Chicago IP Studio Privacy Policy

Effective and last updated September 22, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Chicago IP Studio, LLC ("Chicago IP Studio," the "Firm," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, discloses, retains, and protects Personal Information when you visit www.chicagoip.studio, submit an inquiry, schedule a consultation, make a payment, subscribe to communications, interact with our social-media pages, or receive legal, consulting, paid-media, or related services from us (collectively, the "Services"). It also explains the privacy choices and rights that may be available to you.

This Policy should be read with our Terms of Use, website disclaimers, engagement agreement (if any), cookie notice, and any matter-specific notice we provide. If an engagement agreement or applicable professional-responsibility rule imposes greater confidentiality protections, those protections control to the extent of any conflict.

Important notice about contacting a law firm. Visiting our website or sending us information does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not submit confidential, privileged, highly sensitive, or time-sensitive information through the general contact form. An attorney-client relationship begins only after the Firm confirms the engagement in writing. We nevertheless handle prospective-client information in accordance with applicable legal and professional obligations.

1 About This Policy

This Policy applies to Personal Information that we control in connection with the Services. It does not apply to information processed solely on behalf of a client where the client determines the purposes and means of processing, to employee or job-applicant information covered by a separate notice, or to third-party websites and services governed by their own privacy notices.

Our Services are directed primarily to persons and businesses in the United States. If you access the Services from another jurisdiction, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States and other locations where our service providers operate.

2 Definitions

Client Matter Information. information that a client, prospective client, opposing party, tribunal, governmental office, witness, vendor, or other source provides or generates in connection with an inquiry, conflicts check, legal representation, consulting project, or related professional service, including communications, legal documents, evidence, business records, and work product.

Personal Information. information that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked to an individual or household. It does not include information lawfully made public through government records or deidentified or aggregated information that cannot reasonably be linked to an individual.

Sensitive Personal Information. Personal Information subject to heightened protection under applicable law, such as government identifiers, account credentials, financial information, precise geolocation, biometric data, certain health information, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, citizenship or immigration status, and contents of communications where the Firm is not the intended recipient.

Service Provider. a vendor or other party that processes information for us under instructions or provides services supporting our operations.

Website. www.chicagoip.studio and any webpages, forms, or online experiences operated by or for Chicago IP Studio.

You. a Website visitor, person submitting an inquiry, prospective or current client, client representative, newsletter subscriber, event participant, vendor contact, or other person interacting with the Services.

3 Personal Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us. During the preceding 12 months, we may have collected the following categories:

Identifiers and contact information: Name, business or organization name, mailing address, email address, telephone number, IP address, online identifiers, signature, and account or scheduling identifiers.

Contact-form and inquiry information: The contact form collects your name, business name, phone number, email address, and mailing address, together with the subject and content of your inquiry and any information you voluntarily provide.

Client and professional information: Job title, employer, business records, conflicts-check information, engagement details, matter descriptions, contracts, trademark or copyright information, filings, correspondence, and other Client Matter Information.

Commercial and transaction information: Services requested, purchased, considered, or received; engagement and invoice information; payment status; transaction date and amount; and limited payment details returned by Stripe, such as card brand and last four digits. We do not ordinarily receive or store full payment-card numbers.

Internet and device activity: Browser and device type, operating system, IP address, referring and exit pages, pages viewed, links clicked, date and time of access, approximate location derived from IP address, cookie identifiers, and interactions with the Website or emails.

Communications: Emails, telephone or video-call information, messages, form submissions, support requests, consultation notes, feedback, and other correspondence.

Marketing and preference information: Newsletter subscription status, communication preferences, event registration, survey responses, and engagement with promotional communications.

Audio visual and similar information: Photographs, recordings, or video-conference content when provided, created, or recorded with notice or consent.

Inferences: Limited inferences about interests, service needs, business stage, or preferences derived from interactions with us.

Sensitive Personal Information: Information necessary for a legal matter, conflicts check, payment, identity verification, or compliance obligation. We request that you not submit Sensitive Personal Information through the general contact form.

