Privacy Policy

Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to personal information submitted through this website, including information provided through the contact page, media enquiry page, and related website forms.

For the purposes of applicable data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, Gavin Burrows is the controller of personal information submitted through this website unless otherwise stated.

This policy does not replace any separate confidentiality, engagement, or data handling terms that may apply if a matter is formally accepted.

Information that may be collected

The information collected depends on the form or enquiry route used. It may include:

• Your name and contact details.
• Your organisation, firm, publication, or professional role, where relevant.
• The type, subject, and urgency of your enquiry.
• Information you choose to include in your message.
• Files or supporting documents you voluntarily upload.
• Basic technical information such as browser type, IP address, device information, and website usage data.

How information may be used

Personal information submitted through this website may be used to:

• Receive, review, and assess your enquiry.
• Decide whether the matter falls within the scope of accepted work.
• Respond to you where a response is appropriate.
• Verify professional context for media, legal, corporate, or representative enquiries.
• Maintain a limited record of correspondence for professional, compliance, or legal reasons.
• Protect the website, prevent misuse, and maintain operational security.

Your information is not used for unsolicited marketing. Submitting an enquiry does not place you on any newsletter, promotional list, or public communication database.

Lawful basis for processing

Where UK data protection law applies, personal information is processed only where there is a lawful basis to do so. The main lawful bases likely to apply to website enquiries are:

• Legitimate interests — to receive, review, and respond to genuine professional enquiries.
• Contract or pre-contract steps — where you ask for information before a possible professional engagement.
• Legal obligation — where processing is required to comply with applicable law or a lawful authority.
• Consent — where you have given clear consent for a specific purpose.

Where legitimate interests are relied upon, those interests are balanced against your rights and freedoms.

Confidentiality and sharing

Information submitted through this website is handled with professional discretion. It is not sold, rented, or disclosed for unrelated commercial purposes.

Information may be shared only where necessary, proportionate, and appropriate, including:

• With professional advisers where advice is required.
• With secure service providers who support website hosting, forms, email delivery, or technical operation.
• Where required by law, court order, regulator, or competent authority.
• Where necessary to protect legal rights, prevent misuse, or respond to a legitimate security concern.

How long information is kept

Information is retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was submitted.

• Enquiries that do not proceed may be deleted or anonymised once they are no longer required.
• Enquiries that lead to formal engagement may be retained in accordance with engagement terms, professional record keeping, legal obligations, and legitimate business requirements.
• Technical and security records may be retained for a limited period to protect the website and investigate misuse.

Retention periods may vary depending on the nature of the enquiry, legal obligations, and whether any dispute, claim, or formal engagement arises.

Your rights

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights in relation to your personal information. These may include:

• The right to request access to personal information held about you.
• The right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• The right to request deletion of information where continued retention is not required.
• The right to object to certain processing.
• The right to request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
• The right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, including the UK Information Commissioner’s Office where applicable.

Rights requests may require identity verification before any information can be released or action taken.

Cookies and analytics

This website may use cookies or similar technologies to support essential website functions, security, performance, and basic analytics.

• Essential cookies support website operation and security.
• Analytics cookies may help understand website usage and improve performance, where enabled.
• Functional cookies may remember preferences or improve usability.

You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Where consent is required for non-essential cookies, the website should request consent before those cookies are used.

Security and third-party services

Reasonable technical and organisational measures are used to protect information submitted through this website. However, no internet transmission can be guaranteed as completely secure.

The website may rely on trusted third-party service providers for hosting, form processing, email delivery, security, analytics, and maintenance. These providers should only process information as necessary to deliver their services.

If your matter is sensitive, do not submit detailed confidential information through the initial website form. A more appropriate communication method can be discussed if the enquiry is accepted for consideration.

Policy updates

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in website operation, legal requirements, or professional practice. The date at the top of this page indicates the latest version.