Legal
At VP Avocats (Velandia & Pouyes Avocats), we firmly believe in protecting the personal information of our clients, employees, applicants and suppliers. We are subject to Québec's Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector ("Law 25") and bound by professional secrecy under the Code of Professional Conduct of Lawyers and the Act respecting the Barreau du Québec. We undertake to take all reasonable measures to maintain the confidentiality of the personal information we collect in the course of our activities.
Last updated: August 31, 2026
This privacy policy (the "Policy") informs our clients, employees, applicants and suppliers of our practices regarding the collection, use, disclosure and retention of personal information.
By choosing to provide us with personal information — through the website, by email, by telephone, in person or by any other means — you accept the terms of this Policy and authorize us to process that information in accordance with it, for the purposes set out below.
VP Avocats collects personal information solely in the course of its professional activities and the mandates entrusted to it, or for uses consistent with those purposes, always in compliance with applicable law.
The amount and type of information collected is limited to what is necessary for the identified purposes. Given the nature of our criminal and penal practice, this information may be sensitive. It may include, without limitation:
VP Avocats never discloses your personal information without your consent, unless legally required or permitted by law. Your information is covered by lawyer-client professional secrecy.
Only the lawyers, authorized staff of the firm and, where necessary, our service providers (hosting, document management, accounting) may access it, and only to the extent required to perform their duties. Those providers are bound by contractual confidentiality commitments.
Certain information may be shared with the courts, the Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales or other parties where necessary to conduct your file, always with your authorization or under the applicable rules of procedure.
Where our providers use servers located outside Québec, information may be processed there and become subject to the laws of those jurisdictions. In such cases we conduct a privacy impact assessment, as required by Law 25.
We have adopted physical, technical, contractual and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against loss, theft and unauthorized access, use or disclosure. These measures are reassessed periodically.
No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, so absolute security cannot be guaranteed. In the event of a confidentiality incident presenting a risk of serious injury, we promptly take the required mitigation measures, keep a register of incidents and notify you and the Commission d'accès à l'information, as required by law.
We also invite you to help protect your information: avoid sending sensitive details through unsecured channels, use unique passwords and notify us without delay if you believe access has been compromised. The website contact form should not be used to transmit confidential details before a file is opened.
We collect and use your personal information with your consent and to the extent permitted or required by law. By providing us with personal information, by any means, you consent to its collection and use in accordance with this Policy.
In certain circumstances, the law allows us to collect, use or disclose information without your consent, in particular to exercise a right, to prevent or detect fraud, or where a statute requires it.
You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to applicable legal, contractual and ethical restrictions. We will then inform you of the consequences of that withdrawal, including the possibility that we can no longer conduct your file.
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or longer where applicable laws and the rules of the Barreau du Québec require it, in particular for the retention of professional files.
Once those periods expire, information is securely destroyed or anonymized. You may request deletion of your information by contacting the person responsible for the protection of personal information; we will act on your request subject to our legal and ethical obligations.
We take care to keep your information accurate and up to date. Upon receipt of a written request and after verification of your identity, we will inform you of the personal information we hold about you and give you access to it.
We may refuse access in the cases provided by law, in particular where the information is protected by professional secrecy or concerns a third party; any refusal will be justified in writing.
Routine updates (change of address, telephone number or email) can simply be made with the firm's staff. A formal request for access, rectification, withdrawal of consent, de-indexing or portability must be sent in writing to the person responsible for the protection of personal information:
We are responsible for the personal information collected, retained, used, disclosed and destroyed in the performance of our mandates. The person responsible for the protection of personal information oversees the application of this Policy.
We continue to develop policies and practices ensuring that this information is handled in strict compliance with Law 25 and our ethical obligations, and we periodically verify our compliance.
Our staff is trained to answer your questions about your personal information. If the response you receive does not satisfy you, you may send a written complaint to the person responsible for the protection of personal information, at the contact details above. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint and communicate our findings within a reasonable time.
You may also file a complaint with the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec.
We may amend this Policy from time to time and will publish the most recent version online. We encourage you to review it regularly to stay informed of any changes.
