Privacy

Objective & Scope of Policy

HFG is a law firm and IP agency registered in China with offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin and Hong Kong (PRC) (contact info: hfg_china@hfgip.com). As professionals, we are dedicated to maintaining high standards of confidentiality with respect to the information that has been provided to us. This Website Privacy Policy Statement, along with the Firm's Internal Confidentiality Policy, has been prepared to affirm our commitment to maintaining the privacy of our clients and others and to inform you of our practices concerning the collection, use and disclosure (as specified below) of information collected by HFG. 
Our obligations as legal professionals are governed by the legal and ethical rules enforced in China. These obligations apply to all professionals, employees, contractors and agents who provide services in connection with our delivery of services to our clients. Moreover, using contractual or other arrangements, HFG will ensure that the firm, its agents, contractors and third party service providers, will ensure an internationally acceptable level of protection to the information collected. 

 

Purpose: Professional Relationship

As a general rule, all information concerning the business and affairs of a person or organization acquired for the purpose of determining whether HFG will enter into a professional relationship or in the course of a professional relationship will be held in strict confidence and not revealed to anyone unless expressly or implicitly authorized by the person or organization concerned. A professional relationship commences when HFG agrees to be retained to provide services to a particular individual or organization. In order to protect their own interests, individuals or organizations should not send confidential information to HFG until they have had a direct discussion with a professional at the firm regarding the retention of HFG to provide legal services. 

 

The Collection of Personal Information

Your provision of Personal Information (including name, email address or mailing addresses) to HFG means that you represent that you are at least 14 years old and agree that we may collect, use and disclose (as specified below) your personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with these terms, you are requested not to provide any personal information to HFG. Certain services（such as Xclass）can only be offered if you provide personal information to HFG. Consequently, if you choose not to provide us with any required personal information, HFG may not be able to offer you those services. 
HFG will collect from individuals or organizations only such information as is required for the purposes of providing services or information to them. When we make directed individual requests for your relevant personal information from a particular organization or business, such as medical professionals or financial institutions, we will obtain your prior consent. 
With prior consent, HFG collects e-mail and mailing addresses from individuals attending seminars or subscribing to publications offered by the Firm. Personal Information will be collected, to the extent possible, directly from the individual concerned. 

 

The Use and Disclosure of Personal Information

In agreement with receiving emails from us upon the registration, or the provision of your email address or mailing address, you agree that the firm may contact you by your emails or mails and send you any promotional material, event invitation, publication and the firm’s newsletters from us. The Firm uses information collected through such contacts to send them the publication they have requested and the firm’s newsletters, and also to provide information that may be of possible interest. 
If you do not wish to receive any of the promotional material, firm newsletters, publication, or event invitation etc. from the Firm, you shall click the un-subscription icon in each email or contact the following email   hfg_china@hfgip.com for un-subscription. 
HFG respects the privacy of your personal information. HFG keeps confidentiality of your personal information. Your personal and other information will not be revealed by us to other third parties except that with your separate consent, HFG may, from time to time, disclose personal information to organizations that perform services on behalf of the Firm. Personal information will only be provided to such organizations if they agree to use such information solely for the purposes of providing services to HFG to act in a manner consistent with the relevant principles articulated in this Policy. 
HFG does not sell, trade, barter, or exchange for consideration any personal information it has obtained. 
Unless permitted by law, no personal information is collected about an individual, without first obtaining the consent of the individual to the collection, use and dissemination of that information. Consent may be written, verbal or implied as necessary to further your legal needs.
There are circumstances where the use and/or disclosure of personal information may occur or where HFG is obliged to disclose information without consent. Such circumstances may include:
•    where required by law or by order or requirement of a court, administrative agency or any other government tribunal; 
•    where HFG believes, upon reasonable grounds, that it is necessary to protect the rights, privacy, safety or property of an identifiable person or group; 
•    where it is necessary to establish or collect monies owing to HFG;  
•    where it is necessary to permit HFG to pursue available remedies or limit any damages that HFG may sustain; or
•    where the information is public.
When obliged or permitted to disclose information without consent, HFG will not disclose more information than is required. 

 

Accuracy

HFG endeavors to ensure that any personal information provided and in its possession is as accurate, current and complete as necessary for the purposes for which HFG uses that information. You have the right to request a correction of the personal information that we hold about you by writing an email to hfg_china@hfgip.com for such request. 

 

Access

You may request access to and modify the personal information that we have about you by logging in your HFG account. The request also could be in writing and directed to the law firm's privacy officer at hfg_china@hfgip.com. 

 

Retention

HFG endeavors to keep Personal Information safe and take reasonable measurements to protect your Personal Information as long as it is required by the applicable laws and regulations. This period may extend beyond the end of a person's relationship with us but it will be only for so long as it is necessary for us to have sufficient information to respond to any issues that may arise at a later date. HFG will not destroy, delete, erase or convert your Personal Information into an anonymous form. 
Currently, the principle places in which HFG holds Personal Information are in the cities where HFG has offices or where off-site storage facilities are located.

 

Security

HFG endeavors to maintain adequate physical, procedural and technical security with respect to its offices and information-storage facilities so as to prevent any loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, or modification of Personal Information.
HFG further protects Personal Information by restricting access to it to those employees that the management of HFG has determined need to know that information in order for HFG to provide its services. 
In terms of communicating Personal Information to HFG, you may wish to note that there is no method of transmitting or storing data that is completely secure. Mail, telephone calls, faxes and transmissions over the Internet are all susceptible to possible loss, misrouting, and interception. HFG attempts to strike a reasonable balance between security and convenience. In communicating with clients and others, HFG often uses methods of communication that are less secure than some of its less convenient alternatives. An example of this is e-mail. When we use e-mail, it may be sent as unencrypted plain text. This is done for our clients' convenience but has the security concern that, if misrouted or intercepted, it could be read more easily than encrypted e-mail. 

 

HFG’s Web Site

HFG provides clients and others with general access to its web site. Our Web servers track general information about visitors such as their domain name and date of visit. HFG's Web servers also collect and aggregate information regarding which pages are being accessed as well as information volunteered by visitors through online surveys or subscriptions to electronic newsletters. This information is used internally, only in aggregate form, to better serve visitors by helping us to:
•    manage our sites
•    diagnose any technical problems
•    improve the content of our Web site
During the course of an individual's use of the Internet, he or she will learn of the common use of "cookies." "Cookies" are files or pieces of information that may be stored in a computer's hard drive when an individual visits a web site. Most Internet browsers are initially set to accept cookies. If you do not wish to accept cookies, you can set yours to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. 

 

Amendment of HFG Practices and This Policy 

This statement is in effect as of May 1st, 2011 and is subject to periodic revision. Any amendment will be posted on HFG's web site. Policy changes will apply to the information collected from the date of posting of the revised Policy Statement to HFG’s web site as well as to existing information held by HFG.

 

Questions 

In the event an individual has questions about access to Personal Information or the collection, use, management or disclosure of Personal Information that person should contact any of the following:

Address: 14/F, Huaqi Building No. 969 Wuding Road,  Shanghai, China

E-Mail: hfg_china@hfgip.com