In our event invitations and confirmations we provide buttons to allow you to accept, decline, cancel (and register if you are not the original recipient of the invitation) for that event. Clicking on these buttons will generate a tracking code so we can record your choice in our database to help us manage the event.

Improving our services

In order for us to improve our services, we endeavour to use dummy or anonymised data wherever possible. Where that is not possible, we may use personal data to test the improvement of a system(s) or development of a new system(s) in pursuit of our legitimate business interests (but only if these are not overridden by a person’s interests, rights or freedoms). That being said, we will only do so in a safe and controlled manner in accordance with our obligations under Applicable Data Protection Legislation.

In the event that you object to the use of your personal data as part of our testing only, you are able to object (by emailing: ogc@dacbeachcroft.com) whereby we will add your name to an opt-out list and your personal data will not be used as part of any test.

When we share Data

DAC Beachcroft may, as follows, share your data with the following main parties in certain circumstances and where it is necessary to achieve the purposes detailed above:

• Our client and our client’s insured;
• Intermediaries (for example, loss adjusters, investigators, claims management suppliers and/or coverholders etc);
• Claimants/Plaintiffs;
• Defendants/Respondents;
• 3^rd parties;
• Experts;
• Witnesses;
• Counsel;
• 3^rd party solicitors;
• Individuals who are involved in court or other legal proceedings (including legal claims, criminal actions, inquests, tribunals, arbitrations, mediations and/or regulatory actions) or the provision of related legal advice and/or claims handling;
• People who are involved in contracts and transactions we are working on (for example other businesses/individuals our clients are contracting or working with);
• Our business contacts;
• People who attend our seminars or receive our legal updates, and/or who visit our website;
• Service providers (for example (but not limited to): People Pool consultants, Lawyer Connective consultants, recruitment consultants, general office services, library services, translation services, website service providers and/or IT service providers); and/or
• Our regulators, insurers, auditors, professional advisers; and
• Crime and law enforcement agencies, governmental bodies and/or Certification Bodies (as detailed in the Appendix).

The list above is not exhaustive.

International transfers of data

As a leading international law business, DAC Beachcroft may transfer data to recipients located outside the jurisdiction where services are being provided or received. For example, this may be in relation to cross-jurisdictional legal advice, or where we are sharing information with our colleagues within the DAC Beachcroft Group, our global network and/or third party service providers.

Each Jurisdiction (where members of the DAC Beachcroft Group operate) has its own data protection laws and regulations. To ensure consistency and compliance with applicable laws and regulations, all DAC Beachcroft Group entities have entered into our Intra-Group Data Processing and Transfer Agreement, which incorporates the most up to date EU Standard Contractual Clauses ("SCCs") and the UK International Data Transfer Addendum to those EU SCCs.

Where we transfer data internationally (and, in the case of transfers to a country where an adequacy decision is not available), we ensure the relevant contractual measures are in place as required by the applicable legislation in that Jurisdiction.

As a leading international legal practice, we have robust IT security systems and policies in place to ensure appropriate protection of your data. This is underpinned by our ISO 27001 (UK and Ireland offices only) and Cyber Essentials PLUS accreditations (all offices), which are certified by independent auditors.

Our use of artificial intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (or "AI") is a term used for a range of technologies that can replace manual processes and solve complex tasks by carrying out functions that previously required human action. Tasks that we have traditionally undertaken by thinking and reasoning may be undertaken by, or with the help of, AI.

We may use personal information as part of the development and training phase of an AI solution, for example where it is not possible to use anonymised data. 

We use AI to support our existing activities. This means that how we collect your personal information and the types of personal information we use do not change.  To use AI, we combine information you have provided to us directly, information we derive about you from your use of our services or your interactions with us, and information from other people and organisations.  We use AI for different purposes which we explain in more detail below. 

Business process improvement and efficiency

We use AI to improve our business processes with a particular focus on simplifying complex processes, ensuring consistent standards and driving efficiencies. For example, we use AI to help extract, organise and compile documents, extract data for entry into relevant systems and translate or summarise text. We also use AI to support our business management and development initiatives with activities such as idea generation and trends prediction.

