Privacy Policy | Reef Rechtsanwälte Düsseldorf

1. Privacy at a Glance

General Information

The following information provides a simple overview of what happens to your personal data when you visit this website. Personal data is any data by which you can be personally identified. For detailed information on the subject of data protection, please refer to our privacy policy listed below this text.

Data Collection on This Website

Who is responsible for data collection on this website?
Data processing on this website is carried out by the website operator. You can find their contact details in the section “Notice on the Responsible Party” in this privacy policy.

How do we collect your data?
Your data is collected in part by you providing it to us. This may, for example, be data you enter into a contact form. Other data is collected automatically or with your consent when you visit the website by our IT systems. This is primarily technical data (e.g. internet browser, operating system, or time of page access). This data is collected automatically as soon as you enter this website.

What do we use your data for?
Some of the data is collected to ensure the error-free provision of the website. Other data may be used to analyse your user behaviour.

What rights do you have regarding your data?
You have the right at any time to receive free information about the origin, recipient, and purpose of your stored personal data. You also have the right to request the rectification or deletion of this data. If you have given your consent to data processing, you may revoke this consent at any time for the future. Furthermore, you have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data under certain circumstances. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. You may contact us at any time regarding this and other questions on the subject of data protection.

Analysis Tools and Third-Party Tools

When visiting this website, your browsing behaviour may be statistically analysed. This is done primarily using so-called analysis programmes. Detailed information on these analysis programmes can be found in the following privacy policy.

2. Hosting and Content Delivery Networks (CDN)

External Hosting

This website is hosted by an external service provider (host). The personal data collected on this website is stored on the host’s servers. This may include in particular IP addresses, contact requests, meta and communication data, contract data, contact details, names, website accesses, and other data generated via a website.

The use of the host serves the purpose of fulfilling the contract with our potential and existing customers (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) and in the interest of a secure, fast, and efficient provision of our online services by a professional provider (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

Our host will only process your data to the extent necessary to fulfil its service obligations and will follow our instructions with regard to this data.

We use the following host:
domainfactory GmbH
Oskar-Messter-Str. 33
85737 Ismaning
Germany
Tel: +49 89 998 288 026
Fax: +49 89 55 266 222
Email: support@df.eu

Conclusion of a Data Processing Agreement

To ensure data protection-compliant processing, we have concluded a data processing agreement with our host.

3. General Information and Mandatory Disclosures

Data Protection

The operators of these pages take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with statutory data protection regulations and this privacy policy.

When you use this website, various personal data is collected. Personal data is data by which you can be personally identified. This privacy policy explains what data we collect and what we use it for. It also explains how and for what purpose this is done.

We point out that data transmission over the internet (e.g. when communicating by email) may be subject to security vulnerabilities. Complete protection of data against access by third parties is not possible.

Notice on the Responsible Party

The responsible party for data processing on this website is:
Rechtsanwalt Urs Breitsprecher
Reef Rechtsanwälte
Werftstraße 16
40549 Düsseldorf

Phone: +49 211 545532 80
Email: breitsprecher@reef-legal.com

The responsible party is the natural or legal person who, alone or jointly with others, decides on the purposes and means of processing personal data (e.g. names, email addresses, etc.).

Retention Period

Unless a more specific retention period has been stated within this privacy policy, your personal data will remain with us until the purpose for data processing no longer applies. If you assert a legitimate request for deletion or revoke your consent to data processing, your data will be deleted unless we have other legally permissible reasons for storing your personal data (e.g. retention periods under tax or commercial law); in the latter case, deletion will take place after these reasons cease to apply.

Notice on Data Transfer to the USA and Other Third Countries

We use tools from companies based in the USA or other third countries that are not considered safe from a data protection perspective. When these tools are active, your personal data may be transferred to and processed in these third countries. We point out that no level of data protection comparable to that in the EU can be guaranteed in these countries. For example, US companies are obliged to disclose personal data to security authorities without you as the data subject being able to take legal action against this. It therefore cannot be ruled out that US authorities (e.g. intelligence services) may process, evaluate, and permanently store your data located on US servers for surveillance purposes. We have no influence over these processing activities.

Revocation of Your Consent to Data Processing

Many data processing operations are only possible with your express consent. You may revoke consent you have already given at any time. The lawfulness of the data processing carried out prior to the revocation remains unaffected by the revocation.

