Introduction
Protection of personal data of our clients and other natural persons is important for us. This Privacy Policy explains how we process personal data when providing legal services at:
KATONA LEGAL, s.r.o.
M. Matunáka 11, 940 01 Nové Zámky, Slovak Republic
Company ID (IČO): 47237074
E-mail: office@katona.sk
Phone: +421 35 6432 052
In the processing of personal data, we are primarily governed by:
- The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679),
- The Slovak Act on Personal Data Protection,
- The Act on Legal Profession, Section 18,
- and other applicable legislation.
We comply with the Code of Conduct adopted by the Slovak Bar Association (SAK) explaining processing of personal data by lawyers. You can review it here:
https://www.sak.sk/blox/cms/sk/sak/doc/224/225/event/open
Why do we process personal data?
Processing of personal data is necessary for us mainly to:
- provide legal services to our clients and pursue the legal profession,
- comply with various legal, professional and contractual obligations, and
- protect legitimate interests of us, our clients and other persons.
What are our purposes of processing personal data and on what legal grounds are they made?
Purpose of processing | Legal basis (Article 6 GDPR) | Related legislation |
---|---|---|
Practice of profession (provision of legal services) | Article 6(1)(b), (c), (f) GDPR | Act on Legal Profession; Rules of Professional Conduct for Lawyers; Civil Code; Commercial Code |
Provision of non-legal services | Article 6(1)(b), (c), (f) GDPR | Public Sector Partners Act; Act on e-Government; Civil Code; Commercial Code; Act on Lease of Non-Residential Premises |
Compliance with laws and regulations of Slovak Bar Association | Article 6(1)(c), (e), (f) GDPR | Act on Legal Profession; Anti-Money Laundering Act; Act on Whistleblowing; GDPR |
Protection of legitimate interests | Article 6(1)(f) GDPR | Civil Code; Commercial Code; Criminal Code; Criminal Procedure; Civil Procedure; Code of Civil Non-Contentious Procedure; Code of Administrative Judicial Procedure; Administrative Procedure Act; Act on Offences |
Marketing purposes | Article 6(1)(a) or (f) GDPR | Act on Legal Profession; Act on Electronic Communications; Act on Advertising; Consumer Protection Act; Civil Code |
Statistical, archiving in public interest, historical/scientific research | Article 89 GDPR | Act on Archives |
Personnel & payroll | Article 6(1)(b), (c), (f) GDPR | Labour Code; Act on Legal Profession; other legislation |
Accounting & tax purposes | Article 6(1)(c) GDPR | Accounting and tax laws |
What are our legitimate interests that we pursue?
Protection of premises and property.
Who do we share your personal data with?
We share personal data only to the extent necessary, always preserving confidentiality. Typical recipients include:
- Our employees;
- Cooperating or substituting lawyers;
- Accountants, auditors;
- IT and software providers supporting our law firm;
- Slovak Bar Association (e.g., in disciplinary proceedings);
- Public authorities, when legally required to report suspicions of criminal acts, money laundering or terrorism financing.
Do we transfer your personal data abroad?
We do not intend to transfer personal data outside the European Union or European Economic Area.
How long do we store your personal data?
Personal data are stored only as long as necessary for the purposes of processing, following recommended retention periods under the Resolution of the Slovak Bar Association no. 29/11/2011, for example:
- Incoming/outgoing mail registers: 10 years from last entry,
- Inventory lists: 10 years,
- Client register (list of client files): indefinite or as required,
- Client files: 10 years from fulfillment of conditions for archiving.
Certain documents cannot be shredded at all (e.g., original documents in client files or files subject to ongoing proceedings or required archival by law).
How do we collect your personal data?
We most often obtain data directly from you (voluntarily). In certain cases, we may collect personal data from publicly available sources or third parties, if permitted or required by law.
If you submit an inquiry via the contact form, we process your name, e-mail address and other details you provide solely for the purpose of handling your request. We retain this data for a maximum of 30 days from submission, unless a longer retention period is required by law.
What rights do you have as a data subject?
- The right to be informed and access your personal data,
- The right to rectification or erasure of your personal data,
- The right to restrict or object to processing (e.g., for marketing),
- The right to data portability,
- The right to withdraw consent at any time (without affecting lawfulness of processing before withdrawal),
- The right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (e.g., the Slovak Data Protection Authority) or the Slovak Bar Association.
Certain rights may be limited by our statutory duty of confidentiality as legal professionals (e.g., third-party access to client files may be restricted).
Cookies
Our website uses cookies to improve user experience (e.g., remembering preferences, measuring traffic). You may disable cookies via your browser settings, but this may impair functionality. Browser settings consenting to cookies are considered your consent under the Act on Electronic Communications.
For details, see our Cookie Policy.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
Protection of personal data is not a one-time matter. This Privacy Policy may be updated at any time. If substantial changes occur, we will notify you via our website or email.
Issued in Nové Zámky, 1 June 2019.