Data protection declaration

Fribourg Partners is committed to protecting the confidentiality and security of personal data that we collect or receive as part of our professional activities and recruitment processes. We process personal data in accordance with the Swiss Data Protection Act and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation.

This privacy statement explains why we collect and process your personal data and what your rights are in this regard.

The firm reserves the right to unilaterally modify the content of this privacy statement at any time and without notice.

Collection and Processing of Data

The firm processes personal data (data that directly or indirectly identifies individuals) that it receives or collects within the framework of the client relationship, i.e., mandates in the fields of legal advice and advocacy, from clients or involved third parties.

The type of personal data we may collect includes, for example, names and contact details (such as addresses, email addresses, or telephone numbers) as well as any information arising from correspondence, contacts, and interactions with us. We also process any information revealed to us in the course of our services or that we collect ourselves. This information may include sensitive data. Where the processing of sensitive data requires your consent, we will obtain it beforehand.

Reasons for Data Collection and Processing

We collect and process personal data to provide our services (legal advice, legal documents) and to manage our business operations (e.g., conducting administrative and operational processes or managing risks). If we require information to conclude or manage a mandate and you do not provide it, we cannot deliver our services.

If you apply for a job at Fribourg Partners, you will need to provide certain personal data. By submitting your application, you allow us to use and verify this information (including reference checks, background checks, identity verification, debt enforcement records, and criminal records) so that we can invite you for an interview and determine if you are suitable for the position.

If we need information for your employment and you do not provide it upon request, we cannot continue to process your application.

Obtaining Personal Data

Your personal data comes directly from you, our clients, other involved parties, as well as their respective representatives and collaborators.

In the context of fulfilling the client's mandate, the firm has an overriding private interest in processing personal data, which justifies this processing (Art. 31 para. 2 lit. a FADP).

Protection of Personal Data

We have implemented appropriate security measures to keep your personal data secure in both electronic and physical forms to protect it against unauthorized access, misuse, unauthorized modification, unlawful destruction, or accidental loss.

Access to our premises is controlled, and our electronic databases are protected by user IDs and passwords.

Our partners, staff, and third-party service providers who have access to confidential information (including personal data) are subject to confidentiality obligations.

Transmission of Personal Data

We draw your attention to the fact that, to fulfil the mandate, we use external IT service providers or cloud suppliers with servers located in Switzerland. We may use certain IT services or communication means that might pose data security risks (e.g., email and video conferencing). If you want us to take specific security measures, please inform us.

In exceptional cases, we may also transfer personal data to other countries if you instruct us to do so or if it is necessary to establish, exercise, or defend your legal claims. If these third parties are based outside Switzerland, the UK, or the EU, we only share your data on a basis that guarantees adequate data protection.

Retention of Personal Data

We retain personal data for the period necessary to fulfil the mandate, but in any case, for the legal retention or documentation period, or as long as there is an overriding private or public interest. We take appropriate and proportionate measures to protect personal data against loss, unauthorized modification, or unlawful access by third parties. If you provide us with personal data through a third party (e.g., your employees or other contacts), it is your responsibility to inform them comprehensively about the data processing carried out by our firm or other external legal service providers (e.g., in a data protection statement for your employees).

Your Rights

Under certain conditions, you have the following rights:

  • Request access to your personal data and certain information related to its processing.
  • Request the rectification of your personal data.
  • Request the deletion of your personal data.
  • Request that we limit the processing of your personal data.
  • Object to the processing of your personal data.
  • Request the transfer of your personal data to yourself or another responsible person in a machine-readable format.
  • You have the right to lodge a complaint with a competent supervisory authority (the FDPIC).

If you have given your consent to the collection, processing, and transmission of your personal data for a specific purpose, you have the right to withdraw your consent to this specific processing at any time. Once we receive notification of the withdrawal of your consent, we will no longer process your personal data unless we have another legitimate interest to do so.

Please note that we may refuse or limit the granting of these rights for legal reasons or under data protection legislation. To the extent legally necessary or permissible, we will inform you of the reasons for our decision.

In general, you will not have to pay a fee to exercise any of your rights. However, we may charge you a fee if the applicable data protection legislation allows us to do so, in which case we will inform you.

If you wish to exercise these rights, please contact us in writing by email or by post at the following address:

Fribourg Partners, Rue St. Pierre 4, CP 218, 1701 Fribourg

Fribourg Partners, Bd de Pérolles 12, 1700 Fribourg

info@frpa.ch