Right to Object to Data Collection in Special Cases and to Direct Marketing (Art. 21 GDPR)

If data processing is carried out on the basis of Art. 6(1)(e) or (f) GDPR, you have the right at any time to object to the processing of your personal data on grounds relating to your particular situation; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. The respective legal basis on which processing is based can be found in this privacy policy. If you object, we will no longer process your affected personal data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing that override your interests, rights, and freedoms, or the processing serves the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims (objection pursuant to Art. 21(1) GDPR).

If your personal data is processed for the purpose of direct marketing, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for the purpose of such marketing; this also applies to profiling insofar as it is connected with such direct marketing. If you object, your personal data will subsequently no longer be used for the purpose of direct marketing (objection pursuant to Art. 21(2) GDPR).

Right to Lodge a Complaint with the Competent Supervisory Authority

In the event of breaches of the GDPR, data subjects have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of their habitual residence, their place of work, or the place of the alleged breach. The right to lodge a complaint exists without prejudice to other administrative or judicial remedies.

Right to Data Portability

You have the right to have data that we process automatically on the basis of your consent or in fulfilment of a contract handed over to you or to a third party in a commonly used, machine-readable format. If you request the direct transfer of data to another responsible party, this will only be done to the extent that it is technically feasible.

SSL and TLS Encryption

For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as orders or enquiries that you send to us as the site operator, this site uses SSL or TLS encryption. You can recognise an encrypted connection by the fact that the address line of the browser changes from “http://” to “https://” and by the lock symbol in your browser bar. When SSL or TLS encryption is activated, the data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.

Information, Deletion, and Rectification

Within the framework of the applicable legal provisions, you have the right at any time to free information about your stored personal data, its origin and recipients, and the purpose of data processing, and, if applicable, the right to rectification or deletion of this data. You may contact us at any time regarding this and other questions on the subject of personal data.

Right to Restriction of Processing

You have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data. You may contact us at any time for this purpose. The right to restriction of processing exists in the following cases:

If you dispute the accuracy of your personal data stored by us, we generally need time to verify this. For the duration of the review, you have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data.
If the processing of your personal data was or is being carried out unlawfully, you may request the restriction of data processing instead of deletion.
If we no longer need your personal data, but you require it for the exercise, defence, or assertion of legal claims, you have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data instead of deletion.
If you have lodged an objection pursuant to Art. 21(1) GDPR, a balance must be struck between your interests and ours. As long as it has not yet been determined whose interests prevail, you have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data.

If you have restricted the processing of your personal data, such data may — apart from its storage — only be processed with your consent or for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims, or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person, or for reasons of important public interest of the European Union or a Member State.

4. Data Collection on This Website

Cookies

Our website uses so-called “cookies”. Cookies are small text files and do not cause any damage to your device. They are stored either temporarily for the duration of a session (session cookies) or permanently (persistent cookies) on your device. Session cookies are automatically deleted at the end of your visit. Persistent cookies remain stored on your device until you delete them yourself or until they are automatically deleted by your web browser.

In some cases, cookies from third-party companies may also be stored on your device when you visit our site (third-party cookies). These enable us or you to use certain services of the third-party company (e.g. cookies for processing payment services).

Cookies have various functions. Numerous cookies are technically necessary, as certain website functions would not work without them (e.g. the shopping cart function or the display of videos). Other cookies are used to evaluate user behaviour or to display advertising.

Cookies that are required to carry out the electronic communication process (necessary cookies), to provide certain functions that you have requested (functional cookies, e.g. for the shopping cart function), or to optimise the website (e.g. cookies to measure the web audience) are stored on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, unless another legal basis is specified. The website operator has a legitimate interest in storing cookies for the technically error-free and optimised provision of its services. If consent to the storage of cookies has been requested, the relevant cookies are stored exclusively on the basis of this consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR); consent may be revoked at any time.

You can set your browser to inform you about the setting of cookies and to only allow cookies in individual cases, to exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or in general, and to activate the automatic deletion of cookies when the browser is closed. If cookies are disabled, the functionality of this website may be restricted.

Where cookies are used by third-party companies or for analysis purposes, we will inform you of this separately within this privacy policy and, if applicable, request your consent.

