Privacy Policy

At the Association of Business Trial Lawyers (“ABTL”) web site (www.abtl.org), protecting your privacy is important to us. The site, like the organization itself is intended to provide a forum for the discussion of topics pertaining to business, litigation and trial practice and to promote communication between the bench and bar. The site provides access to event information, membership registration, newsletters, links to other internet resources, local chapter information and more. We use information that we collect from you to efficiently provide the local chapters of the ABTL organization with demographic and other information that in turn helps the organization provide better services to its members and non-members. Please read on for more details concerning our privacy policy. 

What information do we collect?

General. Like many sites on the Internet, we automatically track certain information about you as you use our site. This information may include the URL that you just came from, which URL you go to next, what browser you are using, and your IP address. In addition, we employ the use of “cookies” in certain areas of our site. Cookies allow us to provide information that is targeted to your interests and make your online experience more convenient (for instance, by reducing the number of times you have to re-enter your password). Cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our site, and most cookies are “session cookies,” meaning that they are automatically deleted at the end of a session. You are always free to decline our cookies if your browser permits.

Services. In our online registration form, we require that you provide us with your name, credit card information, business phone numbers, company or firm name and address, and email address. When using the online registration for membership or for attending seminars and other events, you will need to disclose all the information required to complete any transaction requested by you. This information may include, but is not limited to, specific business and/or financial information regarding you or your company or firm.

How do we use your information?

Personal Identifying or Company Identifying Information. Any personal identifying or company/firm identifying information that we collect is used to personalize your membership information, maintain, customize and add new resources and services, allow communication and facilitate transactions between you and ABTL, and between ABTL and its operating personnel and its board of directors. The information you provide is also used to facilitate communication between you and other members of our organization with whom you desire to communicate, to facilitate the provision of services and information, and to allow communication and facilitate transactions with vendors of products or services that you indicate a desire to purchase. We are not responsible for the use of this information by the member, sponsor, advertiser and/or third party receiving such information, but we do encourage that all ABTL sponsors, advertisers or others who may receive information from ABTL to adopt and honor their own security and privacy policies. We will not sell, trade or rent any of your personal identifying or company/firm identifying information. 

Non-Identifying Information. We may also generate, use and make available for others various statistics and information of a non-identifying nature relevant to the web site. This non-identifying information may include, but may not be limited to, the browsing patterns, trends, preferences, and other collective characteristics of our members and serves to help us evaluate and tailor our communications, advertisements, resource links, products, services and general business practices. Non-identifying statistical information may consist of the aggregation of certain personal identifying or company/firm identifying information presented in such a manner that no single member or company/firm can be identified.

Who is Collecting Your Information?
When you provide information through the site, the information is transmitted through the Internet and stored on servers owned and maintained by our third-party Internet Service Provider. You will be informed if any other party is involved in collecting information from you through use of the site. In such situations, you can elect not to share the information requested.

With whom do we share your information?
Except as described in this Privacy Policy, we will not release any of your personal identifying or company/firm identifying information to any third party without your consent. Normally, when we disclose any information about our members to a third party, it is in the form of statistical data that doesn’t identify individual members. However, we will release personal identifying or company identifying information, including any communications made by you through the use of the site, if we have a good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (i) comply with legal process, (ii) enforce the Terms of Service Agreement for our site, (iii) respond to claims that any information or content posted on our site or transmitted through the use of the Services violates the rights of third parties, or (iv) protect the rights, property, or personal safety of ABTL, its members, employees, directors, and/or the general public. Therefore, although we use standard industry practices to protect your privacy, we do not promise, and you should not expect, that your personal identifying or company identifying information, including any communications made by you through the use of the site, will remain private in all cases. 
If we should choose to sell some or all of our assets, user information, including the information collected from you through this site, could be included in the transferred assets.

You can always view, correct and update the personal or company/firm information provided by you during registration by contacting ABTL directly or, when the service is available, by logging into your password protected account and selecting to update your “Profile”; any changes you indicate will be confirmed to you by email. From time to time, ABTL may send information about events, services, membership renewal reminders and other important information to you via email. We provide you the opportunity to opt-out of receiving these types of communications by sending us an email at abtl@abtl.org.

ABTL may provide chat rooms, forums, message boards, bulletin boards and/or news groups for members to receive information about events, seminars, various discussion topics, and more. Please remember that any information disclosed in these areas may be viewed by the general public. If you post on any of these areas, please use care not to disclose any personal identifying or company/firm identifying information unless you intend that information to become public. ABTL is not responsible or liable for the uses that others may make of the information you post on any of these areas. 

We use sophisticated technology designed to protect your data and all transmissions made through our site. Here are some of the highlights:

• The personal information that you provide us is stored on servers, which are located in a secured facility with restricted access and protected by a “firewall.” In addition, all ABTL personnel who have access to your information are trained in the maintenance and security of such information, and ABTL limits access of such information by its employees and directors to the minimum information reasonably required in order to carry out operational duties. 
• All personal identifying or company/firm identifying information that you input on-line, including your credit card number, is encrypted to avoid improper acquisition by third parties.
• Transmissions between our site and you are encrypted using pass key cryptology algorithms to avoid interception and/or misuse of such transmissions.
• Use of certain areas of the web site may require a user name and password issued to you during registration. The use of a password ensures that access to your account is limited to you and anyone you share your password with. In order to ensure the effectiveness of a password protection system, you must diligently maintain the confidentiality of your password. We will not be responsible for any unauthorized access to and resulting use of your account accomplished through the use of your valid and current password.

On the ABTL web site, protecting your privacy is important to us. By accessing our site, you consent to the collection, use and disclosure of information by ABTL as described in this Privacy Policy. While this Privacy Policy is subject to change from time to time, we will post a notice of any material change at least ten (10) days prior to implementation of the new Privacy Policy. If you have any questions concerning this policy, you can contact ABTL directly or send an email to abtl@abtl.org.