Attorney Advertising and Terms
1. Know Your Client Rules
2. File Retention and Disposal
3. Electronic Communications
4. Accessibility
5. Privacy Policy
Attorney Advertising Notice
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Legal Notice
The purpose of this website is to provide general information about the law firm Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (Davies).
The material provided on this website is not legal advice and is only of a general nature. While Davies has taken reasonable efforts to ensure the information contained herein is accurate, it does not warrant or guarantee that this information is correct or up to date. Additionally, Davies does not provide any warranties with respect to any links to other websites contained herein; they are included for your convenience only and are not intended to be referrals or endorsements of the linked entities.
In no event shall Davies be liable to visitors of this website or anyone else for any damages or injury whatsoever arising out of or in connection with the use or inability to use this website or any hyperlinked website (including but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary or punitive damages, lost profits, business interruption, loss of programs or other data on your information handling system or otherwise), even if we are expressly advised of the possibility of such damages. Your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue using and accessing this website.
Davies encourages your inquiries. Please visit the individual profile pages of our lawyers on this website to find out information about their areas of practice and whether they are qualified to practise law in your particular jurisdiction. You should be aware, however, that accessing our website or contacting our lawyers using email does not create a lawyer-client relationship or impose any obligation on Davies. Moreover, due to the nature of the Internet, any electronic communication between us may not be secure and, unless you are already a client of our firm, will not be privileged and may be disclosed to other persons. Therefore, you should not send us any email that contains confidential or sensitive information unless you are already a client of Davies.
All content of this website, including its design, is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Any copying, distribution or other protected use without the express prior written permission of Davies is strictly prohibited.
We request that you not use any of the information on this website, including the email addresses that are available herein, to transmit, distribute or facilitate the distribution of unsolicited bulk email or other advertisements to Davies or any of its partners or employees.
If you have any questions regarding this website, please contact our website administrator; if you require further information about Davies, please contact one of our offices.
Service Terms
Certain Terms of Service
1. Know Your Client Rules
2. File Retention and Disposal
3. Electronic Communications
4. Accessibility
5. Privacy Policy
The governing bodies of the legal profession in Ontario and Québec have imposed certain rules relating to the opening of new matters for clients and the operations of law firm trust accounts. These rules, sometimes referred to as “Know Your Client” rules, are designed to assist in the prevention of activities such as money laundering. Accordingly, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (Davies) has implemented certain file opening and trust account procedures to ensure that we comply with our obligations as efficiently as possible while minimizing the impact on our clients.
Client Identification: When we are retained to act on a new file, whether for a new or an existing client, Davies must collect certain specific information. For clients that are organizations, this will normally include information such as the client’s incorporation or business identification number and jurisdiction of formation. For clients who are individuals, we must also record the client’s occupation, home address and telephone number. We are obligated to obtain this information also in regard to any third parties for whom our client may be acting in the matter. Unless that relevant information changes from time to time, it is obtained once only per client.
Client Verification: Additional requirements may apply when Davies is engaged in or gives instructions with respect to the payment or receipt of funds or negotiable instruments – for example, if our trust accounts are used in connection with a client transaction. For clients that are organizations, we must obtain additional information, including the name and occupation of each director and details regarding any persons owning 25% or more of the organization or its shares. We are also required to examine an official document confirming the organization’s existence, such as a certificate of good standing or documents evidencing the organization’s formation. In addition to these identification requirements, we must take reasonable steps to verify the identity of the individual client or, in the case of an organization, of the client’s representative instructing our firm on the client’s behalf. This will involve examining an individual’s identification document (such as a driver’s licence or passport) and retaining a copy for our files. In certain instances, a third party, such as the client’s local counsel or in-house counsel, may examine such documentation on our behalf. Davies values its clients’ privacy, and we treat all client information with the utmost care and confidentiality. While we collect certain client information for administrative and billing purposes and to maintain and foster client relationships, the information and documentation we obtain in compliance with the Know Your Client rules will be used solely to comply with our professional obligations and access will be limited on a need-to-know basis. Except where legally compelled to do so, we will not release such documentation or any information contained therein to any third party. For more information about the manner in which we collect, use and disclose personal information about individuals, please consult our Privacy Policy.
2. File Retention and Disposal
As part of an ongoing retainer, Davies lawyers make every effort to ensure the client is provided with all documentation relevant to the matter. Clients that, upon termination or completion of a matter, wish us to send them any additional documentation are requested to please so advise us. Otherwise, any documentation that our clients or others have provided to us and our work product produced for that matter will be dealt with in accordance with our records retention program (subject to strict protection of client confidentiality), which may include destruction of these materials after an appropriate time has elapsed.
We communicate with clients and others and provide documents through various forms of electronic communications, including email through the public Internet. Clients may also correspond with or provide us with documents through electronic means. These electronic communications may contain information that is confidential or privileged unless our clients instruct us not to send such information electronically. There is a risk that any such electronic communications may be intercepted or interfered with by third parties or may contain computer viruses.
In addition, we employ filtering techniques (e.g., anti-spam software) that might interfere with the timely delivery of electronic communications sent to us. Neither party will be responsible to the other, or have any liability for any actions of third parties, with respect to electronic communications that either of us might send to the other or for any delay in delivery or non-delivery or other damage caused by virtue of a communication having been made in electronic format.
Clients wishing to discuss other means of delivery of information are asked to please contact any Davies lawyers engaged in their matters. In addition, if you have any concerns or doubts about the authenticity or timing of any electronic communication purportedly sent by us, please contact us immediately.
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP is committed to ensuring that all clients, partners and employees of the firm who have disabilities are treated in a manner that respects their dignity and independence. We are dedicated to providing the highest level of service to all clients of the firm and providing clients with disabilities an equal opportunity to access our services.
As required under the Ontario Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, our Toronto office maintains an accessibility policy outlining how we fulfill our commitments in this regard. Please read our Accessibility Policy, which includes our Statement of Commitment and Multi-Year Accessibility Plan.
For more information, please contact accessibility@dwpv.com or Joyce Mah at 416.367.6924. If you would like to comment on the accessibility of our services, please access a PDF version of our feedback form. You may also request a copy of our feedback form or our Accessibility Policy in an alternative format by contacting accessibility@dwpv.com or Joyce Mah at 416.367.6924.
