I. Introduction
When you use Lightning Lawyer, you trust us with your personal data. We’re committed to keeping that trust. That starts with helping you understand our privacy practices. This notice describes the personal data we collect, how it’s used and shared, and your choices regarding this data. We recommend that you read this along with which highlights key points about our privacy practices.
II. Overview
A. Scope
This notice applies to users of Lightning Lawyer’s services anywhere in the world, including users of Lightning Lawyer’s apps, websites, features, or other services. Gynn Communications, Inc. ("GCI"), a private S-Corporation established in the United States, State of Illinois, having its offices at 736 N. Western Ave. #307, Lake Forest, IL 60045, is the sole owner and provider of Lightning Lawyer services, worldwide.
This notice describes how Lightning Lawyer and its affiliates collect and use personal data. This notice applies to all users of our apps, websites, features, or other services anywhere in the world, unless covered by a separate privacy notice. This notice specifically applies to:
• Users: individuals who request or receive a lawyer by using Lightning Lawyer • Lawyers: individuals who provide professional legal services to Users individually or through partnership relationships
This notice also governs GCI’s other collections of personal data in connection with its services. For example, we may collect the contact information of individuals who use accounts owned by GCI for Business customers; personal data of those who start but do not complete user requests; or other personal data in connection with our mapping technology and features.
All those subject to this notice are referred to as "parties" in this notice.
In addition, please note the following:
• For parties in Argentina: The Public Information Access agency, in its role of Regulating Body of Law 25.326, is responsible for receiving complaints and reports presented by any data subjects who believe their rights have been impacted by a violation of the local data protection regulation. • For parties in Brazil: Please see here for information regarding GCI’s privacy practices required under Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados - LGPD). • For California parties: Information regarding GCI’s privacy practices related to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is available here. • For parties in Colombia: This notice also applies for the lessors and lessees. For the purposes of this notice, lessors will be considered drivers and lessees will be considered riders. • For parties in Mexico: Please see here for information regarding GCI’s privacy practices required under Mexico’s Mexican Personal Data Protection Law (Ley Federal de Protección de Datos Personales en Posesión de los Particulares). • For parties in Nigeria: GCI does not process the personal data of users in Nigeria for purposes of the legitimate interests of GCI or other parties. Instead, GCI processes such personal data on the grounds that it is necessary to fulfill our obligations to users under our Terms of Use or other agreements with users, or based on users’ consent. • For parties in South Korea: Please see here for information about GCI affiliate UT LLC's privacy practices. • For Guest parties: The personal data of those who order or receive trips or deliveries via partner websites or apps (such as when ordering from a restaurant or other merchant), or arranged by other account owners (collectively "Guest Users") is used solely to provide such trips, deliveries, or other services requested through a third party, and for purposes of safety and security, customer support, research and development, enabling communication between users, and in connection with legal proceedings and requirements, each as described in "How we use personal data" below. Guest User personal data may be shared with third parties for these purposes. Such data may be associated with, and accessible by, the owner of that account. This specifically includes Guest Users who receive rides/deliveries ordered by owners of GCI Health, GCI Central, GCI Direct or GCI for Business accounts, or who receive rides or deliveries ordered by friends, family members or others. To submit questions, comments or complaints regarding Guest User data, or to submit requests regarding such data, please visit here.
Our practices are subject to applicable laws in the places in which we operate. This means that we engage in the practices described in this notice in a particular country or region only if permitted under the laws of those places. Please contact us through the addresses below with any questions regarding our practices in a particular country or region.
B. Data controller and transfer
GCI is the data controller for the personal data collected in connection with use of Lightning Lawyer’s services everywhere.
GCI operates and processes personal data globally. We may also transfer such data to countries other than the one where our users live or use GCI’s services. We do so in order to fulfill our agreements with users, such as our Terms of Use, or based on users’ prior consent, adequacy decisions for the relevant countries, or other transfer mechanisms as may be available under applicable law, such as the Standard Contractual Clauses. Questions, comments, and complaints about GCI’s data practices can be submitted to info@LightningLawyer.com. You may also use this form to submit a question to GCI’s Data Protection Officer.
