The controller of personal data processed through somerville.de is Somerville Chambers, Theaterstraße 15, 52062 Aachen, Germany, e-mail office@somerville.de, telephone +49 241 478 3620. We collect the data you submit through the contact form — name, e-mail address, telephone number and the content of your message — together with technical data automatically recorded by the server, such as IP address, browser type and the time of your request. We do not knowingly collect data from persons under sixteen years of age.
Form data is processed to answer your enquiry and, where a mandate follows, to perform the engagement agreement, on the basis of Article 6(1)(b) GDPR. Server logs and security records are processed on the basis of our legitimate interest in operating a stable and secure website, Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. Non-essential cookies and any analytics are set only after you give consent through the cookie banner, Article 6(1)(a) GDPR, and that consent may be withdrawn at any time with effect for the future. Retention of correspondence relating to legal advice is additionally governed by our statutory obligations under German professional and commercial law.
Enquiry data is stored for as long as necessary to deal with your request and, where a mandate arises, for the statutory retention periods applicable to lawyers in Germany, generally six years from the close of the file. Data is held on servers located within the European Union and is protected by encrypted transmission and restricted internal access. We disclose data only to processors bound by written agreements under Article 28 GDPR — our hosting and e-mail providers — and to courts, registries or authorities where disclosure is required by law. We do not sell personal data and do not transfer it to third countries without an adequate legal basis.
Under the GDPR and the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) you have the right to obtain confirmation of processing and a copy of your data, to have inaccurate data corrected, to request erasure or restriction of processing, to receive your data in a portable format, and to object to processing based on legitimate interests. Requests should be sent to office@somerville.de and are answered within one month. You may also lodge a complaint with the data protection authority of North Rhine-Westphalia or with the supervisory authority of your place of residence. Where processing rests on consent, withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out beforehand.