Privacy Policy

NORTHSTAR LEGAL – RABE PLLC | https://www.nslegal-rabe.com/ | Effective: May 7, 2026

1. Introduction

NORTHSTAR LEGAL – RABE PLLC ("the Firm," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of all individuals who interact with our Website. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, how we use it, with whom we share it, and what rights you have regarding your personal information. This policy applies to all users of https://www.nslegal-rabe.com/.

2. Data We Collect

Depending on how you interact with our Website, we may collect the following categories of personal information:

a) Information you provide directly:

Full name and contact information (email address, phone number) submitted through the contact form.
Appointment booking details (name, email, preferred date and time, nature of inquiry) submitted through the online scheduling feature.
Payment information (name, billing address, payment card details) collected at the time of online payment. Note: full payment card data is processed and stored by our secure third-party payment processor, not by the Firm directly.

b) Information collected automatically:

Technical data such as your IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, and pages visited, collected through Wix Analytics and potentially other analytics tools integrated into our Website.
Cookie data and session information (see our Cookie Policy, Section IV).

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to your inquiries submitted via the contact form.
To confirm and manage your consultation booking appointments.
To process payments for legal consultations or retainer agreements.
To provide legal services pursuant to an engagement agreement.
To send service-related communications (appointment reminders, receipts, follow-up messages).
To improve the Website and our services through analysis of usage patterns (analytics).
To comply with our professional legal obligations, including conflict-of-interest checks.
To comply with applicable law and regulatory requirements.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

For individuals located in the European Union, Côte d'Ivoire, or other jurisdictions with applicable data protection laws, we process your personal data on the following legal bases:

Contractual necessity: When processing is necessary to provide legal services you have requested or to fulfill a booking or payment.
Legitimate interests: For website analytics and service improvement, where such interests are not overridden by your rights.
Legal obligation: Where processing is required to comply with applicable laws, court orders, or professional bar rules.
Consent: Where you have provided specific, informed consent, such as subscribing to a mailing list (if applicable).

3. Electronic Communications & Confidentiality

Accessing this Website, submitting a contact form, scheduling a consultation, or otherwise communicating with the Firm through the Website does not, by itself, establish an attorney-client relationship, create a duty of confidentiality, or render any communication protected by the attorney-client privilege.

The Firm does not guarantee the confidentiality or security of information transmitted through this Website or via email. Users are advised not to transmit sensitive or confidential information until an attorney-client relationship has been formally established.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your information with the following categories of third parties, strictly on a need-to-know basis:

Wix.com Ltd. — our Website hosting and platform provider, which processes data as part of delivering the Website services (booking, payments, analytics).
Third-party payment processors — to process online payments securely.
Trusted referral partners — where you have specifically requested facilitated referral services, and only with your prior knowledge.
Legal and professional advisors — where necessary for the provision of legal services or to comply with our professional obligations.
Law enforcement or regulatory authorities — where required by applicable law or professional conduct rules.

6. International Data Transfers

Given that the Firm serves clients in the United States, Côte d'Ivoire, and internationally, your personal data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your own jurisdiction including transfers to the United States and other jurisdictions where service providers operate. The Firm takes reasonable steps to ensure that such transfers are made in compliance with applicable data protection laws, including through the use of appropriate contractual safeguards where required.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy any legal, professional, accounting, or reporting obligations. Specifically:

Contact form inquiries: retained for a reasonable period to manage the inquiry, typically up to 12 months if no engagement is initiated.
Booking records: retained for the duration of any engagement and for a reasonable period thereafter, in accordance with our professional obligations.
Financial and payment records: retained in accordance with applicable tax and accounting laws, typically 5–7 years.
Attorney-client files: retained in accordance with DC Bar rules and applicable professional conduct requirements.
Retention periods may vary depending on legal, regulatory, and professional obligations applicable to the Firm.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure ('right to be forgotten'): to request deletion of your data, subject to our legal and professional obligations.
Right to restriction of processing: to request that we limit how we use your data.
Right to data portability: to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, to withdraw that consent at any time.

Exercise of rights may be subject to verification of identity and professional record-keeping obligations of the Firm.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at: contact@nslegal-rabe.com. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe and in compliance with applicable law.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include secure hosting through our Website platform, encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS), and restricted access to personal data on a need-to-know basis within the Firm.

However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Children's Privacy

Our Website and services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a minor, please contact us immediately.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. Contact

For questions, concerns, or to exercise your data rights, please contact: NORTHSTAR LEGAL – RABE PLLC | contact@nslegal-rabe.com | https://www.nslegal-rabe.com/