Privacy Policy & Binational Data Protection Notice

The U.S.–Mexico Bar Association (“USMBA”, “the Association”, “we”, or “our”) is dedicated to maintaining the highest ethical and professional standards regarding the privacy of our members, conference attendees, and visitors. This Privacy Policy details how personal information is collected, safeguarded, and transferred across borders.

1. Scope and Responsible Entity

This policy applies to all operations administered by the USMBA Secretariat in Houston, Texas, and our representative office in Mexico City. For the purposes of Mexico’s Federal Law on the Protection of Personal Data Held by Private Parties (Ley Federal de Protección de Datos Personales en Posesión de los Particulares – LFPDPPP), the Association acts as Data Controller (Responsable).

2. Information We Collect

We collect personal information necessary to administer professional memberships, organize bilateral conferences, issue Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits, and maintain the verified practitioner directory. This information may include:

• Professional Identification: Full name, law firm or institutional affiliation, professional title, bar admissions, and license numbers.
• Contact Details: Business address, official email address, telephone numbers, and designated country of practice.
• Event & Committee Participation: Registered conferences, committee leadership roles, webinar attendance, and speaking history.
• Billing Information: Payment records and transaction identifiers processed through our certified payment gateways. Note: Full payment card numbers are processed directly by certified third-party processors and are never stored on USMBA local servers.

3. Purposes of Processing

Personal information is utilized strictly for institutional purposes:

• Facilitating bilateral legal collaboration and networking between members in the U.S. and Mexico.
• Accrediting and reporting CLE/CPE hours to state bars and regulatory bodies.
• Publishing approved member profiles in the public or member-only sections of the directory.
• Distributing the Association’s monthly newsletters, legal alerts, and conference syllabi.

4. Cross-Border Data Transfers

Due to the binational nature of the Association, data collected in the United States may be accessible to administrative personnel and committee chairs in Mexico, and vice versa. All cross-border data transfers comply with statutory adequacy standards and reciprocal confidentiality covenants.

5. Your Rights (ARCO Rights)

Under applicable law, including Mexican data protection statutes and relevant U.S. state privacy acts, you possess rights of Access, Rectification, Cancellation, and Opposition (ARCO Rights). You may request access to your stored records, update inaccurate contact details, or request deregistration from the Association roster by writing to our Secretariat.