Privacy Policy

Atlantic Legal Advogados



Your privacy is important to us. This document explains, in a clear and simple way, how we process your personal data in the context of our legal practice and the use of this website, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), Law no. 58/2019 and the Portuguese Bar Association Statute.

1. Data we may collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

  • Identification and contact details (such as name, email, telephone number, address, tax identification number).
  • Data required for the provision of legal services, including contractual, financial, family, professional or litigation-related information.
  • Special categories of data, when strictly necessary for the mandate (e.g., health data, family matters or data relating to judicial proceedings).
  • Communication data, such as messages sent by email, contact forms or other communication channels.
  • Browsing data, strictly necessary for the operation of the website (technical cookies).

We do not collect more data than needed for the purposes described in this Policy.

2. Purposes and legal bases

We process personal data only for legitimate purposes connected to the practice of law:

a) Provision of legal services

Case analysis, legal advice, drafting of documents, and representation before public authorities or courts.
Legal basis: performance of a contract or pre-contractual steps.

b) Compliance with legal obligations

Accounting, tax obligations, record-keeping and duties arising from the Portuguese Bar Association Statute.
Legal basis: legal obligation.

c) Establishment, exercise and defence of legal claims

Including the processing of special categories of data when necessary.
Legal basis: Article 9(2)(f) GDPR.

d) Management of contacts and communications

Responding to enquiries and scheduling meetings.
Legal basis: pre-contractual steps and legitimate interest.

e) Website operation and security

Use of technical cookies and, where applicable, optional cookies subject to consent.
Legal basis: consent (where applicable).

3. Professional secrecy

All data obtained in the course of legal practice is protected by professional secrecy, under the Portuguese Bar Association Statute.
We never disclose information covered by professional secrecy unless legally required or expressly instructed by the client.

4. Data sharing

Personal data may only be shared when strictly necessary:

  • Courts and public authorities;
  • Notaries, registries, experts and other entities essential to the legal mandate;
  • Service providers (e.g., accounting, IT), bound by confidentiality obligations.

We do not sell or commercially disclose personal data.

5. Data retention

We retain personal data only for the period strictly necessary:

  • Legal mandates and case files: for the legally required period and as necessary for the establishment or defence of legal claims.
  • Accounting and tax documentation: 10 years.
  • Communications: for the time strictly necessary to manage the contact.

Data that is no longer needed will be securely deleted or anonymised.

6. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, disclosure, loss or alteration.
However, the transmission of data over the internet carries inherent risks.

7. Data subject rights

Data subjects may, at any time:

  • Access their personal data;
  • Request rectification or erasure;
  • Request restriction or object to processing;
  • Withdraw consent (where applicable);
  • Request data portability;
  • File a complaint with the Portuguese Data Protection Authority (CNPD).

The exercise of certain rights may be limited when it conflicts with legal obligations, mandatory retention periods or professional secrecy.

8. Changes to this Policy

This Policy may be updated from time to time. The version in force will always be available on this website.

9. Data Controller

José Alexander Pessanha Pereira de Melo
Lawyer registered with the Portuguese Bar Association



Email: jpm-47424c@adv.oa.pt
Telephone: +351 965 091 947
Professional address: Rua Dr. Alberto Vidal, nº 8 B, 3800-368 Estarreja, Portugal