How can we help you?

Complete this form to raise a data protection complaint with Trowers & Hamlins LLP. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required. You may also submit your complaint by email or post. For contact details and information about how your complaints will be handled, see our Complaints Procedure: Complaints

 

Scope and application

This procedure applies to all individuals whose personal data is processed by Trowers & Hamlins LLP ("Trowers", "we", "our", or "us"), as controller. This includes our employees, website users, visitors to our premises, clients, representatives of our clients, suppliers and business partners, as well as other data subjects. Throughout this procedure, references to 'you' and 'your' are to the individual whose personal data is the subject of the complaint or their representative. Where a representative is submitting a complaint on a data subject's behalf, the firm's obligations under this procedure apply to the data subject.

This procedure covers complaints about any aspect of how we handle personal data, including but not limited to:

  • How we collect, use, store and share personal data
  • Our handling of any data subject rights request
  • A personal data breach affecting the data subject
  • Our use of automated decision-making or profiling
  • Our use of cookies or tracking technologies
  • Our compliance with data protection principles.

This procedure does not cover general customer service complaints that do not relate to the processing of personal data or complaints about third parties who process data independently of us. For general service complaints, please refer to our Client Care Letter or our Complaints Policy.

How do I make a complaint?

Informal route

If you have a query or concern about how your personal data has been handled, you are welcome to raise it informally in the first instance. Depending on the nature of your concern, you may wish to contact:

  • the person at Trowers & Hamlins who has been dealing with your matter or request. They will be keen to resolve your concerns as soon as possible; or
  • our General Counsel & Risk Team directly, using the contact details set out below.

Raising a concern informally is entirely optional. You are entitled to make a formal complaint at any time without first going through the informal route.

Formal complaints

To make a formal data protection complaint, please complete our Data Protection Complaints Form which is available electronically at [insert link]. The form guides you through the information we will need to investigate your complaint.

If you are unable to use the electronic form, you may also submit your complaint:

If you require the form or this procedure in an alternative format, for example, large print or a different language, please contact us using the details above and we will do our best to accommodate your request. If you need any assistance in making your complaint, please let us know and we will do what we can to help.

What information should I include?

Whether you are completing the form or submitting your complaint by email or post, please include:

  • your full name and contact details;
  • where you are acting on behalf of another person, their name and contact details, together with details of your authority to act on their behalf;
  • a description of your concern, including the relevant dates and any specific details that will help us understand and investigate the issue;
  • the categories of personal data involved, if known;
  • the name of the individual, team or department at the firm your complaint relates to, if known;
  • copies of any relevant supporting documents, such as correspondence, screenshots or previous communications;
  • how you would like your complaint to be resolved; and
  • your file or matter reference number, if you have one.

The more information you are able to provide at the outset, the more efficiently we will be able to investigate your complaint.

How will my complaint be dealt with?

  1. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within 30 calendar days of receiving it. Our acknowledgement will confirm the date of receipt, provide you with a reference number, identify your point of contact within the General Counsel & Risk Team, and set out the next steps we intend to take.
  2. Your complaint will be investigated by our General Counsel & Risk Team, independently of any individual or team to whom your complaint relates. We will begin our investigation without undue delay and will keep you informed of the progress throughout. If we need additional information or documents from you, we will write to you setting out what is required and a reasonable deadline for providing it.
  3. Where it would assist the investigation, we may invite you to a meeting or call to discuss your complaint. Attendance is entirely at your discretion and will not affect the outcome.
  4. Following the conclusion of our investigation, we will write to you with the outcome. Our response will set out our findings, any action taken or proposed, and information about your right to escalate to the UK Information Commissioner's Office ("ICO") if you remain dissatisfied.
  5. If your complaint is complex and we need more time, we will write to you promptly to explain the reason for the delay and provide a revised timescale. In any event, we will update you throughout the process.

What if my complaint is still not resolved?

If you are dissatisfied with our response, you may contact the ICO to raise your concerns. Making a complaint to the ICO will not affect how we handle your complaint. We will continue to act in your best interests and comply with our professional obligations as solicitors.

The ICO generally expects individuals to have first raised their complaint with the organisation. They may ask you to complete our internal complaints process before they investigate.

If you would like more information about the ICO, please contact them:

How much will it cost?

  • We will not charge you anything in relation to investigating your complaint.
  • The ICO's service is also free of charge.

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