Server Log Files

The provider of the pages automatically collects and stores information in so-called server log files, which your browser automatically transmits to us. These are:

Browser type and browser version
Operating system used
Referrer URL
Hostname of the accessing computer
Time of the server request
IP address

This data is not merged with other data sources. This data is collected on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the technically error-free presentation and optimisation of its website — for this purpose, the server log files must be recorded.

Contact Form

If you send us enquiries via the contact form, your details from the enquiry form, including the contact details you provide there, will be stored by us for the purpose of processing the enquiry and in the event of follow-up questions. We do not pass on this data without your consent.

The processing of this data is based on Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR if your enquiry is related to the fulfilment of a contract or is necessary for the implementation of pre-contractual measures. In all other cases, the processing is based on our legitimate interest in the effective handling of enquiries addressed to us (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) or on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) if this has been requested.

The data you enter in the contact form will remain with us until you request deletion, revoke your consent to storage, or the purpose for data storage no longer applies (e.g. after your enquiry has been fully processed). Mandatory statutory provisions — in particular retention periods — remain unaffected.

Enquiry by Email, Phone, or Fax

If you contact us by email, phone, or fax, your enquiry including all resulting personal data (name, enquiry) will be stored and processed by us for the purpose of handling your request. We do not pass on this data without your consent.

The data you send to us via contact enquiries will remain with us until you request deletion, revoke your consent to storage, or the purpose for data storage no longer applies (e.g. after your request has been fully processed). Mandatory statutory provisions — in particular statutory retention periods — remain unaffected.

5. Analysis Tools and Advertising

Google Analytics

This website uses functions of the web analytics service Google Analytics. The provider is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

Google Analytics enables the website operator to analyse the behaviour of website visitors. The website operator receives various usage data, such as page views, dwell time, operating systems used, and the user’s origin. This data may be summarised by Google in a profile assigned to the respective user or their device.

Furthermore, we can use Google Analytics to record, among other things, your mouse and scroll movements and clicks. Google Analytics also uses various modelling approaches to supplement the collected data sets and employs machine learning technologies in data analysis.

Google Analytics uses technologies that enable the recognition of the user for the purpose of analysing user behaviour (e.g. cookies or device fingerprinting). The information collected by Google about the use of this website is generally transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there.

The use of this analysis tool is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in analysing user behaviour in order to optimise both its web offering and its advertising. If consent has been requested (e.g. consent to the storage of cookies), processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR; consent may be revoked at any time.

Data transfer to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. Details can be found here: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/controllerterms/mccs/

IP Anonymisation

We have activated the IP anonymisation function on this website. As a result, your IP address will be shortened by Google within Member States of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area before being transmitted to the USA. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transferred to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity, and to provide other services relating to website usage and internet usage to the website operator. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with other Google data.

Browser Plugin

You can prevent the collection and processing of your data by Google by downloading and installing the browser plugin available at the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en

Data Processing Agreement

We have concluded a data processing agreement with Google and fully implement the strict requirements of the German data protection authorities when using Google Analytics.

Retention Period

Data stored by Google at user and event level that is linked to cookies, user identifiers (e.g. User ID), or advertising IDs (e.g. DoubleClick cookies, Android advertising ID) is anonymised or deleted after 2 months. Details on this can be found at the following link: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7667196?hl=en

6. Plugins and Tools

Vimeo

This website uses plugins from the video portal Vimeo. The provider is Vimeo Inc., 555 West 18th Street, New York, New York 10011, USA.

When you visit one of our pages equipped with a Vimeo video, a connection to the Vimeo servers is established. The Vimeo server is informed which of our pages you have visited. Vimeo also obtains your IP address. This applies even if you are not logged in to Vimeo or do not have an account with Vimeo.

If you are logged into your Vimeo account, you enable Vimeo to associate your browsing behaviour directly with your personal profile. You can prevent this by logging out of your Vimeo account.

To recognise website visitors, Vimeo uses cookies or comparable recognition technologies (e.g. device fingerprinting).

The use of Vimeo is in the interest of an appealing presentation of our online services. This constitutes a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. If consent has been requested, processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR; consent may be revoked at any time.

Data transfer to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission and, according to Vimeo, on “legitimate business interests”. Details can be found here: https://vimeo.com/privacy.

