Welcome to Osuji & Smith Lawyers (“Osuji & Smith”, “the Firm”, “we”, “us”, or “our”). We are a premier, full-service Canadian law firm headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, providing strategic counsel across Employment Law, Family Law, Corporate and Commercial Transactions, Real Estate, Civil and Commercial Litigation, Estate Planning, Immigration, and Personal Injury.

This Privacy Policy governs the collection, use, retention, and disclosure of personal information obtained through our primary website (https://osujismithlawyers.com/), our dedicated client communication channels, online booking interfaces, and our interactive 24/7 AI-driven legal intake assistant, LEXI (“LEXI AI Intake”).

By accessing our website, initiating communication through our intake forms, or conversing with LEXI, you acknowledge and agree to the data management practices described herein.

Osuji & Smith Lawyers operates under the highest ethical and statutory privacy standards established in Alberta and across Canada. Our information management protocols are explicitly governed by:

• Alberta Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA): Governing the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information by private sector organizations in Alberta.
• Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA): Canada’s federal private sector privacy legislation applicable to interprovincial transactions and electronic communications.
• Law Society of Alberta (LSA) Code of Conduct: Upholding the rigorous ethical mandates governing confidentiality, solicitor-client privilege, records preservation, and professional secrecy.
• Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL): Ensuring that electronic commercial messages, SMS communications, and appointment follow-ups occur solely with verifiable consent and explicit unsubscribe mechanisms.

We collect personal information necessary to deliver legal services, evaluate prospective legal matters, schedule consultations, and maintain secure digital operations:

4.1 Crucial Disclaimer: No Automatic Solicitor-Client Relationship

4.2 Zero Model Training Commitment

Your confidential case details, uploaded documents, voice recordings, and conversational transcripts are never used to train public machine learning models (such as public OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic models). Intake data is processed strictly via isolated enterprise-grade API endpoints with zero-data-retention training clauses.

4.3 Human-in-the-Loop Supervision

LEXI is an administrative and triage aid, not a practicing lawyer. It does not provide legal opinions, calculate settlement guarantees, or make binding determinations on the merits of your claim. Every summary compiled by LEXI is directed to and supervised by licensed lawyers and legal assistants at Osuji & Smith Lawyers.

4.4 Multi-Modal Handling: Voice Notes & Uploaded Files

When you utilize voice dictation or upload supporting documents into LEXI:

• Audio recordings are encrypted immediately upon capture and converted to text using enterprise speech-to-text engines.
• Files are scanned for malicious software, stored in encrypted cloud environments located in Canadian data regions, and accessible only to authorized legal personnel.

We process your personal information strictly for legitimate legal business objectives, including:

1. Conflict Checking: Verifying that representing you does not create an ethical conflict of interest with existing firm clients under Law Society of Alberta rules.
2. Legal Intake Evaluation: Reviewing case facts to match your needs with our specialized practice teams (e.g., employment lawyers, family mediators, civil litigators).
3. Consultation Scheduling & Preparation: Facilitating phone, video, or in-person consultations at our Calgary offices or regional client hubs.
4. Client Communication: Responding to inquiries, sending appointment reminders, and communicating case assessments via phone, email, or SMS.
5. Security & Abuse Prevention: Guarding our systems against malicious cyber attacks, automated spam, and unauthorized network intrusion.

Under Alberta PIPA and PIPEDA, consent can be express (orally, digitally, or in writing) or implied (where the purpose would be considered obvious to a reasonable person).

6.1 Intake Consent Modal

When launching digital intake, you are presented with our explicit Consent Notice. Accepting this notice authorizes Osuji & Smith to process your inquiry for the sole purpose of assessing your matter. If you decline digital processing, you may immediately contact our reception desk by telephone at 403-283-8018.

6.2 SMS & Phone Contact Authorization

When submitting your telephone number, you may opt-in to receive SMS or phone communications regarding your inquiry. In accordance with Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL):

• We do not send unsolicited marketing blasts. SMS messages are confined strictly to intake follow-ups, consultation confirmations, and direct lawyer communication.
• You may withdraw your consent to receive SMS communications at any time by replying “STOP” or notifying our intake coordinator.

Osuji & Smith Lawyers does not sell, rent, trade, or commercially monetize personal information under any circumstances.

We disclose personal data only under the following tightly controlled conditions:

• Confidential Service Providers: Trusted technology vendors (such as secure SOC-2 certified cloud hosting, practice management software like Clio, and encrypted telecom carriers) bound by strict confidentiality and data protection agreements.
• Legal Counsel & Experts: Retained experts, co-counsel, or mediators required to advance your legal matter, strictly upon your instruction.
• Legal Compulsion & Court Orders: Where required by valid subpoena, court order, statutory requirement, or Law Society of Alberta audit.

To protect personal data from unauthorized access, loss, alteration, or interception, we employ layered organizational, physical, and technological safeguards:

• Encryption in Transit: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is secured using modern TLS 1.3 encryption protocols.
• Encryption at Rest: Database records, consultation submissions, and attached documents are encrypted using AES-256 bank-grade cryptography.
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Access to client intake submissions is restricted exclusively to vetted lawyers, paralegals, and authorized intake personnel with verified multi-factor authentication (MFA).
• Perimeter Firewalls & Audit Logs: Continuous intrusion monitoring, Web Application Firewalls (WAF), and immutable audit trails tracking access events.

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was gathered, or as mandated by legal, ethical, and regulatory rules:

• Unretained Intake Leads: If an intake inquiry does not result in a signed retainer agreement, information is retained for a reasonable period (typically 12 to 24 months) solely to maintain conflict-of-interest databases, after which it is securely purged.
• Retained Client Files: Retained matters are archived in accordance with the Law Society of Alberta’s file retention guidelines (customarily a minimum of 10 years following file closure).
• Secure Destruction: Electronic records are permanently purged using cryptographic erasure; physical files are shredded via certified document destruction services.

Subject to certain statutory exceptions under Alberta PIPA and PIPEDA, you possess the right to:

• Request Access: Obtain a copy of the personal information Osuji & Smith holds regarding you.
• Request Correction: Challenge the accuracy or completeness of your records and have inaccurate data updated.
• Withdraw Consent: Revoke consent previously granted for communications or data processing (subject to contractual or legal constraints).
• Inquire into Automated Processing: Request details regarding how automated tools (such as LEXI) assisted in processing your intake.

To exercise these rights, please submit a written request to our Privacy Officer at the contact details provided in Section 13.

Our website uses standard cookies and analytical scripts to ensure functional operation, understand visitor traffic patterns, and optimize user experience:

• Strictly Necessary Cookies: Essential for page navigation, security verification, and intake widget session persistence.
• Performance & Analytics Cookies: Aggregate, anonymized data regarding site interactions (e.g., Google Analytics) to help us refine legal resources and articles.
• Browser Controls: You may adjust your web browser settings to decline or clear cookies; however, certain interactive intake features may be impaired as a result.

Our website, legal services, and digital intake channels are not intended for individuals under the age of majority in Alberta (18 years) without parental or legal guardian involvement. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from unaccompanied minors. In family law matters involving minors, information is collected solely from parents, legal guardians, or appointed litigation representatives.

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, our data practices, or our AI Intake Assistant (LEXI), please reach out directly to our team:

Frequently Asked Questions