Privacy Policy

1. Controller’s name and contact details:

This Privacy Policy provides information regarding the processing of personal data on the firm’s website:

Controller:

AHB Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater
Arends Hofert Bergemann PartGmbB


Neuer Wall 59, D-20354 Hamburg

Telephone: +49 (40) 88 88 56 33
Fax: +49 (40) 88 88 56 39
E-mail: info@ahblegal.de

Name of data protection officer:

The firm’s data protection officer is available at the firm’s address above and at info@ahblegal.de.

2. Scope and purpose of the processing of personal data

When this website www.ahblegal.de is accessed, the internet browser used by the visitor automatically sends data to this website’s server where it is stored for a limited time in a log file. The following data is stored without further intervention by the visitor until automatic erasure:

- IP address of the visitor's device,
- date and time of the visitor’s access
- name and URL of the accessed page
- website from which the visitor arrives at the firm’s website (so-called referrer URL),
- browser and operating system of the visitor's device and the name of the access provider used by the visitor.

The processing of this personal data is justified pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (1) (f) GDPR. The firm has a legitimate interest in the processing of data for the purpose of

- quickly establishing a connection to the firm’s website,
- ensuring that the website is user-friendly,
- identifying and ensuring the safety and stability of the systems and
- facilitating and improving administration of the website.

Data is expressly not processed for the purpose of gaining personal information from the website visitor.

3. Disclosure of data

Personal data will not be disclosed to third parties, if

- this was expressly consented to by the data subject under Article 6 (1) (1) (a) GDPR,
- the disclosure is necessary pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (1) (f) GDPR for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims and there is no reason to assume that the data subject has an overriding legitimate interest in non-disclosure of your data,
- if a legal obligation for data transfer exists pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (1) (c) GDPR, and/or
- this is required by Article 6 (1) (1) (b) GDPR to fulfil a contractual relationship with the data subject.

In other cases, personal data will not be disclosed to third parties.

4. Cookies

The website uses cookies. These are data packets that are exchanged between the server of the firm’s website and the visitor's browser. These are stored when visiting the website from the devices used in each case (PC, notebook, tablet, smartphone, etc.). Cookies can cause no damage on the used devices. In particular, they contain no viruses or other malicious software. Information is stored in the cookie, which is created in connection with the specific device used. Under no circumstances can the firm use them to directly discover the website visitor’s identity.

Cookies are largely accepted as per the browser’s default settings. Browser settings can be set so that cookies are either not accepted on the used devices, or that special information is presented before a new cookie is created. It should be noted, however, that the deactivation of cookies may prevent all features of the website from being used in the best possible way.

Cookies serve the purpose of making the firm’s website more comfortable for you to use. For example, session cookies can be used to track whether the visitor has already visited individual pages on the website. After leaving the website, these session cookies are automatically deleted.

To improve usability, temporary cookies are used. They are stored on the visitor's device for a temporary period. When the website is visited again, there is automatic recognition that the visitor has already visited the site at an earlier point in time as well as the inputs and settings they have made, so that these do not have to be repeated.

Cookies are also used to analyse website views for statistical purposes and for the purpose of improving the website. These cookies make it possible to automatically recognise upon a new visit that the website has already been accessed by the visitor. Cookies are automatically deleted after a certain time.

The data processed by cookies is required for the purposes stated above to safeguard the firm’s legitimate interests pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (1) (f) GDPR.

5. Analysis services for websites, tracking

On our website, we use the web page analytics service from

Google Analytics

The legal basis for using the analysis tool is Article 6 (1) (1) (f) GDPR. Website analysis is in the legitimate interest of our firm and is used to statistically recording of website usage for the continuous improvement of our firm’s website and the offer of our services. Google Analytics is a web analysis service from Google Inc. (https://www.google.de/intl/de/about/) (1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA, hereafter “Google”). In this context, pseudonymised usage profiles are created and cookies (see no. 4) are used. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website, such as - browser type/version,

- used operating system,
- referrer URL (the previously visited page),
- host name of the accessing computer (IP address),
- time of server request,

is transferred to a Google server in the US and saved there. The information serves the purpose of evaluating the use of the website, the compilation of reports on website activity, and the provision of other services related to website and internet usage for the purposes of market research and the needs-based design of this website. This information is also transmitted to third parties, if this is required by law or if third parties are commissioned to process these data. Under no circumstances will your IP address be merged with any other Google data. The IP addresses are anonymised, so that assignment is not possible (IP masking). You can prevent cookies from being installed by setting browser software accordingly; however, we would like to point out that all the functions of this website may not be fully usable in this case. You can also prevent the collection of data generated by the cookie and related to your use of the website (including your IP address) and the processing of this data by Google by downloading and installing a browser add-on (https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en).

As an alternative to the browser add-on, especially for browsers on mobile devices, you can prevent the collection by Google Analytics by clicking on this link. An opt-out cookie is set which prevents the future collection of your data when you visit this website: The opt-out cookie is only valid in this browser and only for our website and is stored on your device. If you delete the cookies in this browser, you must set the opt-out cookie again.

For more information about privacy related to Google Analytics, see the Google Analytics Help (https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=en).

