All content on this website is provided for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice on specific topics. Any transmission of information from this website and/or receipt of such information does not establish any contractual relationship whatsoever with me or my law firm. No liability is assumed for the information contained on this website being out of date, incomplete, or inaccurate. Neither I nor my law firm assume any liability whatsoever for third-party content that may be accessed via this website.

Communication via email and/or the Internet may neither be secure nor confidential. I disclaim any liability for breaches of professional confidentiality as an attorney and notary, to the extent that such breaches are attributable to communication via email and/or the Internet.

I protect the confidentiality and security of the personal data I process in the course of my business activities. I process personal data in accordance with the Swiss Data Protection Act and the European General Data Protection Regulation, the latter to the extent applicable.

Categories of Data and Purpose of Data Processing
To provide my services and manage my law firm, I process personal data regarding clients and potential clients, as well as individuals associated with them, counterparties, government agencies, courts, third parties, and their representatives. I also process personal data from (potential) suppliers and/or providers of goods and services for and to my law firm.

The types of personal data include, in particular but not limited to, name and contact information (such as address, email address, and phone number), date of birth, gender, marital status, nationality and/or place of origin, residential address and location, as well as any information derived from correspondence, contacts, and interactions with us. This personal data may also include photographs and/or other information that can be derived from identification documents, civil status records, and/or commercial register extracts. Finally, I process any type of information disclosed to me in the course of providing my services and/or managing my law firm, or that I collect myself (e.g., from commercial registers, municipal offices, courts, civil status registers, and municipalities). This information may include personal data requiring special protection. If your consent is required for the processing of personal data requiring special protection, I will obtain it in advance.

My website’s server temporarily stores information about your use of our website. This information may include, among other things, the IP address, the date and time of access, the name and URL of the file accessed, the website from which access occurred, the browser used (including version), the operating system (including version) of the computer used, and the name of the user’s Internet service provider.

Reason for Processing
The processing of personal data is necessary, in particular, for the provision of my services, and without which I may not be able to act on your behalf under certain circumstances. Furthermore, legal provisions and/or regulations—in particular the Notary Regulations—may require the processing of personal data.

Disclosure to Third Parties
To the extent necessary or appropriate for the provision of my services and/or the operation of my law firm, I may disclose personal data to third parties (such as government agencies, public authorities, courts, counterparties, and/or their representatives, and other law firms).

I may also disclose personal data to third parties if you have given your consent, if I am required to do so due to legal or business obligations (in particular if required by law or ordered by a government agency or court), the disclosure is related to the closure of my law firm (in particular, but not limited to, the proper and legally correct safekeeping of the collection of documents with a successor or the State Chancellery), or if the disclosure is necessary in connection with legal proceedings, or to assert or defend against claims.

Use of AI and IT Service Providers
I may use specialized legal IT applications, including AI, to assist with legal research, analysis, and document processing. This may involve processing personal data and content from the case file. The applications used for this purpose are operated in Switzerland; the data is not used to train AI models. Processing is conducted in accordance with statutory data protection and confidentiality obligations.

Transfer Abroad
I process your personal data exclusively in Switzerland. No personal data will be transferred abroad without your consent.

Protection and Security
I take appropriate security measures to securely store the personal data I process and to protect it against unauthorized access, alteration, deletion, misuse, disclosure, and loss.

However, when data is transmitted over the Internet—particularly via email—it is not possible to completely prevent unauthorized access to personal data by third parties.

Duration of Processing and Retention
I retain your personal data for as long as it is necessary for the purposes stated or to comply with legal and regulatory documentation and retention requirements; for example, clients’ personal data is retained for ten years after the termination of the client relationship, or longer if and to the extent that such personal data is recorded in public documents, which I retain in my collection of documents for the entire duration of my practice as a notary. In addition, personal data is retained for as long as claims can be asserted against me or to the extent required by legitimate interests.

Your Rights
You may at any time request information about your personal data and its processing, and you may request its correction, deletion, or restriction of processing. You may also object to the processing of your personal data and request that your personal data be provided to you in a reasonable format.

If you have consented to the collection, processing, or disclosure of your personal data for a specific purpose, you may withdraw that consent at any time. I will no longer process your personal data upon receipt of such a notice, unless and to the extent that there is a continuing, separate legitimate interest in its processing.

These rights may be denied or restricted in part for statutory or regulatory reasons or based on data protection law. Should this occur in a specific case, I will inform you of the reasons.

If you wish to exercise your rights, please contact me by email or mail:

Notariat M. Schwaninger
Florastrasse 14
4500 Solothurn
Schweiz

You may contact the relevant supervisory authority at any time if you believe your rights have not been upheld. The relevant supervisory authority in Switzerland is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC).

Updates
I reserve the right to update and modify this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the way I process your personal data or changes in legal requirements. All changes will be posted on this website.