4 Sources of Personal Information

  • Directly from you, including through the contact form, email, telephone, consultations, engagement documents, payments, events, surveys, and other communications.

  • From clients, prospective clients, counterparties, co-counsel, courts, government agencies, registries, witnesses, experts, and other persons involved in a matter or project.

  • Automatically from your browser or device through cookies, server logs, analytics, and similar technologies.

  • From Service Providers, including Squarespace or other website-hosting and form providers, scheduling and communication tools, Stripe, professional research and legal-technology tools, and analytics or security providers.

  • From public sources, including the USPTO, U.S. Copyright Office, Secretary of State records, court dockets, business registries, social media, websites, and other public records.

  • From referral sources, professional networks, event organizers, advertising platforms, and business partners, consistent with applicable law.

5 How We Use Personal Information

  • Respond to inquiries, conduct conflicts checks, evaluate whether we can accept a matter, schedule consultations, and communicate with you.

  • Provide legal, consulting, paid-media, educational, and related professional services; manage matters; prepare and review documents; conduct research; make filings; and carry out your instructions.

  • Create and administer engagements, process payments, issue invoices, maintain accounting and tax records, and collect amounts due.

  • Operate, maintain, secure, troubleshoot, measure, and improve the Website and Services.

  • Send service-related notices and, where permitted, newsletters, event invitations, educational content, and information about services. You may opt out of marketing emails at any time.

  • Protect the Firm, our clients, and others; prevent fraud or misuse; investigate security incidents; enforce agreements; and establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

  • Comply with legal, regulatory, court, tax, insurance, professional-responsibility, recordkeeping, and ethical obligations.

  • Create aggregated or deidentified information for internal analysis, service improvement, security, and business planning, provided we maintain it in deidentified form where required.

We do not use Sensitive Personal Information to infer characteristics about you or for purposes unrelated to the Services. We collect and use Personal Information only to the extent reasonably necessary and proportionate to the disclosed purposes, subject to legal and professional obligations.

6 Client Confidentiality and Prospective Client Information

Client Matter Information may be protected by attorney-client privilege, the work-product doctrine, confidentiality duties, court rules, protective orders, contract, or other law. This Privacy Policy does not reduce those protections. We disclose Client Matter Information only as authorized by the client, reasonably necessary to carry out the representation or Services, permitted or required by applicable professional rules, or otherwise required by law.

Submitting information before we accept an engagement can create conflicts or other limitations. Do not assume that we represent you until we provide written confirmation. Please use the contact form only for basic intake information. If we need confidential documents or Sensitive Personal Information, we may provide a more appropriate channel.

7 Artificial Intelligence and Legal Technology

We may use technology-assisted tools, including Spellbook, Harvey, and ChatGPT or other OpenAI services, to support legal research, document review, drafting, summarization, issue spotting, data organization, and administrative work. These tools assist the Firm; they do not replace attorney judgment. Attorneys remain responsible for reviewing work product, protecting confidentiality, assessing accuracy, and making professional decisions.

When we use AI or legal-technology tools, we apply reasonable safeguards appropriate to the matter. Depending on the tool, configuration, engagement terms, and task, these safeguards may include:

  • Using business, enterprise, or professional accounts and available privacy and security controls;

  • Limiting information to what is reasonably necessary for the task and, where appropriate, redacting, pseudonymizing, or deidentifying information;

  • Avoiding entry of highly sensitive or privileged information unless the use is authorized and the provider's terms, security, and data-handling practices are appropriate;

  • Reviewing provider contracts, confidentiality terms, retention settings, access controls, and restrictions on training or secondary use; and

  • Requiring attorney review of AI-assisted outputs for accuracy, completeness, bias, confidentiality, and legal judgment before reliance or delivery.

