Overview
Scope and applicability
This Privacy Policy describes how Nichols Legal PC ("Nichols Legal," "we," or "us") collects, uses, and handles information in connection with your use of michaelnichols.com (the "Site"). It applies to visitors to the Site and to individuals who contact us through the Site.
This Policy covers the Site only. It does not govern information exchanged in the course of an attorney-client relationship, which is subject to applicable rules of professional conduct, including the California Rules of Professional Conduct and attorney-client privilege. Confidentiality obligations in client engagements are addressed separately in engagement documentation.
We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information. That is not a business practice of this firm, and it will not become one.
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Information we collect
The Site is a static website. It does not host a database, operate a backend server, or process form submissions. The following describes what is and is not collected in connection with your visit.
Analytics data
We use Cloudflare Web Analytics and may use Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with the Site. These services may collect data including pages visited, time on page, browser type, device type, and approximate geographic location (at the city or region level). Neither service receives data that identifies you personally by name or email address through standard analytics collection. Cloudflare Web Analytics is privacy-preserving by design and does not use cookies or fingerprinting. Google Analytics may use cookies; see Section 4 for cookie controls.
Email communications
The Site's contact mechanism is a direct email link. When you email us, your email address, name, and the content of your message are received by us directly. This information is not routed through a third-party form service, stored in a CRM automatically, or shared with any other party. It is used solely to respond to your inquiry.
Server and CDN logs
The Site is served through Cloudflare Pages. Cloudflare collects standard server log data, including IP addresses, request timestamps, and HTTP headers, as part of its infrastructure and security operations. This data is governed by Cloudflare's Privacy Policy, available at cloudflare.com/privacypolicy.
What we do not collect
The Site does not use contact forms, lead capture forms, or intake questionnaires. It does not collect payment information, Social Security numbers, health information, or any other sensitive personal data. There is no user account, login, or registration system.
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How we use information
Information collected through the Site is used for the following purposes only:
Responding to inquiries
Email communications are used to respond to your message and, where appropriate, to initiate a professional engagement. We do not add individuals to marketing lists based on inbound email without explicit consent.
Site improvement
Aggregated, non-identifying analytics data is used to understand how the Site is being used and to improve its content and structure. No individual-level behavioral profiles are created or maintained by us.
Security and compliance
Infrastructure log data processed by Cloudflare is used for DDoS protection, abuse prevention, and operational security. We retain communications in accordance with our obligations under applicable rules of professional conduct, including California's two-year retention requirement for attorney communications.
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Third-party services
The Site uses the following third-party services. Each operates under its own privacy policy and data practices, which are independent of this Policy.
Cloudflare
Provides hosting (Cloudflare Pages), content delivery, DNS management, DDoS protection, and privacy-preserving web analytics. Cloudflare's privacy policy: cloudflare.com/privacypolicy.
Google Analytics
May be used to collect anonymized usage analytics. When active, Google Analytics uses cookies to distinguish visitors and track session data. Data is processed by Google LLC under Google's privacy framework. Google Analytics data is not used for advertising targeting in connection with this Site. Google's privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy. To opt out of Google Analytics across all sites: tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
Google Fonts
The Site loads typefaces from Google Fonts, which may result in your browser making a request to Google's servers. This request may include your IP address and browser information. Google's privacy policy applies to this data.
We do not use advertising networks, behavioral tracking pixels, retargeting services, or data brokers in connection with this Site.
04
Cookies and tracking technologies
Cloudflare Web Analytics does not use cookies or browser fingerprinting. If Google Analytics is active, it may set one or more cookies (typically prefixed _ga) to distinguish visitors and measure sessions. These are analytics cookies only — they are not used for advertising or cross-site tracking in connection with this Site.
Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies, delete existing cookies, or be notified when a cookie is set. Disabling cookies will not meaningfully affect your ability to use this Site, which does not require cookies to function. For Google Analytics specifically, you may install Google's opt-out browser add-on at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
The Site does not respond to browser "Do Not Track" signals because there is no consistent technical standard for what compliance with such signals requires. We note, however, that we do not engage in cross-site behavioral tracking regardless of DNT signal status.
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Data retention
We retain email communications for a minimum of two years in accordance with California State Bar professional responsibility obligations applicable to attorney communications. Communications related to client matters are retained in accordance with engagement-specific requirements and applicable rules of professional conduct.
Analytics data retained by Cloudflare and Google is governed by the retention policies of those respective services. We do not maintain a separate copy of raw analytics data.
Archived versions of the Site itself are maintained in version control as required by California State Bar obligations concerning attorney advertising communications.
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California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (collectively, "CCPA"), provides you with specific rights regarding your personal information. This section describes those rights and explains how to exercise them.
We do not sell your personal information. We do not sell, share for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes, or otherwise commercially exploit personal information collected through this Site. No opt-out of sale is required because no sale occurs.
Subject to applicable exceptions and verification requirements, California residents have the following rights:
Right to Know
You have the right to request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources from which that information was collected, the business purpose for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
Right to Delete
You have the right to request deletion of personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions. Exceptions include information we are required to retain to comply with a legal obligation, including our obligations under the California Rules of Professional Conduct, and information necessary to complete a transaction you requested.
Right to Correct
You have the right to request correction of inaccurate personal information we maintain about you, taking into account the nature of the information and the purposes for which it is processed.
Right to Opt Out of Sale or Sharing
You have the right to opt out of the sale of your personal information or its sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising. As noted above, we do not sell or share personal information for these purposes. No opt-out mechanism is therefore required, but you may contact us to confirm this practice at any time.
Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information
You have the right to limit our use of sensitive personal information to purposes permitted by the CCPA. We do not collect sensitive personal information through this Site as defined under the CCPA.
Right to Non-Discrimination
We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights. Exercising these rights will not result in denial of services, different pricing, or a different level or quality of service.
To submit a rights request, contact us by email at the address listed on the Contact page. We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within the timeframes required by applicable law — generally 45 days, with one 45-day extension where reasonably necessary. We do not charge a fee for responding to verifiable consumer requests unless they are excessive or repetitive.
If you use an authorized agent to submit a request on your behalf, we may require written proof of the agent's authorization and may verify your identity directly.
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Children
This Site is not directed to individuals under the age of 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe we have inadvertently received information from a minor, contact us and we will delete it promptly.
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Changes to this policy
We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. When we do, we will update the effective date at the top of this page. Material changes will be noted prominently. Your continued use of the Site after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.
Prior versions of this Policy are maintained in version control and are available upon request.
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Contact
Questions about this Policy, requests to exercise your rights, or concerns about our data practices should be directed to:
Michael G. Nichols
Nichols Legal PC
Mountain View, California
contact page
We take privacy inquiries seriously and will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law.