Privacy Policy

Dear Sir or Madam,

The protection and security of your personal data is a concern for us. The GDPR Article 4) defines “personal data” as any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter “data subjects”); a data subject is considered identifiable if they can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by association with an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier, or one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural, or social identity of that natural person. Your data will be processed exclusively in accordance with applicable legal provisions.

In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Austrian Data Protection Act (DSG), we would like to provide the following information to you as current and former clients, as well as to your respective employees, shareholders, and governing bodies, and to all visitors to this website:

I. Responsibility

The responsible entity is Metzler Rechtsanwälte , Landstraße 49, 4020 Linz, email address: law firm with managing partners Mag. Laura Metzler, Dr. Matthäus Metzler, Dr. Fabian Hanz, and Dr. Matthäus Schmied.

II. Visits to the Website www.metzler.law

a. Cookies

Our website uses cookies. Cookies make the website more user-friendly and efficient for visitors. A cookie is a small text file used to store information. When you visit a website, the website may place a cookie on your computer. If the user visits the website again, the website can read the data from the previously stored cookie and thus determine whether the user has visited the website before and which areas of the website the visitor was particularly interested in.

You can configure your browser to notify you when cookies are set, to allow cookies on a case-by-case basis, to block cookies in certain situations, and to enable the automatic deletion of cookies when you close your browser. If you disable cookies, the functionality of this website may be limited, and you may not be able to use all of the website’s features to their full extent.

Our website uses the following cookies in particular:

  • Google Tag Manager: used to centrally manage all cookies on the website
  • Cookie consent: stores the information that the user has consented to the use of cookies
  • Google Analytics: used by Google to store anonymized user data for Google Analytics

The legal basis for setting technical cookies is GDPR legitimate interest of Metzler Rechtsanwälte , in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of GDPR .

b. Server log file

Our website processes the following personal data in a server log file for the purpose of monitoring technical functionality and enhancing the operational security of the web server:

  • content accessed
  • Time of the server request
  • Browser type / Browser version
  • operating system used
  • Referrer URL
  • IP address

This data is stored in a personally identifiable form only temporarily, for a maximum of 24 hours. After that, the IP addresses are anonymized.

The legal basis for setting technical cookies is GDPR legitimate interest of Metzler Rechtsanwälte , in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of GDPR .

c. Google Analytics

Our website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google”). When you visit our website, software establishes a connection to Google’s servers and transmits data to Google’s servers, some of which are located in the United States. Google Analytics also uses cookies to store information about the website user and to analyze how website users use the website.

This website uses the "IP anonymization" feature. This means that Google truncates your IP address within member states of the European Union or other signatory states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, thereby anonymizing it. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address transmitted to a Google server in the United States and truncated there.

According to Google LLC, Google will use the collected data to analyze website usage, compile reports on website activity, and provide other services related to website and internet usage.

Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required by law or where such third parties process the data on Google’s behalf. 

You can disable Google Analytics. You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting your user data by downloading and installing the browser plugin available at the following link:

https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de

You can prevent the collection of your user data by clicking the following link: A setting will be stored in your browser's local storage that prevents the collection of your data during future visits to this website:

Tracking via Google Analytics is ENABLED on this website. Click here to disable tracking.

The legal basis for the use of Google Analytics, in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) GDPR legitimate interest of Metzler Rechtsanwälte . The analysis of website usage and the collection of data are carried out for the purpose of optimizing the website. 

Google LLC is headquartered at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA, and is one of the U.S. companies that have signed the “EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). An adequacy decision pursuant to Article 45 GDPR is GDPR , according to which the transfer of your personal data to Google LLC is considered permissible. Please note that the United States does not offer a level of data protection comparable to that of the EU. In particular, there is a risk that U.S. authorities may access your data without you having effective legal remedies available to you.

d. Contact Form

When you use the contact form on our website, the personal data you enter will be processed for the purpose of handling your inquiry based on the consent you provide by submitting the form.

There is no legal or contractual obligation to provide personal data. Failure to provide such data simply means that you will concern be able to submit your concern , and we will not be able to process it.

You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by providing written notice, without this affecting the lawfulness of the processing carried out on the basis of your consent prior to its withdrawal.

The processing of your personal data in connection with your inquiry is based on the implementation of (pre-)contractual measures in accordance with Article 6(1)(b) of GDPR.

The data processed for the purposes described above will be processed for the duration of the client relationship. Upon termination of the client relationship, your personal data will be retained in accordance with legal requirements and retention obligations.

The retention of your personal data for the duration of the periods prescribed by law is GDPR to fulfill our legal obligations under Article 6(1)(c) of GDPR .

