Data protection statement

1. Name and contact details of the party responsible for the processing of data

This data proection statement applies tot he processing of data by:

Responsible party: Berner Fleck Wettich, Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwaelten mbB

Email: info@bfw.law

Telefon: +49 211 – 20 06 78 00

Fax: +49 211 – 20 06 78 10

2. Collection and storage of personal data as well as nature and purpose of its processing

a) When visiting the website

When visiting our website www.bfw.law information is automatically sent to the server of our website by the browser you use on your terminal device. This information is temporarily stored in a so-called log file. In the course of this procedure, the following information is collected without any action on your part and stored until the time of automatic deletion:

• IP address of the accessing computer,

• date and time of access,

• name and URL of the retrieved file,

• website from which access is made (Referrer URL)

• browser used and, if appropriate, the operating system of your computer as well as the name of your access provider

The data above will be processed by us for the following purposes:

• ensuring smooth connection establishment of the website,

• ensuring comfortable use of the website,

• assessing system security and stability as well as

• for other administrative purposes.

The legal basis for the processing of data is article 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest is based on the above-mentioned data collection purposes. Under no circumstances we use the data collected for the purpose of drawing any conclusions regarding you.

Furthermore, we use cookies as well as analytics services when you visit our website. More details on this can be found in Art. 4 and Art. 5 of this Data Protection Statement.

3. Sharing of data

No sharing of your personal data with third parties for any purpose other than those mentioned below will take place.

We only share your personal data with third parties if:

• you have given us your explicit consent according to article 6(1)(1) GDPR

• the sharing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims according to article 6 (1)(f) GDPR and there is no reason to assume that you have any overriding legitimate interest in the non-disclosure of your data,

• the sharing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation according to article 6(1)(c) GDPR, as well as

• it is permitted by law and necessary for the performance of a contract with you according to article 6(1)(b) GDPR.

4. Cookies

We place cookies on our website. These are small files automatically created by your browser and stored on your terminal device (laptop, tablet computer or smartphone or the like) when you visit our website. Cookies do not harm your computer, they do not contain viruses, Trojans or other malware.

The cookie contains information deriving in each case in relation to the specific terminal device used. However, this does not mean that we thereby immediately gain knowledge of your identity.

On the one hand, the use of cookies serves the purpose of improving the use of our offer for you. For this, we place so-called session cookies on our website in order to recognize that you have already visited individual pages of our website. These are automatically deleted after your visit on our website.

Moreover, we use temporary cookies, again for the purpose of optimizing user-friendliness. These will be stored on your terminal device for a specific determined period of time. If you re-visit our website in order to use our services, it will automatically be recognized that you have visited our website before and which input and settings you have made so that the same information does not have to be entered again.

We also use cookies to collect statistics on the use of our website and in order to evaluate these in the interests of optimizing the site and its content (see Art. 5 of this Dta Protection Statement). These cookies allow us to automatically detect during a subsequent visit that you were previously here. These cookies are automatically deleted after a specifically defined period of time.

The data processed by means of cookies are necessary for the mentioned purposes in order to protect the legitimate interests pursued by us as well as by third parties according to article 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Most browsers accept cookies automatically. However, you can configure your browser in a way that no cookies will be stored on your computer or a notification appears before a new cookie is placed. However, if you deactivate all cookies, you may not be able to use all functions of our website.

5. Analytics-Tools / Tracking-Tools

The tracking measures listed below and used by us are based on Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR. With the tracking measures to be used, we want to ensure a needs-based design and the continuous optimization of our website. On the other hand, we use the tracking measures to statistically record the use of our website and evaluate it for the purpose of optimizing our offer for you. These interests are to be regarded as justified within the meaning of the aforementioned provision.

The respective data processing purposes and data categories can be found in the following tracking tool.

How to use the open source software Matomo for analysis and statistical analysis of the use of the website. For this purpose, cookies are used in accordance with section 4. The information generated by the cookie about the use of the website is transmitted to our servers and summarized in pseudonymous usage profiles. The information is used to evaluate the use of the website and to enable a needs-based design of our website. The information will not be passed on to third parties.

In no case will an IP address be associated with other data concerning the user. The IP addresses are anonymized, so that an assignment is not possible (IP masking).

Your visit to our website is currently covered by the Matomo Advertising Analysis.

You may choose not to have a unique web analytics cookie identification number assigned to your computer to avoid the aggregation and analysis of data collected on this website.
To make that choice, please click below to receive an opt-out cookie.

6. Rights of data subjects

You have the right to:

• demand information on your personal data that are processed by us according to article 15 GDPR. In particular, you may demand information on the purposes of processing, the category of the personal data, the categories of recipients to whom your data have been or will be disclosed, the planned period for which the personal data will be stored, the existence of the right to request rectification, deletion, restriction of processing or to object to such processing, the existence of the right to lodge a complaint, the source of your data where they have not been collected by us, as well as on the existence of automated decision-making including profiling and, if appropriate, demand meaningful information on the details thereof;

• demand without undue delay the rectification of inaccurate personal data or the completion of the personal data stored by us according to article 16 GDPR;

• demand the deletion of your personal data stored by us, provided that processing is not necessary for exercising the right of freedom of expression and information, for compliance with a legal obligation, for reasons of public interest or for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims according to article 17 GDPR;

• demand restriction of the processing of your personal data, where the accuracy of the data is contested by you, the processing is unlawful and you oppose the deletion of the personal data and we no longer need the personal data, but they are required by you for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims according to article 18 GDPR or you have objected to processing according to article 21 GDPR;

• demand the personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format or to demand the transmission of those data to a different person responsible according to article 20 GDPR;

• withdraw your consent given to us at any time according to article 7(3) GDPR. This will have as a consequence that we are no longer entitled to process data based on such content and

• lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority according to article 77 GDPR. Generally, for this you may refer to the supervisory authority at your habitual residence or your place of work or the seat of our law firm.

7. Right to object

If your personal data are processed on the basis of legitimate interests according to article 6(1)(f) GDPR, you have the right, according to article 21 GDPR, to object to the processing of your personal data, to the extent that the objection is based on grounds relating to your particular situation or you object to processing for direct marketing purposes. In the latter case you have a general right to object which will be implemented by us without reference to any particular situation.

If you wish to use your right of withdrawal or objection, you only need to send an email to mailto:info@bfw.law.

8. Data security

During your visit on our website we use the widespread SSL procedure (Secure Socket Layer) in connection with the highest level of encryption supported by your browser. This is usually a 256 bit encryption. If your browser does not support a 256 bit encryption, we use 128 bit v3 technology. You can recognize whether a specific page on our website is transmitted in encrypted form, if you see a locked eye or a lock symbol in the lower status bar of your browser.

Moreover, we use appropriate technical and organizational security measures in order to protect your data against accidental or deliberate manipulations, partial or total loss, destruction or against the unauthorized access by third parties. Our security measures will be continuously improved in accordance with the technical development.

9. Updates and changes to this Data Protection Statement

This Data Protection Statement is currently valid and is dated May 2018.

Due to the further development of our website and the services thereon or due to amended legal or regulatory requirements it may be necessary to amend this Data Protection Statement. This latest Data Protection Statement can at any time be found on and printed from the website at https://www.bfw.law/en/data-protection/.