This POPIA Privacy Policy is designed specifically for a South African legal practice, ensuring compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and aligning with the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA).
Louwrens Koen AttorneysEffective Date: January 2026
In accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 ("POPIA"), Louwrens Koen Attorneys (the "Firm") is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently. This policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information.
As a legal practice, we collect personal information necessary to provide legal services and comply with statutory obligations (such as FICA). This includes:
Identifiers: Name, ID/Passport number, date of birth, and nationality.
Contact Details: Email address, physical/postal address, and phone numbers.
Financial Information: Bank details (for billing or trust account purposes) and tax numbers.
Special Personal Information: Depending on the legal matter, we may process information relating to criminal history, health, or race (for B-BBEE or employment equity reporting).
Juristic Information: Registration numbers and VAT details for corporate entities.
We process your personal information for the following reasons:
To Provide Legal Services: Executing mandates, providing advice, and conducting litigation.
Compliance: Fulfilling obligations under the Legal Practice Act, FICA, and tax laws.
Communication: Responding to inquiries and sending updates regarding your case.
Website Management: Improving user experience and protecting our website from cyber threats.
We do not sell your data. We only share your information with third parties when necessary:
Professional Requirements: Counsel (Advocates), expert witnesses, or correspondent attorneys.
Service Providers: Operators who provide IT support, secure cloud storage, or auditing services (subject to strict confidentiality agreements).
Regulators/Law Enforcement: The Legal Practice Council, SARS, or the Financial Intelligence Centre when legally mandated.
We may store your data on secure cloud servers located outside South Africa. We ensure that these service providers are located in jurisdictions with data protection laws substantially similar to POPIA or are bound by binding corporate rules that provide an adequate level of protection.
We have implemented physical, technological, and administrative safeguards to prevent unauthorized access, loss, or damage to your personal information. This includes encryption, firewalls, and secure access controls.
Under POPIA, you have the right to:
Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
Correction: Request that we update or correct inaccurate or outdated information.
Objection: Object to the processing of your information for specific purposes (e.g., direct marketing).
Deletion: Request the destruction of your data (subject to our legal retention obligations).
If you have any questions about this policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact our Information Officer:
Name: Louwrens Koen
Email: koen@louwrenskoen.co.za
Address: 416 Kirkness St, Arcadia, Pretoria, 0083, Office 4, Second Floor, Northern Pavilion, Loftus versveld
If you are unsatisfied with how we handle your information, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:
Website: https://inforegulator.org.za/
Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za / POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
In South Africa, all private bodies (including law firms) are required to have a PAIA Manual (Promotion of Access to Information Act) available. This manual describes the records held by the firm and the procedure for requesting them.