Further information on the handling of user data can be found in Vimeo’s privacy policy at: https://vimeo.com/privacy.

Google Web Fonts

This page uses so-called web fonts provided by Google for the uniform display of typefaces. When you call up a page, your browser loads the required web fonts into its browser cache in order to display texts and fonts correctly.

For this purpose, the browser you are using must connect to Google’s servers. This gives Google knowledge that this website was accessed via your IP address. The use of Google Web Fonts is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the uniform presentation of the typeface on its website. If consent has been requested (e.g. consent to the storage of cookies), processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR; consent may be revoked at any time.

If your browser does not support web fonts, a default font from your computer will be used.

Further information on Google Web Fonts can be found at https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq and in Google’s privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en.

Google Maps

This page uses the map service Google Maps. The provider is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

To use the functions of Google Maps, it is necessary to save your IP address. This information is generally transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there. The provider of this site has no influence over this data transfer. When Google Maps is activated, Google may use Google Web Fonts for the uniform display of fonts. When you access Google Maps, your browser loads the required web fonts into its browser cache in order to display texts and fonts correctly.

The use of Google Maps is in the interest of an appealing presentation of our online services and to make it easy to find the locations we indicate on the website. This constitutes a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. If consent has been requested, processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR; consent may be revoked at any time.

Data transfer to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. Details can be found here: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/gdprcontrollerterms/ and https://privacy.google.com/businesses/gdprcontrollerterms/sccs/.

Further information on the handling of user data can be found in Google’s privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en.

7. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

General Information on AI Use

We use AI-powered tools as part of our law firm activities in order to make our services more efficient and of higher quality. This includes in particular support with research, document analysis, drafting texts, and answering general legal questions. Final professional review and responsibility always remain with our lawyers.

Which AI Tools Do We Use?

We use AI-based language models and assistance systems from various providers (e.g. OpenAI/ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, Microsoft Copilot, or comparable services). These tools are used for internal support of our legal activities.

What Data is Processed?

The following data may be processed in connection with the use of AI tools:

Input data that we enter into AI systems (e.g. facts, questions, text excerpts)
Results generated by AI systems (e.g. draft texts, analyses, summaries)
Technical usage data (e.g. time of use, type of request)

We take care not to enter personal data of our clients into AI systems, or to do so only in anonymised or pseudonymised form. Where the entry of personal data is necessary in individual cases, this is done only on an appropriate legal basis.

Legal Basis

The processing of personal data in connection with the use of AI tools is carried out on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (performance of a contract or pre-contractual measures), Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in the efficient provision of our legal services), or — where required in individual cases — on the basis of your consent pursuant to Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.

Data Transfer to Third Parties and Third Countries

Some of the AI providers we use are based in the USA or process data on servers in the USA or other third countries. Where data is transferred to the USA, we base this on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission pursuant to Art. 46(2)(c) GDPR and/or on the adequacy decision of the EU Commission under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework pursuant to Art. 45 GDPR, provided the respective provider is certified under the DPF. Further information on data transfers to third countries can be found in the section “Notice on Data Transfer to the USA and Other Third Countries” of this privacy policy.

Automated Individual Decisions

Exclusively automated decision-making within the meaning of Art. 22 GDPR does not take place with us. All AI-assisted results are reviewed by our lawyers and serve exclusively as support for legal activities.

Your Rights

You have the same rights in connection with the use of AI tools as with any other data processing, in particular the right to access, rectification, deletion, restriction of processing, data portability, and objection. You may contact the responsible party named above at any time for this purpose.

8. Our Own Services

Handling of Applicant Data

We offer you the opportunity to apply to us (e.g. by email, post, or via an online application form). Below we inform you about the scope, purpose, and use of your personal data collected during the application process. We assure you that the collection, processing, and use of your data is carried out in accordance with applicable data protection law and all other statutory provisions, and that your data will be treated as strictly confidential.

Scope and Purpose of Data Collection

If you submit an application to us, we process the associated personal data (e.g. contact and communication data, application documents, notes made during interviews, etc.) to the extent necessary for the decision on the establishment of an employment relationship. The legal basis for this is § 26 of the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) under German law (initiation of an employment relationship), Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (general contract initiation), and — if you have given your consent — Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR. Consent may be revoked at any time. Your personal data will only be passed on within our company to persons involved in processing your application.

