How Can a Data Privacy Attorney Help Your Business?

Whether you’re in the start-up stage or the scaling stage, growth is one of your top priorities. (Good news: You’re in the right place. We are all about amplifying and supporting growing businesses!) 

Most founders, entrepreneurs, and CEOs think of growth as synonymous with revenue generation. More money, more leads, more sales = growth. And that is part of growing, but it’s not the whole story. 

As you scale your business, you put your intellectual property, customer information, and security at a greater risk. The more you grow, the more you have to lose. 

I don’t share this to scare you, but I do want you to be aware of the increasing risks and vulnerabilities you’re exposed to as you scale. One of the best steps you can take to protect your growing business is to have a data privacy attorney on your team. 

At Kliebert Law, we support fast-growing businesses through our Fractional General Counsel services. A component of these services is helping our clients understand how data privacy laws work and which laws apply to their businesses - so they can avoid unnecessary fines or potential legal action.

If maximum growth is one of your big goals this year, keep reading to see how a data privacy attorney can help your business grow safely and securely. 

The importance of privacy policies 

A “privacy policy” refers to a document on your website or mobile application that explains how your business collects and uses the personal information of its users. It can also refer to a business’s internal policies for the collection and use of personal information obtained from other sources, such as employee files.

A good privacy policy is tailored to your business’s practices and accurately reflects how you collect and use customer information.

Unfortunately, many business owners think they can swipe a privacy policy from a competitor’s website and call it a day. Generic privacy policies may not even meet legal requirements, and they typically will not reflect the specific way you use, store, and protect your customer’s information. 

In short, “borrowing” a privacy policy isn’t going to cut it. 

And skipping out on having a privacy policy isn’t typically an option either. In many countries and states, the law requires any website or mobile app that collects personal information to provide its users with its privacy policies. “Personal information” is a broad term that includes things such as names, email addresses, and IP addresses. Even if your company is not based in a state that requires privacy policies, the laws of other states or countries may apply to you if you target customers there or collect information about people who live there. 

Popular advertising and analytical services, like Google Analytics and Facebook,  also require anyone using their services to have a privacy policy disclosing the information that will be collected and how it will be used.

If you want to meet legal requirements and protect your clients or customers, you need a custom privacy policy created specifically for your business. This is something we regularly manage for our clients. 

What else can a data privacy attorney help me with?

We live and work in an online world, which means having a data privacy attorney on your team is like having a security system set up at your physical office. 

We support our clients’ safety and security by helping with things like:

• Compliance with laws and regulations: Twenty U.S. states now have comprehensive consumer privacy laws in effect or going into effect soon. Every one of them requires privacy policies that explain to consumers how your business collects, uses, and shares their personal information. Even if your business is based in North Carolina, you need to be up to speed on these laws if you have customers in any of these twenty states.

  
  

• Data breaches: In the unfortunate case of a data breach, we make sure our clients comply with their legal obligations, both to their customers and third parties. Working with Kliebert Law gives your business the support and resources you need to recover from a breach and follow notification protocol to avoid even more consequences.

  
  

• Contracts: With Kliebert Law in your back pocket, you never have to worry about signing a contract that doesn't incorporate your interests. As a data privacy attorney, I’m well versed at drafting contracts with the specific language you need to protect your business. Solid, specific contracts will protect you from unnecessary liability. 

  
  

• Employee policies and procedures: Your internal policies and procedures can reduce risk to your employees, customers, and business. We can help you identify the policies that are applicable to your business and draft policies that fit your unique needs. 

Working with a data privacy attorney

Scaling your business requires shrewd stewardship of your resources. In an effort to put more money toward revenue generating activities, many business owners and entrepreneurs are prone to putting off hiring legal support until there’s an immediate legal problem or need. 

The truth is that fixing a problem is never quite as effective (and often more expensive) as preventing the problem in the first place. 

When we partner through our Fractional General Counsel service, you get the privilege of having an experienced business and data privacy attorney on speed dial. Our periodic strategy calls help us identify areas of weakness or potential threats to your business so we can proactively address them and avoid the issue altogether. 

If you’re ready to scale faster, feel more secure, and enjoy the confidence of having dedicated general counsel working on your behalf, we would love to talk to you.

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