Privacy Policy

Clerk&Counsel is a clerking agency and a trading style of Found First Digital Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales, with offices at 4 Bark Street East, Bolton BL1 2BQ. In this policy "we", "us" and "our" refer to Found First Digital Ltd trading as Clerk&Counsel.

We are the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. We are not a barristers' chambers and we do not provide legal services ourselves.

When you submit an enquiry, brief or application through our website we collect:

• Identity and contact details — name, email address, telephone number, firm or organisation.
• Professional details (where relevant) — year of call, current chambers or status, practice areas.
• Information about your matter — the brief overview and any background you choose to share.
• Technical data — IP address, browser type and basic analytics about how you use the site.

You should not include sensitive personal data (e.g. health, criminal allegations involving identifiable third parties) in the brief field unless strictly necessary.

• To respond to your enquiry and identify suitable counsel — including sharing relevant details of your matter with one or more independent, BSB-registered barristers we believe may be suitable. Lawful basis: your consent (provided via the form), and our legitimate interest in operating a clerking service.
• To run conflict checks and engagement paperwork — lawful basis: legitimate interest and, where instructions proceed, performance of a contract.
• To meet our legal and regulatory obligations — including record-keeping and responding to lawful requests. Lawful basis: legal obligation.
• To improve the website — aggregated, non-identifying analytics. Lawful basis: legitimate interest.

We share your personal data with:

• Independent barristers we approach on your behalf to consider your matter. Each barrister is a separate data controller in their own right.
• Service providers who help us run the platform — for example our website hosting and database providers — acting as our processors under written terms.
• Regulators, courts and law enforcement where we are legally required to do so.

We do not sell your personal data and we do not use it for third-party marketing.

Some of our service providers may process data outside the UK. Where they do, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or an adequacy decision.

We keep enquiry and brief data for as long as needed to deal with the matter and for a reasonable period afterwards (typically up to 6 years) to meet legal, regulatory and limitation-period requirements. Unsuccessful applications and general enquiries are held for up to 24 months.

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

• access the personal data we hold about you;
• ask us to correct or delete it;
• object to, or restrict, certain processing;
• withdraw consent at any time (without affecting prior processing); and
• complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us via the form on our contact page.

We use a small number of strictly necessary cookies to operate the site and, where permitted, basic analytics cookies to understand usage. We do not use advertising cookies.

Submissions are transmitted over HTTPS and stored in an access-controlled database. Only authorised personnel can view briefs and applications.

We may update this policy from time to time. The "last updated" date at the top of the page shows when it was most recently revised. Material changes will be communicated via the website.