As a professional engaged in the provision of legal services to clients
primarily in Vermont and New Hampshire, the Law Office of Geoffrey
J. Ransom, PLC (‘the firm’, ‘I’, ‘my’) is committed to safeguarding the
privacy of confidential and personal information. It is the policy of the
firm to comply with the rules of professional conduct that impose a
duty upon a lawyer and staff to preserve and protect such information.

This Online Privacy Statement (the “Privacy Policy”) is based on the privacy and data protection
principles common to the states in which I operate. I apply the policy to comply with law, to preserve
client confidentiality and to represent the firm’s clients as effectively as possible within the bounds of
the law. This Policy is specifically addressed to parties outside the firm who visit or use its website,
social media sites, extranets, and commercial email messages that the firm sends (collectively, the
“Online Services”). The Policy is intended to advise clients, prospective clients, interested law
students, website visitors, vendors, and other third parties about the firm’s privacy policies that may
apply to you. In the event of a conflict between this Privacy Statement and my ethical duties, the
ethical duties shall control.

Confidentiality of Client Information

Consistent with my professional obligations and commitment to excellence, it is the firm’s policy to
exercise the utmost discretion regarding the information clients entrust to it. The firm accepts and
processes client information subject to the client’s direction and control, and the firm maintains
reasonable and appropriate, although not infallible, security precautions.

We never trade, sell or share your information with any unrelated parties except as necessary or
appropriate to conduct the firm’s legal and business activities, subject to appropriate confidentiality,
privacy and information security commitments provided by the receiving party, or to further your
interests or as permitted or required by law or as authorized or directed by you.
Please feel free to raise any questions, concerns or specific directions you may have regarding the
privacy and security of your information to me or any staff assisting me.

How the Firm Collects and Uses Personal Information

“Personal Information” is any information that can be used to identify you or that I can link to you
personally. The firm does not collect Personal Information from visitors to this website or from users
of Online Services except where it is voluntarily provided by you. If you do provide Personal
Information, it is often used to:

 provide you with legal services, if you are or become a client of the firm, and/or address any
requests or inquiries you may have conduct, monitor and analyze the business or web site operations
 contact you (unless you tell me not to) regarding legal developments, news, events or services
that may be of interest to you enter into or carry out contracts of various kinds
 pursue the firm’s legitimate interests of business development and general marketing
 ensure that the firm delivers the best possible services to its clients, and/or
 comply with legal obligations and professional responsibilities.

Information that May Be Collected Automatically

When you use the website, the firm may automatically obtain information about your internet
protocol (“IP”) address, operating system and the web browser that you use to access the site.
With all website visitors, even those who do not complete any forms or otherwise seek the firm’s
services, certain information is automatically collected through the use of Google Analytics’ cookies.
A cookie is a text file sent by a web server and placed on your computer by your web browser.
Through Google Analytics, the website collects online identifiers, including cookie identifiers, IP
addresses and device identifiers. Google Analytics collects information and reports website usage
statistics without personally identifying individual visitors. This information helps the firm administer,
protect, and improve its services; analyze usage, and improve users’ experience. To opt out of being
tracked by Google Analytics, visit the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on.

The firm’s secure, client-specific extranet sites use cookies to track logins, to filter data that a
logged-in user can access, and for cybersecurity purposes. These cookies also identify users who
have changed their initially-assigned default password. The firm uses this information to help
customize the user’s experience on the site, to provide security, and for the other purposes specified
in its Statement.

You may reset your browser to refuse all cookies or to allow your browser to alert you when a cookie
is set, however, certain parts of the Online Services may function differently and not as well. Unless
you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, the firm’s Online Services will
issue cookies when you log in to the firm’s Online Services. You will need to configure each browser
on each device that you use if you wish to opt-out of or block some or all cookies.

Disclosure and Transfer of Personal Information

The firm does not disclose any Personal Information collected from the Online Services to unrelated
parties outside of the firm except in limited circumstances such as:
 disclosures to the firm’s agents, data processors or other contractors acting on its behalf and at
the firm’s direction, subject to appropriate confidentiality, privacy and information security
commitments provided by the receiving party, or where it is necessary to provide a service that you have requested, or
 as permitted or required by law, or as otherwise authorized or directed by you.

Commercial Electronic Communications

The firm may periodically send you relevant alerts, newsletters, and event invitations by email. If you
do not want to receive such communications, you may unsubscribe to any or all of the
communication channels via the link at the bottom of each one. To help improve its marketing
activities, it often receives a confirmation when you open an email or click on a link included in one
of these emails, if your computer supports such capabilities.

Data Security

The firm maintains reasonable and appropriate physical, electronic and procedural safeguards
intended to maintain the confidentiality of Personal Information provided by a visitor to this website

and through other Online Services. Nonetheless, the transmission of information via the Internet not
secure and the firm cannot guarantee the security of data sent to it electronically over cellular and
wireless networks that it doesn’t control.

Access

If you are an individual, you may have the right to make reasonable requests to review, delete and
correct the Personal Information the firm retains about you. The firm may charge you a reasonable
fee to receive a copy of this data. For a copy of or reasonable access to your Personal Information,
please contact me.

Children

In order to respect the privacy of minors, the firm does not knowingly collect, maintain or process
Personal Information submitted online voluntarily via its Online Services by anyone under the age of
18 except for purposes of providing estate-related legal services to clients.
Your California Privacy Rights

Under California Civil Code Section 1798.83, California customers are entitled to request information
relating to whether a business has disclosed personal information to any third parties for such
parties’ direct marketing purposes. The firm does not sell or share your Personal Information with
third parties for their direct marketing purposes.

Consultants, Suppliers and Vendors

In order to support its provision of legal services to clients, the firm may maintain business
information about prospective or ongoing consultants, suppliers, and vendors. This information is
used for internal purposes and is not shared with unrelated third parties.
The firm requires consultants, suppliers, and vendors to maintain data protections consistent with
reasonable and appropriate obligations of data processors. Any prospective consultants, suppliers,
or vendors with questions about the firm’s policies and expectations should contact me.

Changes to this Privacy Statement

The effective date of this statement is February, 2021.
This Privacy Statement may be changed from to time, in accordance with evolving privacy practices.
I encourage you to periodically review this page. If the firm makes any material changes in the way it
collects, uses and/or shares the Personal Information that you have provided, it will notify you by
posting a prominent notice of the changes on its website. Your continued use of the Online Services
after the effective date of the new Privacy Statement will be taken to indicate your consent to the
practices it describes.

For More Information
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Statement, or about the firm’s data protection
program, please contact me

CONTACT US
Contact us here