Legal and claims handling services

We use AI to expedite and improve our legal and claims handling services. This entails using information given to us when we are instructed to act and throughout the course of our acting.

For example, AI helps us to identify, extract and analyse content in documents, together with suggesting possible ways forward for consideration. 

We also use AI for wider processes that support our legal and claims handling services, such as indexing the documents that are required in relation to an underlying matter, early identification of issues, and as part of our fraud detection procedures.

Business protection

We use AI to help us protect our business and the parties with whom we engage with.  For example, we procure services that use AI to help identify or detect unusual activity or threats to our IT infrastructure and information. 

Marketing

We use AI to help with our marketing literature.  For instance, AI helps us to create marketing literature about the products and services that DAC Beachcroft offers. 

How we keep data secure

We have appropriate technical and organisational measures in place to protect data. We limit access to data to those who have a genuine business need to access it. Those processing data will do so only in an authorised manner and are subject to a duty of confidentiality. We continually test our systems, we are ISO 27001 (UK and Ireland offices only) and Cyber Essentials PLUS certified (all offices), which means we follow industry standards for information security.

We also have procedures to deal with any suspected data breach. We will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected data security breach where we are legally required to do so.

How long we keep data

DAC Beachcroft's policy is to retain data only for as long as needed to fulfil the purpose(s) for which it was collected, or otherwise as required under Applicable Data Protection Legislation and/or regulations and/or business continuity purposes. Under some circumstances we may anonymise your data so that it can no longer be associated with you. We reserve the right to retain and use such anonymous data for any legitimate business purpose without further notice to you.

DAC Beachcroft will typically retain data for periods set out below subject to any exceptional circumstances and/or to comply with any Applicable Data Protection Legislation in your Jurisdiction or regulations and/or business continuity purposes:

Your rights in relation to your data

DAC Beachcroft will always seek to process your data in accordance with our obligations, our rights and your rights.

You will not be subject to decisions based solely on automated data processing without your prior consent.

In certain circumstances, you have the right to seek the erasure or correction of your data, to object to particular aspects of how your data is processed, and otherwise to seek the restriction of the processing of your data. You also have the right to request the transfer of your data to another party in a commonly used format.

You have a separate right of access to your data processed by DAC Beachcroft. You may be asked for information to confirm your identity and/or assist DAC Beachcroft to locate the data you are seeking as part of DAC Beachcroft's response to your request. If you wish to exercise your right of access, please contact our Office of the General Counsel (outlined below).

You have the right to raise any concerns or complain to the relevant Data Protection Supervisory Authority (as detailed in the Appendix) about how your data is being processed. We have elected the DPC as our Lead Supervisory Authority within the EU.

Where to get further information

If you have any questions about this Policy, want to exercise any of your rights in relation to your data as set out above or want to raise any concerns or complain about how your data is being processed, please use our contact details below in the first instance:

Email: ogc@dacbeachcroft.com

Post: Office of the General Counsel
DAC Beachcroft
St Paul's House
23 Park Square South
Leeds
United Kingdom
LS1 2ND

Do you need extra help?

If you would like this Policy in another format (for example audio or large print), please contact us (see ‘Where can you get further information’ above).

Appendix - Jurisdictions

This Appendix contains jurisdiction-specific information for every applicable DAC Beachcroft entity.

Further details on the DAC Beachcroft Group can be found on the page of our website.

DAC Beachcroft Singapore

DAC Beachcroft Hong Kong

Europe

DAC Beachcroft Dublin

DAC Beachcroft France AARPI

DAC Beachcroft Italia S.t.A.r.l

DAC Beachcroft Sociedad Limitada Profesional Unipersonal (SLPU)

Latin America

DAC Beachcroft Chile Limitada

DAC Beachcroft Colombia Abogados SAS

DAC Beachcroft Sociedad Civil

United Kingdom

DAC Beachcroft LLP, DAC Beachcroft Claims Limited, DAC Beachcroft Services Limited, DAC Beachcroft (International) Limited

DAC Beachcroft (N.Ireland) LLP

DAC Beachcroft Claims Scotland LLP, DAC Beachcroft Scotland LLP