If the application is successful, the data you have submitted will be stored in our data processing systems on the basis of § 26 BDSG and Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR for the purpose of carrying out the employment relationship.

Data Retention Period

If we are unable to make you a job offer, you decline a job offer, or you withdraw your application, we reserve the right to retain the data you have submitted on the basis of our legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) for up to 6 months from the conclusion of the application process (rejection or withdrawal of the application). The data will subsequently be deleted and the physical application documents destroyed. Retention serves in particular as evidence in the event of a legal dispute. If it is evident that the data will be required after the 6-month period has expired (e.g. due to an impending or pending legal dispute), deletion will not take place until the purpose for further retention no longer applies.

Longer retention may also take place if you have given your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) or if statutory retention obligations preclude deletion.

9. Our Social Media Presence

Data Processing by Social Networks

We maintain publicly accessible profiles on social networks. The specific social networks we use can be found below.

Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. can generally analyse your user behaviour comprehensively when you visit their website or a website with integrated social media content (e.g. like buttons or advertising banners). Visiting our social media presences triggers numerous data protection-relevant processing operations. In detail:

If you are logged into your social media account and visit our social media presence, the operator of the social media portal can assign this visit to your user account. Your personal data may, however, also be collected if you are not logged in or do not have an account with the respective social media portal. In this case, data collection takes place, for example, via cookies stored on your device or by recording your IP address.

Using the data collected in this way, the operators of social media portals can create user profiles in which your preferences and interests are stored. In this way, interest-based advertising can be displayed to you inside and outside the respective social media presence. If you have an account with the respective social network, interest-based advertising may be displayed on all devices on which you are or were logged in.

Please also note that we cannot trace all processing operations on the social media portals. Depending on the provider, further processing operations may therefore be carried out by the operators of the social media portals. For details, please refer to the terms of use and privacy policies of the respective social media portals.

Legal Basis

Our social media presence is intended to ensure the most comprehensive presence possible on the internet. This constitutes a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The analysis processes initiated by the social networks may be based on different legal bases, which are to be specified by the operators of the social networks (e.g. consent within the meaning of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR).

Responsible Party and Assertion of Rights

When you visit one of our social media presences (e.g. Facebook), we are jointly responsible with the operator of the social media platform for the data processing operations triggered by that visit. You can generally assert your rights (access, rectification, deletion, restriction of processing, data portability, and complaint) both against us and against the operator of the respective social media portal (e.g. against Facebook).

Please note that, despite our joint responsibility with the social media portal operators, we do not have full influence over the data processing operations of the social media portals. Our options are largely determined by the corporate policy of the respective provider.

Retention Period

Data collected directly by us via the social media presence will be deleted from our systems as soon as you request deletion, revoke your consent to storage, or the purpose for data storage no longer applies. Stored cookies remain on your device until you delete them. Mandatory statutory provisions — in particular retention periods — remain unaffected.

We have no influence over the retention period of your data stored by the operators of the social networks for their own purposes. For details, please contact the operators of the social networks directly (e.g. in their privacy policy, see below).

Individual Social Networks

Twitter

We use the microblogging service Twitter. The provider is Twitter International Company, One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, D02 AX07, Ireland.

You can adjust your Twitter privacy settings independently in your user account. Please click on the following link and log in: https://twitter.com/personalization.

Data transfer to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. Details can be found here: https://gdpr.twitter.com/en/controller-to-controller-transfers.html.

Details can be found in Twitter’s privacy policy: https://twitter.com/en/privacy.

Instagram

We maintain a profile on Instagram. The provider is Instagram Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA.

Data transfer to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. Details can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum, https://help.instagram.com/519522125107875 and https://de-de.facebook.com/help/566994660333381.

Details on how they handle your personal data can be found in Instagram’s privacy policy: https://help.instagram.com/519522125107875.

We maintain a profile on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/reef-rechtsanwälte/). The provider is LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland. LinkedIn uses advertising cookies.

If you wish to deactivate LinkedIn advertising cookies, please use the following link: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.

Data transfer to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. Details can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/l/dpa and https://www.linkedin.com/legal/l/eu-sccs.

Details on how they handle your personal data can be found in LinkedIn’s privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.