Legal Information
Froese Forensic Partners Ltd. is a limited liability company incorporated in Ontario, Canada whose registered office is Suite 1000, 55 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2H7.
Froese Forensic Partners is licenced under the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005 to Engage in the Services of Private Investigators
Privacy Policy
Last revised January 2010
Froese Forensic Partners Ltd. (“FFP”) is committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding your personal, business and financial information. As part of this commitment, we want you to be fully aware of our information management practices, including what type of information is collected, how the information is used, and with whom the information is shared.
This Privacy Policy is designed to meet the standards prescribed in Schedule 1 of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”), which incorporates the ten privacy principles set out in the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information. We note that in addition to these standards, certain FFP professionals may also subject to the confidentiality rules of the Institutes of Chartered Accountants and other self-regulatory organizations.
From time to time, we may make changes to this Privacy Policy. The Privacy Policy is current as of the "last revised" date, which appears at the top of this page.
Personal information defined
"Personal information" is information in any format that is about an identifiable individual. This information may include but is not limited to your name, mailing address, telephone number, e-mail address, age, gender, marital status, health information, income, financial account information and credit history. Personal information, however, does not include your name, business title or business address or business telephone number in your capacity as an employee of an organization.
Collecting,using and disclosing your information
FFP is dedicated exclusively to providing forensic and investigative accounting and related consulting services. We provide expert opinion reports and testimony in matters such as forensic accounting and fraud investigations, financial damages, corporate investigations, computer forensics and electronic discovery, business valuation, professional misconduct and auditor negligence, and personal injury damages. We conduct investigations and gather information, including personal information, as part of this work, as instructed by our clients. We collect information by fair and lawful means, and requests for services received from clients will be reviewed to ensure any related collection of information meets the standards set out in this Privacy Policy.
We may collect personal information directly from you when you engage us to provide services, use the FFP website or speak to a FFP professional. We may also collect information, including personal information, from our clients or third parties, where we have obtained consent to do so or as otherwise permitted by law. For example, we may collect personal information about you without your knowledge or consent where there is a possible contravention of a law or breach of an agreement and obtaining your consent could undermine the purpose of the investigation by compromising the availability or accuracy of the information.
FFP may use and disclose information for the purposes for which it was collected and as instructed by our clients, including to:
- investigate a possible contravention of a law or breach of an agreement;
- provide opinion reports to our clients or to third parties to whom we are directed by our clients to disclose the information;
- provide expert evidence to our clients in the course of legal proceedings;
- carry out administration related to those services; and
- carry out administration related to those services; and
- meet our legal and regulatory requirements.
FFP may use third party service providers to process or handle personal information on our behalf and to assist us with various services such as printing, and specialist services in the context of an investigation, such as due diligence, background inquiries, locates and skip tracing, and collection and imaging of electronic data. When personal information is provided to our third party service providers, we will require them to protect the information in a manner that is consistent with the FFP Privacy Policy.
If we sell FFP or a portion of the FFP business, we may release the information we hold about you to the prospective purchaser. We will require any prospective purchaser to protect the information provided and to use it in a manner that is consistent with the FFP Privacy Policy.
Managing your information
FFP will take all reasonable commercial steps to ensure that the information we collect, use or disclose is accurate, complete and up-to-date. We maintain reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards in an effort to protect against unauthorized access, use, modification and disclosure of information in our custody and control. We will maintain the strict confidentiality of all information collected, and will only disclose such information to FFP professionals and authorized third party service providers of FFP who require such information for the purposes set out above.
We will keep your information for as long as it remains necessary or relevant to satisfy the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, or as long as required by law. After that, it is returned to our clients, destroyed, erased or otherwise made anonymous.
Accessing and correcting your personal information
To make a request for access to your personal information held by FFP, please contact our Chief Privacy Officer in writing (contact details below). We will endeavour to respond to any request for personal information within 30 days of receipt. If access is denied we will provide you with the reason for our decision.
If you believe that the personal information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete or not up-to-date, please let us know. Provided we agree with you, we will correct it. If we do not agree with you, we will place a statement of what you claim is correct where that information is kept and accessed.
Contacting us about privacy concerns
If you have any inquiries or comments about this Privacy Policy, please contact FFP’s Chief Privacy Officer by mail at 55 University Ave., Suite 1000, Toronto, ON M5J 2H7 Attention: Chief Privacy Officer or by e-mail at info@froeseforensic.com.
If you are still not satisfied, you can contact The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. Complaints to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner must be submitted in writing to 112 Kent Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1H3 Attention: The Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
Terms and Conditions of Use
Use of this website and information included on it is subject to the following terms and conditions. By using this site, you agree to these terms and conditions.
Copyright, Trademark and Intellectual Property Rights
All materials on the Froese Forensic Partners Ltd. (FFP) website including without limitation, the logo, design, text, graphics, button icons, images, audio clips, the selection and arrangement thereof, and all software are protected under copyright laws and are the trademarks, trade dress and/or other intellectual properties owned, controlled or licensed by FFP. The compilation (meaning the collection, arrangement and assembly) of all content on this website is the exclusive property of FFP and protected by US and international copyright laws. All software used on this site is the property of FFP or its software suppliers and is protected by US and international copyright laws. You may download and view material on this website for personal, noncommercial and informational purposes only. No part of these materials may otherwise be copied, reproduced, stored, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed without the prior written permission from FFP.