Information processed through these tools may include excerpts from contracts, correspondence, legal authorities, factual summaries, prompts, or other matter information necessary to provide the Services. The applicable provider may process that information as our Service Provider or under its own terms, depending on the product and configuration. We do not authorize Service Providers to use Client Matter Information for unrelated advertising or sale. We do not make decisions producing legal or similarly significant effects about Website visitors solely through automated processing.

Because AI systems can produce incomplete or inaccurate content, no AI-generated output is treated as final legal advice without appropriate human review. Clients should not submit information directly to a third-party AI service on the assumption that doing so creates privilege or confidentiality with Chicago IP Studio.

8 Payments

Stripe processes online payments for us. Payment-card information is submitted directly to Stripe, and Stripe processes it under its own terms and privacy notice. We may receive limited information necessary to confirm and reconcile a transaction, such as your name, billing contact information, payment status, transaction amount, payment method type, card brand, and last four digits. We do not ordinarily store full card numbers or card security codes.

You can review Stripe's privacy information at Stripe Privacy Center. Do not send payment-card information through the general contact form or ordinary email.

9 Cookies Analytics and Online Tracking

We and our Website or analytics providers may use cookies, pixels, local storage, server logs, and similar technologies to operate the Website, remember preferences, understand traffic and performance, protect against abuse, and measure communications or campaigns.

  • Strictly necessary technologies support security, network management, forms, and core Website functions.

  • Functional technologies remember settings and improve usability.

  • Analytics technologies help us understand how visitors use the Website and identify performance issues.

  • Advertising or measurement technologies, if enabled, help measure campaigns or deliver and evaluate advertising. Under some state laws, certain uses may be considered a sale, sharing, or targeted advertising even when no money changes hands.

You may manage nonessential cookies through any cookie-preference tool made available on the Website and through your browser settings. Blocking cookies may affect Website functionality. Browser-based Global Privacy Control or another legally recognized universal opt-out signal will be honored where required and where our systems can reasonably detect and apply it. We do not currently respond to legacy 'Do Not Track' signals because there is no uniform industry standard for those signals.

10 How We Disclose Personal Information

We may disclose Personal Information to the following categories of recipients for the purposes described in this Policy:

  • Service Providers supporting website hosting, forms, communications, scheduling, cloud storage, document management, security, analytics, accounting, billing, payments, legal research, e-discovery, AI-assisted legal work, and other operations;

  • Courts, tribunals, intellectual-property offices, government agencies, registries, opposing counsel, counterparties, experts, vendors, and other persons as reasonably necessary for a matter or as directed by a client;

  • Accountants, auditors, insurers, banks, consultants, co-counsel, local counsel, and other professional advisers subject to appropriate duties;

  • Law enforcement, regulators, courts, or other parties when we reasonably believe disclosure is required by law, necessary to protect rights or safety, or appropriate to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims;

  • A successor, buyer, or transaction participant in connection with a merger, sale, financing, reorganization, or transfer of all or part of the Firm, subject to professional obligations and appropriate safeguards; and

  • Other persons at your direction or with your consent.

We do not sell Personal Information for money. We do not knowingly sell or share the Personal Information of persons under 16. If advertising or measurement technologies on the Website disclose identifiers or internet activity in a manner treated as 'selling,' 'sharing,' or targeted advertising under applicable law, you may opt out through the Website's cookie controls, a recognized universal opt-out signal, or by contacting us.

11 Key Service Providers

Squarespace and other website providers support website hosting, content delivery, forms, security, and related website functions. Contact-form submissions may be transmitted by email and should not include confidential or sensitive information.

Stripe provides payment processing, fraud prevention, and transaction administration and receives payment and billing information directly.

We use legal-technology providers for specific professional tasks. Spellbook supports AI-assisted contract drafting, review, comparison, and analysis, and Harvey supports AI-assisted legal research, analysis, drafting, and professional workflows. Information provided to either provider for a task may be processed under our account terms and the provider’s data-handling commitments. OpenAI and ChatGPT support AI-assisted research, drafting, summarization, organization, and administrative work; the information processed and the provider’s role depend on the product, account type, configuration, and task.

