PODLAW is committed to respecting and protecting your rights as a data subject and to protecting your personal data.

References to “we”, “us” or “our” are to PODLAW.

This privacy notice (“this Notice”) explains how we collect and use your personal data when you use this website (“our Site”), contact us, or interact with our online services.

We may update this Notice from time to time. Please check this page for the latest version.

1. Who we are and how to contact us

Data controller: Office 2081, PODLAW, 92 Castle St, Belfast BT1 1HE.

2. Data Protection Officer (DPO)

You can contact our DPO by email at pod@podlaw.co.uk, by telephone on +44 28 9099 2616, or by post at Data Protection Officer, PODLAW, Office 2081, 92 Castle St, Belfast BT1 1HE.

3. Scope

This Notice applies to our Site only. Our Site may link to third-party websites. Those third parties are responsible for their own privacy practices, so please review their notices.

4. Your data protection rights

Under UK GDPR and (where applicable) EU GDPR, you have rights to: access your data; correct it; request erasure; restrict processing; object to processing; and receive a portable copy of data you provided to us. You also have rights in relation to automated decision-making and profiling.

If you have concerns, please contact us first using the details below. You can also complain to the UK supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). If EU GDPR applies to you, you may also complain to your local EU supervisory authority.

5. Personal data we collect

We do not use our Site to send newsletters or direct marketing emails.

Contact details: name, organisation (if provided), email address, telephone number, and the content of your enquiry.

Usage and device data: IP address, browser type/version, device and operating system information, log data, and how you use our Site (for example, pages visited and referring URLs).

Third-party content and social media: if you use embedded content (such as video) or social media features (such as share buttons), the relevant third party may collect data about your interaction in line with their own notice and settings.

Cookies and similar technologies: see our Cookie Policy for details.

6. How we use your data and our lawful bases

We use your personal data only where the law allows us to. The main purposes and lawful bases we rely on are:

Responding to enquiries and providing support (including keeping a record of correspondence) – legitimate interests (to manage and improve our services) and/or contract (where you request a service).

Operating, securing and improving our Site (including hosting, IT support, logs, security monitoring and performance) – legitimate interests.

Embedded content and social media features (for example, video embeds or share buttons) – legitimate interests in providing the functionality, and consent where these features involve non-essential cookies/technologies.

Website analytics – consent for non-essential cookies/technologies, unless an applicable legal exception applies.

Where we rely on consent (for example, for non-essential cookies), you can withdraw or change your choices at any time. See our Cookie Policy for further details.  

7. How long we keep your data

We keep personal data only for as long as needed for the purposes above (for example, enquiry correspondence is kept for as long as necessary to handle your request and for a reasonable period afterwards to manage follow-up and record-keeping, unless a longer retention period is required by law).

8. Security and where your data is processed

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data. Access is limited to those who need it, and we take steps to prevent unauthorised access, loss or misuse.

Your data is primarily processed in the UK and/or the European Economic Area (EEA). If we ever transfer personal data outside the UK/EEA, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place (for example, an adequacy decision or standard contractual clauses).

We do not sell, distribute, or lease your personal information to third parties.

We regularly review our security measures and update them where appropriate.

9. Who we share data with

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who provide services to us (for example, website hosting, IT support, embedded media services and analytics providers), but only where necessary for the purposes above and subject to appropriate contractual safeguards.

Service providers (processors): organisations that help us run our Site and manage communications (for example, hosting and IT support).

Analytics providers: to help us understand how our Site is used (subject to your cookie choices).

Third-party platforms: where you interact with embedded content or social media features, the relevant platform may act as an independent controller of data it collects from you.

Legal and regulatory: where required by law, court order, or to protect our legal rights.

Statistics: we may use aggregated or anonymised information to understand how our Site is used.

10. How to exercise your rights

To exercise your rights, please contact us at pod@podlaw.co.uk. We may need to verify your identity. We usually respond within one month.

11. Contact

If you have questions about this Notice or how we use personal data, contact our DPO using the details in section 2 of this Notice.

12. Changes to this Notice

We may update this Notice to reflect changes to our Site, our processing, or legal requirements. The latest version will always be posted on this page.