6. Your rights as a data subject

If your personal data is processed due to a visit to our website, you have the following rights as a “data subject” within the meaning of the GDPR:

6.1 Information

You can ask us for information about whether we process your personal data. No right to information exists if the desired information must be kept secret, in particular due to a third party’s predominantly legitimate interest. By way of derogation from this, an obligation to provide information may exist if your interests outweigh the interests of secrecy, in particular taking into account any imminent damage. The right to information is further excluded if data is only stored because it cannot be deleted due to legal or statutory retention regulations or if it exclusively serves the purposes of data backup or data protection control, if the provision of information would require disproportionately high effort and processing for other purposes using suitable technical and organisation measures is ruled out. If the right to information is not excluded in your case and your personal data is processed by us, you can request information from us about the following information:

- purpose of the processing,
- categories of your personal data that are processed,
- recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data has been disclosed or are yet to be disclosed, in particular to recipients in third countries
- if possible, the planned duration for which your personal data will be stored or, if this is not possible, the criteria for determining this storage duration
- the existence of a right to rectification or erasure, or to restriction of processing of the data subject’s personal data by the controller, or to a right to object to such processing,
- the existence of the right to appeal to a data protection supervisory authority
- if the personal data was not collected from you as the data subject, the available information on the origin of the data,
- if applicable, the existence of automated decision-making including profiling and meaningful data about the involved logic, scope and intended impact of automated decision-making.
- if applicable, transmission to recipients in third countries, unless there is a decision by the EU Commission regarding the adequacy of the protection level under Art. 45 (3) GDPR, information on which provides suitable guarantees pursuant to Art. 46 para. 2 GDPR for the protection of personal data.

6.2 Rectification and completion

If you discover that we have inaccurate personal data about you, you may demand that we promptly rectify this incorrect data. Should personal data concerning you be incomplete, you can request completion.

6.3 Erasure

You have the right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”), unless the processing is necessary for the exercise of the right to freedom of expression, the right to information or to fulfil a legal obligation or to perform a task in the public interest and one of the following is true:

- The personal data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was processed.
- The processing was only justified based your consent, which you have revoked.
- You have objected to the processing of your personal data that we have made public.
- You have objected to the processing of personal data not disclosed to us and there are no legitimate reasons for the processing.
- The personal data was processed unlawfully.
- The erasure of personal data is necessary to fulfil a legal obligation to which we are subject.

No right to erasure exists if, in the case of legitimate non-automated data processing, erasure is not possible or only possible with disproportionately high effort due to the specific nature of storage and your interest in erasure is negligible. In this case, erasure is replaced with restriction of processing.

6.4 Restriction of processing

You may require us to restrict processing if any of the following applies:

- You deny the accuracy of your personal information. Restriction may be required in this case for the period of time that allows us to verify the accuracy of the data.
- The processing is unlawful and instead of erasure you request restriction of the use of your personal data.
- We no longer require your personal data for the purposes of processing, but you require this to assert, exercise or defend legal claims.
- You have objected pursuant to Art. 21 para. 1 GDPR. The restriction of processing may be required as long as it is not certain that our legitimate reasons outweigh your reasons.

Restriction of processing means that personal data is only processed with your consent or to assert, exercise or defend legal claims or to protect the rights of another natural or legal person or for reasons of important public interest. We have a duty to inform you before we lift the restriction.

6.5 Data portability

You have the right to data portability if the processing is based on your consent (Article 6 (1) (1) (a) or Article 9 (2) (a) GDPR) or on a contract to which you are a party and the processing is performed using automated procedures. The right to data portability in this case includes the following rights, provided that this does not affect the rights and freedoms of others: You can receive your personal data that you have provided to us in a structured, common and machine-readable format; You have the right to transfer this data to another controller without hindrance on our part. If technically feasible, you may require us to transfer your personal information directly to another controller.

6.6 Objection

If the processing is based on Article 6 (1) (1) (e) of the GDPR (exercise of a task in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority) or on Article 6 (1) (1) (f) GDPR (controller or a third party’s legitimate interest), you have the right, at any time, to object to the processing of your personal data for reasons arising from your particular situation. This also applies to a profiling based on Art. 6 (1) (1) (e) or (f) GDPR. After the right of revocation has been exercised, we will no longer process your personal data, unless we can establish compelling legitimate grounds for processing that outweigh your interests, rights and freedoms, or unless the processing is for the purposes of asserting, exercising or defending against legal claims.

You may at any time object to the processing of your personal data for the purpose of direct advertising. This also applies to profiling that is associated with this direct advertising. After exercising this right to object, we will no longer use the personal data concerned for the purpose of direct advertising.

You have the option to inform our firm of your objection in any form by telephone, by email, by fax, if applicable, or to our postal address listed at the beginning of this Privacy Policy.

6.7 Revocation of consent

You at any time have the right to revoke your given consent with future effect. The revocation of consent can be communicated by phone, by email, by fax, if applicable, or to our postal address informal. The revocation does not affect the lawfulness of the data processing which has been carried out on the basis of the consent until receipt of the revocation. Upon receipt of the revocation, the data processing that was based solely on your consent will be discontinued.

6.8 Complaint

If you believe that the processing of your personal information is unlawful, you may lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority that has jurisdiction over your place of residence, employment or the location of the alleged breach.

7. Status and update of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy was updated on 25 May 2018. We reserve the right to update the Privacy Policy in due course to improve privacy and/or adapt it to changes in regulatory practice or jurisdiction. It can be accessed and printed at any time on the website at http://www.ahblegal.de/index.php?id=22.