Analytics and advertising providers may support website analytics, traffic and campaign measurement, and advertising, if enabled and subject to available consent and opt-out controls.

Third-party privacy notices describe each provider's own practices. Provider features, configurations, and subprocessors may change. We review our uses periodically and update this Policy when a material change affects our disclosures.

12 Data Retention

We retain Personal Information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, including to provide Services; maintain business, tax, insurance, and professional records; comply with legal and ethical duties; resolve disputes; and enforce agreements. Retention depends on the information, relationship, matter, applicable limitation periods, client instructions, legal holds, and professional obligations.

Squarespace and other website providers support website hosting, content delivery, forms, security, and related website functions. Contact-form submissions may be transmitted by email and should not include confidential or sensitive information.

Stripe provides payment processing, fraud prevention, and transaction administration and receives payment and billing information directly.

We may use legal-technology providers for specific professional tasks. LexisNexis and Spellbook supports AI-assisted contract drafting, review, comparison, and analysis, and Harvey supports AI-assisted legal research, analysis, drafting, and professional workflows. Information provided to either provider for a task may be processed under our account terms and the provider’s data-handling commitments. OpenAI and ChatGPT support AI-assisted research, drafting, summarization, organization, and administrative work; the information processed and the provider’s role depend on the product, account type, configuration, and task.

Analytics and advertising providers may support website analytics, traffic and campaign measurement, and advertising, if enabled and subject to available consent and opt-out controls.

When retention is no longer necessary, we take reasonable steps to delete, destroy, anonymize, or deidentify information, subject to technical limits in backup systems and permitted legal exceptions.

13 Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect Personal Information. Measures may include access controls, multifactor authentication, encryption where appropriate, device and account security, vendor review, confidentiality obligations, backups, training, and incident-response procedures. No internet transmission, email, storage system, or security measure is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

The Website contact form may send information by ordinary email. Do not use it for confidential, privileged, sensitive, or time-sensitive information. If you believe information you provided to us has been compromised, contact us promptly at info@chicagoipstudio.com.

14 Your Privacy Choices

  • Marketing communications. Use the unsubscribe link in a marketing email or contact us. We may still send nonmarketing communications relating to an inquiry, engagement, transaction, or legal obligation.

  • Cookies. Use the Website cookie controls, if available, or adjust your browser settings. You can also use a legally recognized universal opt-out mechanism where applicable.

  • Updating information. Contact us to correct or update contact information. Client matter information may also be subject to engagement terms, legal-record requirements, and professional obligations.

  • Declining to provide information. You may decline to provide Personal Information, but we may be unable to respond, perform a conflicts check, process payment, or provide Services.

  • AI-assisted processing. A client may raise matter-specific questions or concerns about AI-assisted tools with the responsible attorney. Any limitation is subject to the engagement scope, technical feasibility, legal obligations, and agreement with the Firm.

15 U.S. State Privacy Rights

Depending on your state of residence and whether an applicable law covers our processing, you may have rights to:

  • Confirm whether we process your Personal Information and access or obtain a copy of it;

  • Correct inaccuracies;

  • Delete Personal Information, subject to exceptions;

  • Receive certain information in a portable format;

  • Opt out of sale, sharing, targeted advertising, or certain profiling;

  • Limit certain uses or disclosures of Sensitive Personal Information or withdraw consent to its processing;

  • Obtain a list of specific third parties or categories of third parties to which information was disclosed, where required;

  • Appeal a refusal to act on a request; and

  • Exercise rights without unlawful discrimination or retaliation.

These rights are not absolute. Exceptions may apply for legal services, privileged information, conflicts checking, exercise or defense of legal claims, compliance with law, security, fraud prevention, internal operations, records maintained under professional obligations, and information about persons acting in a commercial or employment context. Certain state laws apply only when a business meets statutory thresholds; describing a right here does not concede that a particular statute applies to the Firm.