No Warranties and Limitation of Liability
The information on this website is provided with the understanding that the authors and publishers of this information are not intending to render legal, accounting, tax, or other professional advice or services. No client relationship is established from making general information available on this site, or from you transmitting an email message to us. None of the information on this site should be used as a substitute for consultation with competent advisors that are able to consider the application of any general information to your specific situation.
FFP is providing this site and its contents on an “as-is” basis and makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, with respect to the operation of this site, the information, content or materials included on this site. To the fullest extent permitted by law, FFP disclaims all such representations and warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In addition, FFP does not represent or warrant that the information accessible via this site is accurate, complete or current.
FFP will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website. This is a comprehensive limitation of liability that applies to all damages of any kind, including but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, punitive or consequential damages, loss of data, income or profit, loss of or damage to property or claims of third parties, including but not limited to damages caused by a virus contained within electronic files of this site or any other linked site, regardless of prior notice.
Code of Conduct
Last Revised January 2010
Introduction
The Froese Forensic Partners Ltd. (“FFP”) Code of Conduct describes our basic values and collective commitment to ethical business practices and regulatory compliance. All FFP employees are responsible for understanding and complying with the Code of Conduct and any other applicable laws, regulatory requirements and policies, at all times. (“Employees” include any full-time, part-time, temporary or contract employees of FFP that provide investigative services under the FFP name.)
The Code of Conduct is supplemental to any rules of professional conduct or similar requirements of the Institutes of Chartered Accountants in each province.
Overview of Business Conduct
FFP depends on its good name and reputation to succeed. FFP relies on its employees to consistently “do the right thing, in the right way”, to maintain our good name.
We “do the right thing” by putting values and standards into practice and complying with all applicable laws.
We “do the right thing in the right way”, by understanding correct work behavior, respecting people and the law in the workplace, speaking up when faced with questionable actions, and directing others to work according to our values, standards and the law.
Our core values
The following values guide our behaviours:
Integrity and due care
We exhibit integrity by always interacting with our clients and each other in a courteous and professional manner. We encourage collaboration, take pride in each others’ accomplishments and work together to achieve the objectives of FFP. We are committed to acting with honesty, and in compliance with applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
FFP employees will conduct due diligence to ensure that the identity of a client is verified, and that the client has a lawful purpose to retain and provide instructions to FFP.
Accountability
We exhibit accountability by always striving to meet the expectations of our clients for high-quality and exceptional investigative, forensic accounting and valuation services. We will ensure that, prior to accepting an engagement, the client’s objectives are understood fully, and that the client has been informed of anticipated costs and the time required to complete an assignment.
We will be forthright and truthful in disclosing our findings. Reports to clients will not provide an opinion without a factual foundation, and will be complete, objective and unbiased.
Gifts and entertainment
FFP employees are expected to use good judgment and discretion when giving or accepting gifts or meals and entertainment in business settings. In general, the giving and accepting of gifts and meals and entertainment are appropriate if the gift does not, or does not appear to, affect the recipient’s objectivity. Should the situation occur where a gift is deemed, in the recipient’s good judgment and discretion, to be excessive or inappropriate, it is incumbent upon the recipient to bring the matter to the attention of the Senior Managing Director. The Senior Managing Director, in consultation with the Managing Directors will in turn use their good judgment and discretion in determining the appropriateness of the gift.
Harassment and discrimination
We are committed to a harassment-free work environment in which employees, clients and others are treated with respect and dignity. This includes creating a work environment that enables us to attract and retain a diverse workforce. All FFP employees are responsible for understanding and complying with applicable laws and regulatory requirements on harassment and discrimination. Complaints of harassment or discrimination are treated seriously, confidentially and with sensitivity.
Conflicts of interest
Employees are expected to act in the best interest of FFP and to exercise sound judgment unclouded by personal interests or divided loyalties. Both in the performance of our duties for FFP and our outside activities, we seek to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, as well as an actual conflict of interest. All FFP employees are responsible for understanding and complying with applicable laws and regulatory requirements on conflicts issues.
Employees have an obligation to disclose promptly to clients any influence, interest or relationship relating to an engagement that, in the judgment of a reasonable person, may appear to impair the objectivity of FFP or its employees.
Securities trading
In the course of doing business for FFP, we may become aware of confidential information about publicly traded companies. Some confidential information is sensitive enough that, if other people knew it, they would consider it important in deciding whether to buy or sell that company’s securities, or it could be reasonable to expect that the price of the securities could be affected. This kind of information is commonly called inside information. We discuss this information on a limited basis, and do not pass on (or “tip”) inside information to anyone except those persons who need to know that specific information in the necessary course of business. All employees are responsible for understanding and complying with applicable laws and regulatory requirements that address issues relating to insider trading and tipping.
Confidentiality
Protecting the confidentiality of client dealings with us is essential to safeguarding our reputation. All client information is presumed to be confidential information unless the contrary is clear. All employees are responsible for the safeguarding and appropriate handling of any confidential information entrusted to them in compliance with the FFP Privacy Policy and applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
Document retention
We create, retain and dispose of our business records, both written and electronic, as part of our normal course of business in compliance with the FFP Privacy Policy and applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
Obligation to report
Any employee who believes he or she may have breached the FFP Code of Conduct has an obligation to report it to the Senior Managing Director immediately. FFP employees also have an obligation to promptly report actual or perceived breaches of the Code of Conduct by another FFP employee, including contractors, and FFP will protect from retaliation any employee who reports such breaches in good faith.
Consequences of failing to comply with the Code of Business Conduct
Adherence to the FFP Code of Conduct and the FFP Privacy Policy is a condition of employment. Any breach will be treated as a serious matter, and may result in discipline up to and including termination.
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