III. Data collections and uses
A. The data we collect
GCI collects personal data: • provided by users to Lightning Lawyer, such as during account creation • created during use of our services, such as location, app usage, and device data • from other sources, such as other users or account owners, business partners, vendors, insurance and financial solution providers, and governmental authorities
The following personal data is collected by or on behalf of GCI:
1. Data provided by users. This includes:
• User requests and Lawyer profile: We collect data each time a user adds a new user request. We collect data when lawyers create or update their Lightning Lawyer accounts. This may include their name, email, phone number, login name and password, address, profile picture, payment or banking information (including related payment verification information), law license and other government identification documents (which may indicate document numbers as well as birth date, gender, and photo).
We may use the photos submitted by users to verify their identities, such as through facial verification technologies. For more information, please see the section titled "How we use personal data."
• Background check and identity verification: In order to verify lawyer’s eligibility to provide services through the Lightning Lawyer apps, we may collect information such as lawyer history or criminal record (where permitted by law), license status, known aliases and prior addresses, and right to practice law in good standing. This information may be collected by an authorized vendor on GCI’s behalf.
• Demographic data: We may collect demographic data about users, including through user surveys. In some countries, we may also receive demographic data about users from third parties.
We may also infer demographic data from other data collected from users.
• User content: We collect the data submitted by users when they contact Lightning Lawyer customer support, provide ratings or compliments for other users, or otherwise contact GCI. This may include feedback, photographs or other recordings collected by users, including audio or video recordings (such as from dashcams) submitted by users in connection with customer support. This also includes metadata relating to the method you use to communicate with GCI.
2. Data created during use of our services. This includes:
• Location data (users and lawyers): We collect users’ and lawyers’ approximate location data, including, to enable user/lawyer tracking and safety features, to prevent and detect fraud, and to satisfy legal requirements. GCI collects this data when the Lightning Lawyer app is running in the foreground (app open and on-screen) or background (app open but not on-screen) of their mobile device.
• Location data (users and lawyers). We collect users’ and lawyers’ approximate location data to enable and enhance use of our apps, including to improve connect users to lawyers, enable safety features, and prevent and detect fraud.
We collect such data from users’ mobile devices if they enable us to do so. (See "Choice and transparency" below for information on how riders and delivery recipients can enable location data collection). GCI collects such data from the time a user request is submitted in perpetuity.
Users and lawyers cannot use the Lightning Lawyer apps without enabling Lightning Lawyer to collect general location data from their mobile devices.
• Transaction information: We collect transaction information related to the use of our services, including the type of services requested. Once a User request is submitted, Lightning Lawyer is not involved in anyway to fullfil that user’s request.
• Usage data: We collect data about how users interact with our services. This includes data such as access dates and times, app features or pages viewed, app crashes and other system activity, and type of browser. We may also collect data regarding the third-party sites or services used before interacting with our services, which we use for marketing. In some cases, we collect this data through cookies, pixels, tags, and similar tracking technologies that create and maintain unique identifiers.
• Device data: We may collect data about the devices used to access our services, including the hardware models, device IP address or other unique device identifiers, operating systems and versions, software, preferred languages, advertising identifiers, device motion data, and mobile network data.
B. How we use personal data
Lightning Lawyer uses personal data to connect users and lawyers. We also use such data: • for customer support • for research and development • to enable communications between users • to send marketing and non-marketing communications to users • in connection with legal proceedings
GCI does not sell or share user personal data with third parties for their direct marketing, except with users’ consent.
We use personal data we collect:
1. To provide our services
Lightning Lawyer uses data to provide, personalize, maintain, and improve our services. This includes using data to: • create/update accounts • enable connecting local users and lawyers • process payments • perform necessary operations to maintain our services, including to troubleshoot software bugs and operational problems; to conduct data analysis, testing, and research; and to monitor and analyze usage and activity trends.
Lightning Lawyer performs the above activities, including the collection and use of location data for purposes of these activities, on the grounds that they are necessary to fulfill our obligations to users under our Terms of Use or other agreements with users.
2. Safety and security
We use personal data to help maintain the safety, security, and integrity of our services and users and lawyers. This includes:
• optionally and at the sole discretion of GCI, verifying lawyers’ identity and eligibility to provide professional legal services, including through reviews of background checks, where permitted by law, to help prevent use of our services by unauthorized lawyers.
