Privacy Policy
As a professional who provides legal services, I am committed and required to protect the privacy of confidential and personal information. For purposes of this policy, confidential and personal information is that which:
- Directly or indirectly identifies clients, judicial officers, attorneys, or children;
- Relates to the existence or scope of legal representation;
- Relates to a person’s health or private circumstances (like date of birth or financial situation).
My Obligations under Ohio Professional Rule 1.6
The Ohio Rules of Professional Responsibility govern the conduct of Ohio lawyers. Under Professional Rule 1.6 (Confidentiality of Information:
(a) A lawyer shall not reveal information relating to the representation of a client, including information protected by the attorney-client privilege under applicable law, unless the client gives informed consent, the disclosure is impliedly authorized in order to carry out the representation, or the disclosure is permitted by division (b) or required by division (d) of this rule.
(b) A lawyer may reveal information relating to the representation of a client, including information protected by the attorney-client privilege under applicable law, to the extent the lawyer reasonably believes necessary for any of the following purposes:
- to prevent reasonably certain death or substantial bodily harm;
- to prevent the commission of a crime by the client or other person;
- to mitigate substantial injury to the financial interests or property of another that has resulted from the client’s commission of an illegal or fraudulent act, in furtherance of which the client has used the lawyer’s services;
- to secure legal advice about the lawyer’s compliance with the Ohio Professional Rules of Conduct;
- to establish a claim or defense on behalf of the lawyer in a controversy between the lawyer and the client, to establish a defense to a criminal charge or civil claim against the lawyer based upon conduct in which the client was involved, or to respond to allegations in any proceeding, including any disciplinary matter, concerning the lawyer’s representation of the client;
- to comply with other law or a court order;
- to detect and resolve conflicts of interest arising from the lawyer’s change of employment or from changes in the composition or ownership of a firm, but only if the revealed information would not compromise the attorney-client privilege or otherwise prejudice the client.
(c) A lawyer shall make reasonable efforts to prevent the inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure of or unauthorized access to information related to the representation of a client.
(d) A lawyer shall reveal information relating to the representation of a client, including information protected by the attorney-client privilege under applicable law, to the extent the lawyer reasonably believes necessary to comply with Rule 3.3 or 4.1.
How I Comply
In the course of my work, no one has access to confidential and personal information except me. All files are kept in private or locked spaces to which only I have access. All online files are stored electronically on hardware or platforms to which I only have access. (Clients have electronic access to files pertaining to our work together).
I never sell or share information about anyone related to my practice of law. I or my professional advisors may review data and information about inquiries and website traffic.
Intention to Comply
I intend to comply at all times with Ohio statutory and case law and the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct. I read, respect, and take care to comply with opinions and orders issued by the Ohio Supreme Court.
We partner with Thomson Reuters, who might also collect data as part of our marketing efforts. To learn more about the Thomson Reuters privacy policy and the data that might be collected, please visit: Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement.