Normandin, Cheney & O'Neil and Your Privacy

Notice Regarding the Graham-Leach-Bliley Act

Due to the passage of the Graham-Leach-Bliley Act, we are required by law to disclose our "privacy policy" to our clients and others who may be deemed customers or consumers under the Act. As you may know, as attorneys in the practice of law, we are bound by a code of professional conduct which is more restrictive than this new government legislation. Information our firm may have about you has always been held strictly confidential. Even before Graham-Leach-Bliley was enacted attorneys were bound by stringent professional standards of confidentiality embodied in state law and our own professional ethics standards. In circumstances wherein professional standards governing privacy are stricter than the federal laws, we will continue to adhere to the more stringent professional standards of client confidentiality and attorney-client privilege. The purpose of this notice is to comply with new regulations by explaining our privacy policy to you.

Privacy Policy

Types of Non-Public Personal Information We Collect

The Graham-Leach-Bliley Act, Public Law Number 106-102, and rules issued by the Federal Regulations, Part 313, applied to non-public personal information of individuals who obtained financial services such as tax preparation and planning services, real estate settlement services, debt collection services, and financial advisory and management services, which are to be used primarily for personal, family, or household purposes. In the course of providing such services to you, we collect non-public personal information about you that is provided to us by you or obtained by us with your authorization. The types of non-public personal information that we collect vary according to the services that we perform for you, and may include:

Information that we receive from you (such as your name, address, income, assets, Social Security information, other financial or household information);
Information about your relationship and past history with us and others (such as the types of legal services we provide to you, your invoice balances and payment history); and
Information that we receive, with your authorization, from third parties, such as accountants, financial advisers, health care providers, insurance agents, banking institutions and others.

Protecting the Confidentiality and Security of Information

We retain records relating to professional services that we provide so that we are better able to assist you with your professional needs and, in some cases, to comply with professional guidelines or requirements of the law. We restrict access to public and non-public personal information about you to those attorneys and staff members in our firm who need to know the information in order to provide services for you. All of our attorneys and employees are required to maintain the confidentiality of all non-public personal information about you. We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that comply with both federal law and our more stringent professional standards to protect the public and non-public personal information that you have provided to us.

How We Handle Your Information

We do not disclose any non-public personal information obtained in the course of our practice except as necessary in order to provide services on your behalf or as required by law. For example, in order to carry out legal services which you have requested or in order to provide the representation which you have authorized, we may disclose personal information to a third party, such as an appraiser, or accountant, who is assisting us in providing services to you. In addition, we will release information to the extent required by law or regulation. In all such situations, we stress the confidential nature of information being shared. We do not sell information to anyone or disclose information to marketing companies.

Questions

Your privacy, our professional ethics and the ability to provide you with quality legal services are very important to us. If you have any questions or would like additional information about our privacy policy, please call Attorney Robert Dietz at (603) 524-4380 or 1-800-529-0631.