• using device, location, user requests and lawyer’s profile, usage, and other data to prevent, detect, and combat fraud. This includes identifying fraudulent accounts or uses of our services, preventing use of our services by unauthorized drivers or delivery persons, verifying user identities in connection with certain payment methods, and preventing and combating unauthorized access to users’ requests.
• sharing information regarding serious user or lawyer safety incidents or compliance with local regulations with third parties, to prevent users or lawyers who may pose a safety risk to the platform or its users or lawyers from using Lightning Lawyer’s or those other companies’ services. We may also share with third parties, including those affected by such incidents, whether the incidents result in account deactivation.
Lightning Lawyer performs the above activities on the grounds that they are necessary to fulfill our obligations to users and lawyers covered under our Terms of Use or other agreements with users and lawyers, and/or for purposes of the legitimate safety and security interests of GCI or other parties, including users and members of the general public.
3. Customer support
GCI uses the information we collect (which may include call recordings) to provide customer support, including to investigate and address user concerns and to monitor and improve our customer support responses and processes.
GCI performs the above activities on the grounds that they are necessary to fulfill our obligations to users under our Terms of Use or other agreements with users.
4. Research and development
We may use personal data for testing, research, analysis, product development, and machine learning to improve the user experience. This helps us make our services more convenient and easy-to-use, enhance the safety and security of our services, and develop new services and features.
GCI performs the above activities on the grounds that they are necessary to fulfil our obligations to users under our Terms of Use or other agreements with users in improving our existing services and features, or for purposes of GCI’s legitimate interests developing new services and features.
5. Enabling communications between users and lawyers, locally
GCI performs the above activities on the grounds that they are necessary to fulfill our obligations to users under our Terms of Use or other agreements with users.
6. Marketing
GCI may use personal data to market our services to our users. This includes sending users and lawyers communications about Lightning Lawyer services, features, promotions, sweepstakes, studies, surveys, news, updates, and events. We may do so through various methods, including email, text messages, push notifications, in app communications and ads, and ads on third party platforms.
We may also inform users about products and services offered by GCI partners. For example, we may provide recommendations, promotions, or ads for GCI partners based on users’ past delivery orders. Although we inform users about products and services offered by GCI partners, we do not sell users’ personal data to, or share it with, such partners or others for purposes of their own direct marketing or advertising, except with users’ consent.
We may use the data we collect, including in combination with advertising partners’ data, to personalize and improve the marketing communications (including ads) that we send on and off Lightning Lawyer’s apps and websites, including based on user and lawyer location, use of Lightning Lawyer’s services, and user preferences and settings. For example, we share user data (such as hashed email address, usage information, and device or user identifiers) with Facebook and TikTok to personalize and improve our ads for GCI’s services.
We may also send users communications regarding elections, ballots, referenda, and other political and notice processes that relate to our services. For example, GCI may notify some users and/or lawyers by email of ballot measures or pending legislation relating to GCI’s services in those users’ and/or lawyers’ areas.
GCI performs the above activities on the grounds that they are necessary for purposes of GCI’s legitimate interests in informing users about GCI services and features or those offered by GCI partners, or on the basis of user consent.
7. Non-marketing communications
GCI may use personal data to generate and provide users with receipts; inform them of changes to our terms, services, or policies; or send other communications that aren’t for the purpose of marketing the services or products of GCI or its partners.
GCI performs the above activities on the grounds that they are necessary to fulfill our obligations to users under our Terms of Use or other agreements with users and/or lawyers, or for purposes of GCI’s and its users legitimate interests in informing users about events that may have an impact on how they can use Lightning Lawyer services.
8. Legal proceedings and requirements
We may use personal data to investigate or address claims or disputes relating to use of Lightning Lawyer’s services, to satisfy requirements under applicable laws, regulations, or operating licenses or agreements, or pursuant to legal process or governmental request, including from law enforcement.
GCI performs the above activities on the grounds that they are necessary for purposes of GCI’s legitimate interests in investigating and responding to claims and disputes relating to use of GCI’s services and features, and/or necessary for compliance with applicable legal requirements.
