Privacy

The Business Law Section - Privacy PolicyEffective Date: February 6, 2026

1. Introduction

The Business Law Section ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our member directory and related services (the "Services"). By accessing or using our Services, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

2.1 Profile Information

When you create or update your member profile, we collect:

Full name
Email address
Short practice description
Specific practice areas
Primary practice category
Professional links (if provided)
Publications (if provided)
Profile photo or portrait (if uploaded)

2.2 Contact Information

We collect contact details you provide, which may include your business address, phone number, and other professional contact information.

2.3 Usage Information

We automatically collect certain information when you use our Services, including:

IP address and device information
Browser type and version
Pages visited and features used
Date and time of access

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To maintain and display your member profile in our directory
To facilitate networking and professional connections among members
To provide you with our Services and improve user experience
To communicate with you about your membership and account
To send marketing communications (with your consent)
To analyze usage patterns and improve our Services
To comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms

4. Directory Visibility and Find Expertise

Our member directory, Find Expertise, allows members to be discovered by other members and potentially by the public (depending on your directory settings). When you consent to appear in Find Expertise, your profile information—including your name, practice areas, contact information, and other details you provide—may be visible to other users of the directory.

You have control over your directory visibility through the Directory Consent option. You may opt in or opt out of appearing in the directory at any time by updating your consent preferences.

5. Marketing Communications

With your consent, we may send you marketing communications about The Business Law Section, including newsletters, event announcements, educational materials, and other relevant information. You can opt in or opt out of marketing communications at any time through the Marketing Consent option in your profile settings or by following the unsubscribe instructions in any marketing email we send.

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

6.1 With Other Members

If you consent to appear in our directory, your profile information will be visible to other members and users of the Find Expertise directory.

6.2 Service Providers

We may share your information with third-party service providers who assist us in operating our Services, such as hosting providers, email service providers, and analytics services. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

6.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities, such as to comply with a subpoena or similar legal process.

6.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you of any such change and the choices you may have regarding your information.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our Services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When you terminate your membership, we may retain certain information as required by law or for legitimate business purposes.

8. Your Privacy Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access and Update: You can access and update your profile information at any time through your account settings.
Data Usage Consent: You can withdraw your consent to the use of your data as described in this Privacy Policy at any time.
Marketing Consent: You can opt in or opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time.
Directory Consent: You can choose whether to appear in the Find Expertise directory.
Deletion: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal and contractual obligations.
Data Portability: You may request a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly used format.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided in Section 12 below.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have data protection laws that differ from those in your country. By using our Services, you consent to the transfer of your information to these countries.

11. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

The Business Law Section

Email: privacy@businesslawsection.org

Address: [Insert Physical Address]

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated Privacy Policy on our website and updating the "Effective Date" at the top of this policy. Your continued use of our Services after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

When you use our Services, you will be asked to provide consent for the following:

Data Usage Consent: I consent to the use of my data as described in this Privacy Policy.
Marketing Consent: I consent to receive marketing communications from The Business Law Section.
Directory Consent: I consent to appear in Find Expertise, our member directory.

You may modify these consent preferences at any time through your account settings.

By using our Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.