Declaration on the protection of personal data

At GSJ we believe everyone has a right to privacy and we want to let you know how we handle personal data.

At GSJ we process personal data, i.e. data that may in the course of our activities lead directly or indirectly to the identification of a specific natural person. GSJ advocaten is responsible for these data processing activities. If you have any questions about the processing of your data, please do not hesitate to contact GSJ advocaten, which is the trade name of GSJ Ltd, a company with enterprise number 0442.485.591 and with registered offices in 2600 Antwerp, Borsbeeksebrug 36 (tel. +32 (0)3 232 50 60). Alternatively, you can contact GSJ by e-mail at gdpr@gsj.be. If you wish to contact GSJ with a view to exercising a specific right, please send your query in writing, by letter or by e-mail, giving your address and enclosing a copy of your identity card so we can make sure that the question is asked by the actual person concerned and that your data is not disclosed to third parties.

Personal data is collected by GSJ for various reasons, depending among other things on your relationship with GSJ.

As regards the personal data of clients, suppliers or employees, the data is processed primarily to ensure the proper performance of the agreement between GSJ and the client, supplier or employee concerned. This data is kept for the duration of the agreement and, after the end of the agreement, for the period during which any of the contracting parties (GSJ or the co-contracting party concerned) can institute legal proceedings against the other. If any of your personal data is contained in accounting data, it will be kept for the legally prescribed retention periods.

Certain personal data relating to clients is also processed to comply with the legal obligations that are imposed on GSJ, including the requirement to collect data on the basis of the anti-money laundering legislation and the legal requirements imposed on the procedural or contractual documents that are drawn up by GSJ.

Finally, client's data is also processed for the legitimate interests of GSJ, such as the sending of notices or messages to maintain the client relationship. Data collected on this basis shall be retained for seven years after the end of the contractual relationship, unless the data subject objects in advance to the retention of the data.

Data relating to job applicants shall be kept until the end of the second calendar year following the date of receipt of such data for the purposes of assessing the application and drawing up a recruitment database.

Data relating to opposing parties or the appointees of such parties is processed on the basis of the performance of a task in the public interest (due process) and at least on the basis of the client's legitimate interests. This data is generally obtained from or through the client, from publicly available sources or from documents that are drawn up by or in behalf of the opposing party (such as subpoenas, appeals, submissions, contracts or contract proposals). Such data shall be kept only in the dossier concerned, which shall be consulted only by the lawyers and employees to whom the task of managing the dossier in question has been entrusted. These dossiers shall be kept for a period of up to seven years after the case has been closed.

Additionally, GSJ advocaten processes data that it obtains on the basis of the consent of the data subject, including when the data subject subscribes to newsletters that are sent by GSJ. This data shall be retained and used by GSJ until (i) the time when the data subject withdraws his or her consent - which can take place at any time by means of a simple notification to the aforementioned (e-mail) address - or (ii) the time when it comes to GSJ’s notice that the data in question is no longer correct.

Personal data processed by GSJ shall not be shared with third parties without a valid reason. Valid reasons shall include instances where the communication of personal data is required in the context of a case, inter alia communication to the opposing party, to their legal advisers, to technical consultants and to the judicial, arbitral or administrative authorities concerned. Personal data of suppliers or employees may also be disclosed to government agencies, for example in the context of tax or parafiscal deductions or withholding taxes. Specifically as regards the personal data of employees, such data may also be shared with external contractors whose intervention is necessary to facilitate the contractual relationship (for example, a social secretariat or an external prevention service).

Personal data shall be disclosed to stakeholders in a third country or to an international organisation only to the extent that is necessary within the context of a specific procedure.

Personal data shall not be used by GSJ for the purposes of any form of automated decision-making.

GSJ shall at all times ensure that the disclosure of personal data to third parties complies with the legal requirements as regards the professional secrecy of lawyers, as laid down in article 458 of the Criminal Code. GSJ shall also ensure that the internal processing of personal data (in paper and digital form) is performed with a view to maintaining confidentiality, which implies that within GSJ personal data is shared only with persons who are required to have knowledge of such data.

Any party whose data is processed by GSJ has the right to request that GSJ allow said party to consult, rectify or erase his or her personal data or to restrict the processing of data concerning him or her. The data subject is also entitled to object to the processing of data. Specifically as regards data used in the context of cases, GSJ shall take these rights into account to the extent possible within the limits of its tasks in the public interest and within the framework of professional secrecy which is required of GSJ’s lawyers pursuant to article 458 of the Criminal Code.

Each data subject is entitled to lodge a complaint concerning the processing of personal data with the Data Protection Authority (registered offices: Drukpersstraat 35, 1000 Brussels).

GSJ advocaten reserves the right to change this declaration and/or this policy. Users will be informed of any changes via the website.