9. Automated decision-making
We use personal data to make automated decisions relating to use of our services. This includes:
• enabling dynamic pricing, in which the price of a subscription is determined based on constantly varying factors • matching a lawyer’s location to local users requesting professional legal services. Users and lawyers are matched solely based on location of both parties. • The distance between both users and lawyers is based on both parties being no more than 30 miles from each other. • flagging users or lawyers who are identified as having engaged in fraud, unsafe activity, or other activities that may harm Lightning Lawyer, its users, lawyers and others. In some cases, such as when a user or lawyer is determined to have submitted fraudulent information, such behavior may result in automatic deactivation, or in the European Union or where otherwise required by law
GCI performs the above activities on the grounds that they are necessary to fulfill our obligations to users under our Terms of Use or other agreements with users, or on the grounds that they are necessary for purposes of the legitimate interests of GCI, its users, lawyers and others.
A. Cookies and third-party technologies
GCI and its partners use cookies and other identification technologies on our apps, websites, emails, and online ads.
Cookies are small text files that are stored on browsers or devices by websites, apps, online media, and advertisements. Lightning Lawyer uses cookies and similar technologies for purposes such as:
• authenticating users and lawyers • remembering user preferences and settings • determining the popularity of content • delivering and measuring the effectiveness of advertising campaigns • analyzing site traffic and trends, and generally understanding the online behaviors and interests of people who interact with our services.
We may also allow others to provide audience measurement and analytics services for us, to serve advertisements on our behalf across the Internet, and to track and report on the performance of those advertisements. These entities may use cookies, web beacons, SDKs, and other technologies to identify the devices used by visitors to our websites, as well as when they visit other online sites and services.
B. Data sharing and disclosure
Some of GCI’s services and features require that we share personal data with other users or lawyers or at a user or lawyer’s request. We may also share such data with our affiliates, subsidiaries, and partners, for legal reasons or in connection with claims or disputes.
GCI may share personal data:
1. With other users
This includes sharing: • lawyer’s name and photo, law practice area, law practice location • for those who participate in GCI’s referral program, we share certain personal data of referred users, such as trip count, with the user who referred them, to the extent relevant to determining the referral bonus.
2. With the general public
Questions or comments from users submitted through public forums such as GCI blogs and GCI social media pages may be viewable by the public, including any personal data included in the questions or comments submitted by a user.
3. With the Lightning Lawyer account owner
If a user requests professional legal services, we share via push notification and other, the user’s: location, case type, case urgency, user contact information and case number as provided, with the any Lightning Lawyer lawyer account holder, no matter on location.
4. With GCI subsidiaries and affiliates
We share personal data with our subsidiaries and affiliates to help us provide our services or conduct data processing on our behalf. For example, GCI processes and stores such data in the United States on behalf of its international subsidiaries and affiliates.
5. With GCI service providers and business partners
GCI may provide, at its sole discretion, personal data to vendors, consultants, marketing partners, research firms, and other service providers or business partners. These include: • payment processors and facilitators • background check and identity verification providers • cloud storage providers • Google, in connection with the use of Google Maps in Lightning Lawyer’s apps (see Google’s privacy policy for information on their collection and use of data) • social media companies, including Facebook and TikTok, in connection with Lightning Lawyer’s use of their tools in Lightning Lawyer’s apps and websites (see Facebook’s and TikTok’s privacy policies for information on their collection and use of data) • Marketing partners and marketing platform providers, including social media advertising services, advertising networks, third-party data providers, and other service providers to reach or better understand our users and measure advertising effectiveness • research partners, including those performing surveys or research projects in partnership with Lightning Lawyer or on Lightning Lawyer’s behalf • vendors that assist Lightning Lawyer to enhance the safety and security of its apps • consultants, lawyers, accountants, and other professional service providers • insurance and financing partners • airports • providers of bike and scooters that can be rented through Lightning Lawyer apps, such as Lime • restaurants, grocery stores and other merchants from whom delivery recipients place orders, as well as partners and/or their point-of-sale providers, including for order fulfillment, delivery, communications and marketing purposes • third-party vehicle suppliers, including fleet and rental partners
6. For legal reasons or in the event of a dispute
GCI may share users’ personal data if we believe it’s required by applicable law, regulation, operating license or agreement, legal process or governmental request, or where the disclosure is otherwise appropriate due to safety or similar concerns. This includes sharing personal data with law enforcement officials, public health officials, other government authorities, airports (if required by the airport authorities as a condition of operating on airport property), or other third parties as necessary to enforce our Terms of Service, user agreements, or other policies; to protect GCI’s rights or property or the rights, safety, or property of others; or in the event of a claim or dispute relating to the use of our services. In the event of a dispute relating to use of another person’s credit card, we may be required by law to share your personal data, including trip or order information, with the owner of that credit card.
