Privacy Policy

The privacy and security of personal data is very important to us, LANTER Attorneys & Tax Advisors. Personal data is any information that identifies you or that can reasonably be used to identify you.

With this privacy policy, we describe the type of personal data we collect from you and otherwise process when you use this website and its functions, as well as the method, scope and purpose of the data processing. Furthermore, we inform you about the rights you have in relation to such personal data. However, this privacy policy does not describe data processing in a comprehensive manner; certain matters may be governed by other privacy statements or similar documents.

When processing personal data, we comply with the requirements of Swiss data protection law and also the European Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR), insofar as this is applicable to our data processing activities.

1. Data processing activities

(a) Visiting the website
When accessing our website, the website server temporarily records the following information: IP address of the user, date, time and duration of access, name and URL of the pages or files accessed, referrer URL (i.e., website from which access is made), operating system used by the user, information about the type and version of the browser used as well as the user’s Internet service provider. The data is also stored in the log files of the website server. A consolidation of this usage data with other data sources is not carried out.

This usage data is necessary to ensure the connection setup and the functionality of the website as well as for statistical, anonymous evaluations in order to improve our website and to ensure the security of our information technology systems. Our legitimate interest in data processing lies in these purposes (if the EU-GDPR applies, cf. Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f EU-GDPR). The collection of data for these purposes is necessary for the operation of the website, which is why the user has no possibility to object.

In the case of the collection of data for providing of the website, the data is deleted as soon as the respective session has ended. If the data is stored in log files, the IP addresses of the users are deleted or anonymized after the end of use.

In the event of attacks on our network infrastructure or suspicion of unauthorized use of our website, we may use the personal data, in particular the IP address, for defense and for clarifying the identity of the user as well as in connection with proceedings against the users concerned. We have a legitimate interest in this data processing (if the EU-GDPR applies, cf. Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f EU-GDPR).

In addition, we use cookies when you visit our website; we refer to the information in section 2.

(b) Contact requests
If you send us inquiries by e-mail, your information, including the contact data you provide there, will be stored and processed by us for the purpose of processing the inquiry and in case of follow-up questions. These purposes are our legitimate interest in processing (if the EU-GDPR applies, cf. Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f EU-GDPR). If you intend to conclude a contract with us by contacting us, the data processing is necessary for the fulfillment and execution of the contract. You can object to the data processing at any time.

In principle, the data will be deleted as soon as it is clear from the circumstances that the conversation has ended and the matter in question has been conclusively clarified. In the case of inquiries in connection with a mandate, the data will be deleted at the earliest 10 years after receipt in accordance with our legal and contractual obligations (in particular the obligation to retain and document data).

2. Cookies

We use cookies on our website, i.e., small text files placed on your computer or mobile device by the browser you are using when you visit the website, and similar technologies to identify your browser or device (“Cookies”). Cookies are used to distinguish visitors to the website from one another by assigning each visitor a random anonymous identifier.

However, cookies do not identify you personally. We use (i) “session cookies”, which are used to recognize your computer when you return to the Website during a session and are automatically deleted when you close your browser, and (ii) “persistent cookies”, which allow us to recognize your computer during subsequent sessions and are automatically deleted after a certain period of time. The content of a persistent cookie is limited to an identification number. Name, IP address, etc. are not stored.

You can configure your web browser to refuse the installation of all or some cookies, or to override or disable installed cookies (see the help menu of your browser for instructions). However, if you block all cookies (including functional cookies) with your browser setting, this may result in reduced availability or impaired functionality of the websites.

3. Data transfer to third parties

We transfer personal data about you to third parties who assist us in the processing of a contractual relationship with you or otherwise within the scope of the processing purposes mentioned (e.g., telecommunications and IT service providers). We have contractually obligated third parties who provide us with data processing services to, among other things, comply with our data protection provisions, to maintain confidentiality and to provide evidence of the technical and organizational measures taken to ensure data security. Our service providers may only use your personal data for the purposes for which they were originally collected.

Furthermore, we will only disclose your personal data to third parties if you have expressly given your consent to this or if there is a legal obligation to do so, or if the transfer is necessary for the assertion, exercise or defense of legal claims.

The recipients may be located in Switzerland or in any country of the world. In particular, you should expect that your personal data may be transferred to any country in which our service providers are located. If we transfer personal data to a country without adequate legal data protection, we will ensure an adequate level of protection through appropriate contracts (in particular based on the European Commission’s standard contractual clauses). In the absence of such contracts, we only transfer the data in the exceptional cases provided for by law, e.g., with your consent, for the performance of a contract, for the establishment, exercise or enforcement of legal claims, on the basis of an overriding interest.

4. Retention period

We process and store personal data for as long as is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or to fulfill legal obligations or other purposes pursued with the processing, as well as beyond this period in accordance with the legal retention and documentation obligations. In addition, we may retain personal data for as long as claims can be asserted against us or we are otherwise required to do so by law, or if legitimate business interests require further storage (e.g., for evidence and documentation purposes).

If personal data is no longer required for the above-mentioned purposes, it will be deleted or anonymized as far as possible. If personal data must be stored for legal reasons, it will be blocked in our system and we will use it exclusively to fulfill our legal obligations.

5. Data security

We take appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, improper use or disclosure, unauthorized modification and unlawful destruction or accidental loss. However, we cannot guarantee absolute protection.

Where possible, our data processing systems are designed from the outset to be data protection-friendly, e.g., by minimizing and pseudonymizing personal data.

All employees, contract data processors and other third parties who have access to personal data are obliged to treat it confidentially and to protect it.

For reasons of security and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as requests that you send to us as the website operator, this website uses SSL encryption (Secure Socket Layer). You can recognize an encrypted connection by the fact that the address line of the browser changes from “http://” to “https://” and by the lock symbol in your browser line. If SSL encryption is activated, the data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.

6. Rights of the data subject

Subject to applicable law, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data: (a) the right to be informed whether we are processing your personal data and, if so, right to access a copy of such data; (b) the right to have inaccurate or incomplete data corrected; (c) the right to have your personal data deleted, as long as applicable legal requirements are met; (d) the right to restrict processing to the extent permitted by law; (e) the right to object to the processing of your personal data, unless we can demonstrate valid legitimate reasons for processing your personal data; (f) the right to data portability of your personal data to a new provider (if applicable); (g) the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority, in particular the data protection authority competent for your place of residence or the place of the alleged infringement or the supervisory authority competent for us, namely the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner FDPIC, Feldeggweg 1, 3003 Bern, Switzerland (http://www.edoeb.admin.ch); (h) the right to withdraw consent at any time.

You can exercise your rights at any time by sending your request to the addresses listed in section 7. The exercise of these rights usually requires that you can prove your identity (e.g., copy of identification documents).

We reserve the right to enforce legal restrictions, e.g., if we are obliged to retain or process certain data, have an overriding interest or need the personal data to enforce claims. We may refuse requests that are excessive or constitute an abuse of the corresponding rights.

7. Contact

If you have any questions about data protection, if you would like further information or if you would like to request the deletion of your personal data, please contact us: LANTER, Attorneys & Tax Advisors, Seefeldstrasse 19, P.O. Box, 8032 Zurich, law@lanter.biz, +41 44 250 29 29.

8. Update and modification

We may change or update this Privacy Policy at any time without prior notice to you.