III. Clients/Prospective Clients

We process your personal data that is necessary for offering and providing our legal services, as well as any additional data you have provided to us. This includes, among other things, your name, contact information, date of birth, Social Security number, photographs, etc. In the event of claims for damages or criminal proceedings, sensitive data, such as health information, may also be collected.

  • We process your personal data to fulfill our contractual obligations under Article 6(1)(b) GDPR to provide legal advice and represent you before government agencies, courts, and authorities in accordance with our retainer agreement.
  • We process your personal data to fulfill legal obligations in accordance with Article 6(1)(c) GDPR Article 9(2)(g) GDPR, in order to comply with various legal obligations to which the data controllers are subject. These include, among others, the Rules of Professional Conduct for Attorneys and other legal bases governing the practice of law.
  • We also process your data to protect our legitimate interests pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) GDPR, unless your interest in confidentiality outweighs ours. Our overriding legitimate interests include, in particular, advertising and marketing for the law firm special events.

Your personal data will be disclosed to third parties to the extent necessary for the performance and fulfillment of the obligations and interests described above; these include, in particular:

  • Courts and government agencies, including arbitration tribunals
  • Bar Association
  • statutory or voluntary interest groups
  • statutory insurance programs and private insurance companies
  • Tax Advisor/Certified Public Accountant
  • Opposing party in legal proceedings
  • opposing counsel outside of court proceedings
  • Hospitals and doctors, for example, when we obtain medical records
  • Governmental registry authorities, e.g., wills, residency records, beneficial ownership reports, commercial register, land registry, and enforcement registry
  • Court-appointed administrators in probate proceedings

If the recipients of your personal data are located outside the EEA and the European Commission has not determined that the country in question provides an adequate level of data protection, we will ensure that the transfer is carried out on the basis of standard contractual clauses or a certification under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF).

In addition, we transfer your data to processors, such as IT service providers (Marcus Joppich, Eng. – JM EDV), in order to provide specific services. All processors are required to comply with the provisions of GDPR the DSG.

Your personal data will only be processed for as long as necessary. Once your data is no longer needed, it will be deleted.

We store the personal data necessary for the performance of the contract for the duration of the business relationship and beyond, in accordance with legal obligations (e.g., the Austrian Commercial Code). Please note that statutory limitation periods may be as long as 30 years.

IV. Business Partners

We process the personal data you provide to fulfill contractual obligations (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR), legal obligations (Article 6(1)(c) GDPR), and to protect legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR), unless your interest in confidentiality outweighs these interests.

If necessary, we may disclose personal data to third parties, such as banks, tax advisors, auditors, etc.

If the recipients of your personal data are located outside the EEA and the European Commission has not determined that the country in question provides an adequate level of data protection, we will ensure that the transfer is carried out on the basis of standard contractual clauses or a certification under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF).

In addition, we transfer your data to processors, such as IT service providers (Marcus Joppich, Eng. – JM EDV), in order to provide specific services. All processors are required to comply with the provisions of GDPR the DSG.

Your personal data will only be processed for as long as necessary. Once your data is no longer needed, it will be deleted.

We store the personal data necessary for the performance of the contract for the duration of the business relationship and beyond, in accordance with legal obligations (such as, in particular, § 12(2) RAO, § 212(1) UGB, and § 132(1) BAO). Furthermore, we also retain your data until the expiration of statutory limitation periods in accordance with the provisions of the ABGB in order to assert any civil claims on your behalf or to defend against claims brought against you. Please note that these periods may be up to 30 years.

V. Applicant Information

When you apply for a position at our company, you voluntarily provide us with your personal data (resume, references, contact information). Unless you give us your consent to retain your data for longer than is necessary for the application process, it will be automatically deleted upon completion of the application process and after an additional period of 6 months.

VI. Your Rights Under the GDPR

Pursuant to Article 15 of GDPR , you have GDPR right to obtain information about your stored personal data at any time.

Furthermore, pursuant to Article 16 GDPR , you have GDPR right to have inaccurate or incomplete personal data rectified; pursuant to Article 18 GDPR restrict the processing of your personal data; and—except where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract—pursuant to Article 17 GDPR your personal data erased, as well as GDPR right to data portability pursuant to Article 20 GDPR .

You have the right to file a complaint with the data protection authority.

You may object to the processing of your data at any time by sending a letter to Metzler Rechtsanwälte , Landstraße 49, 4020 Linz, or by email to law firm.

If you have any questions, requests, or suggestions regarding this privacy policy, please contact the managing directors—Mag. Laura Metzler, Dr. Matthäus Metzler, Dr. Fabian Hanz, and Dr. Matthäus Schmied—directly by email at law firm.