This also includes sharing personal data with others in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, consolidation or restructuring, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business by or into another company.
7. With consent
GCI may share a user’s personal data other than as described in this notice if we notify the user and they consent to the sharing.
C. Data retention and deletion
GCI retains user data in perpetuity for the purposes described above.
Users and/or lawyers may request deletion of their accounts at any time. GCI may retain user data after a deletion request due to legal or regulatory requirements or for reasons stated in this policy.
Lightning Lawyer retains user data in perpetuity for the purposes described above. This means that we retain different categories of data for different periods of time depending on the type of data, the category of user to whom the data relates, and the purposes for which we collected the data.
Users may request deletion of their account at any time by contacting GCI at info@LightningLawyer.com
Following an account deletion request, GCI deletes the user or lawyer’s account and data, unless they must be retained due to legal or regulatory requirements, for purposes of safety, security, and fraud prevention, or because of an issue relating to the user’s account such as an outstanding credit or an unresolved claim or dispute. Because we are subject to legal and regulatory requirements relating to drivers and delivery persons, this generally means that we retain their account and data for a minimum of 7 years after a deletion request.
IV. Choice and transparency
GCI enables users to access and/or control data that Lightning Lawyer collects, including through: • privacy settings • device permissions • in-app ratings pages • marketing choices
GCI also enables users to request access to or copies of their data, changes or updates to their accounts, or deletion of their accounts, or that Lightning Lawyer restrict its processing of user personal data.
1. Privacy settings
• Location data collection (riders and delivery recipients) Users and lawyers can enable/disable Lightning Lawyer to collect location data from their mobile devices through their device settings, which can be accessed via the Settings > Privacy > Location menu. • Share Live Location (Users and Lawyers) Users and lawyers can enable/disable Lightning Lawyer to share their real-time location data from their mobile devices with their drivers through their device settings, which can be accessed via the Settings > Privacy > Location menu. • Notifications: account and trip updates Lightning Lawyer provides users with a one-time notice to attorneys per request via a user request submission. These notifications are a necessary part of using the Lightning Lawyer app and if disabled, the Lightning Lawyer app and notifications will cease to function. Users and lawyers may choose the method by which they receive these notifications through the Settings > Privacy menu. • Notifications: discounts and news Users and lawyers may enable Lightning Lawyer to send push notifications about discounts and news from Lightning Lawyer. Push notifications may be enabled or disabled through the Settings > Privacy menus in the Lightning Lawyer app.
2. Device permissions
Most mobile device platforms (iOS, Android, etc.) have defined certain types of device data that apps cannot access without the device owner’s permission, and these platforms have different methods for how that permission can be obtained. Please check the available settings on your device or check with your provider.
3. 5. User personal data requests
Lightning Lawyer provides users and lawyers with an email that allows users and lawyers to request that their personal data be deleted from the Lightning Lawyer server. Such requests must be made in writing to info@LightingLawyer.com.
• Changing or updating data: Lawyers can edit their name, phone number, email address, description of their practice and photo associated with their account through the My Account menu in the Lightning Lawyer app. • Objections, restrictions, and complaints: Users may request that we stop using all or some of their personal data, or that we limit our use of their data. This includes objecting to our use of personal data that is based on Lightning Lawyer’s legitimate interests. Lightning Lawyer may continue to process data after such objection or request to the extent required or permitted by law.
In addition, depending on their location, users may have the right to file a complaint relating to GCI’s handling of their personal data with the data protection authority in their country. For example, users in the European Union and South America may submit such requests to the data protection authorities in the country in which they live.
V. Updates to this notice
We may occasionally update this notice.