California Disclosures

If the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (collectively, the "CCPA"), applies to our processing, California residents may request access to categories and specific pieces of Personal Information; deletion; correction; portability; information about sources, purposes, and recipients; and opt out of sale or sharing. California residents may also limit use or disclosure of Sensitive Personal Information when it is used beyond permitted purposes. We do not use Sensitive Personal Information to infer characteristics and do not knowingly sell or share Personal Information of consumers under 16.

The categories collected, sources, purposes, and recipient categories for the preceding 12 months are described in Sections 3 through 11. We do not sell Personal Information for money. If advertising or measurement technologies constitute sale or sharing under the CCPA, the potentially involved categories are identifiers and internet or other electronic network activity, disclosed to analytics or advertising providers for measurement or targeted advertising. Use the cookie-preference mechanism, a recognized opt-out preference signal, or contact us to opt out.

California's Shine the Light law may permit certain residents to request information about disclosures of certain personal information to third parties for their direct marketing. We do not disclose Personal Information to third parties for their own direct marketing as contemplated by that law.

Other State Rights

Residents of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and other states with applicable comprehensive privacy laws may have some or all of the rights listed above, subject to each law's scope, effective date, exceptions, and verification requirements. Residents of Nevada may request to opt out of covered sales under Nevada law, although we do not currently engage in such sales. Washington residents may have additional rights regarding covered consumer health data if we process such data outside an applicable exemption; the Firm does not operate the Website as a consumer-health service and asks that you not submit health information through the general contact form.

16 Exercising Privacy Rights

To submit a request, email info@chicagoipstudio.com with the subject line "Privacy Request" or mail the request to Chicago IP Studio, LLC, 211 W Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Please describe the right you wish to exercise and the information or interaction involved.

Verification. We may ask for information reasonably necessary to verify your identity and authority, such as confirming an email address, transaction, engagement, or other information already associated with you. We use verification information only for verification, security, fraud prevention, and compliance. We will not request more information than reasonably necessary.

Authorized agents. An authorized agent may submit a request where permitted. We may require proof of authorization and may ask you to verify your identity or confirm the agent's authority directly, unless a valid power of attorney applies.

Response and appeals. We will respond within the period required by applicable law and may extend the response period when permitted. If we deny a request, we will explain the reason where required. If your state provides an appeal right, you may appeal by replying to our decision or sending an email with the subject line "Privacy Appeal." If an appeal is denied, we will provide information about contacting the appropriate regulator when required.

We generally do not charge a fee, but may charge a reasonable fee or decline repetitive, excessive, or manifestly unfounded requests as permitted by law.

17 Children’s Privacy

The Website and Services are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect Personal Information online from children under 13 without legally required parental consent. If you believe a child has provided Personal Information through the Website, contact us so that we can investigate and delete it where required. We do not knowingly sell or share Personal Information of persons under 16.

A client matter may involve information about a minor. Such information is handled for the legal or professional purpose of the matter and subject to applicable law, client instructions, and confidentiality obligations; it is not collected because the Website is directed to children.

18 Third Party Links and Social Media

The Website may link to third-party sites, social-media platforms, scheduling tools, government portals, payment pages, or other services. Their privacy practices are governed by their own notices. Interacting with our social-media pages may allow the platform to collect information and associate your activity with your account. We encourage you to review the relevant privacy settings and notices.

19 International Visitors

The Firm is based in Illinois, United States. If you access the Services from outside the United States, your information may be processed in the United States and other locations in which providers operate. Those locations may have different privacy laws. Where a non-U.S. law applies, we will address legally required rights and transfer safeguards in light of the relevant processing and relationship.

20 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy to reflect changes in law, professional obligations, technology, vendors, or Services. We will post the revised Policy on the Website and update the effective date. If a change materially affects how we use Personal Information already collected, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent when required. We recommend reviewing this Policy periodically.

21 Contact Us

For privacy questions, requests, or concerns, contact:

Chicago IP Studio, LLC
211 W Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Email: info@chicagoipstudio.com
Website: www.chicagoip.studio

If you need this Policy in an alternative format because of a disability, contact us at the email address above.