Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 17, 2026

Last Updated: April 17, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how Lockhart IP LLC (doing business as “Lockhart IP”; “we,” “our,” or “us”) collects, uses, and shares information about visitors to our website at usip.law (the “Site”). Please read this policy carefully. By using the Site, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected through our Site. It does not apply to:

• Information provided by clients as part of a formal attorney-client engagement, which is protected by applicable rules of professional conduct and by the terms of your engagement agreement with Lockhart IP.
• Information collected by third-party services that may link to or from our Site, which are governed by their own privacy policies.

Important Notice: No Attorney-Client Relationship

Your use of this Site does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Lockhart IP. We do not provide legal advice through this Site, and the content on this Site is for general informational purposes only. An attorney-client relationship is formed only when you have signed our Attorney Engagement Agreement and paid the required service deposit. Until both conditions are met, we have no obligation to provide legal services to you.

Do not send confidential or sensitive information to us through this Site, email, or our intake forms until an attorney-client relationship has been established. Any information you transmit to us before that relationship is formed may not be protected by the attorney-client privilege or the duty of confidentiality, and we may be free to use it, including on behalf of a person whose interests may conflict with yours.

Communications sent over the internet, including email and web forms, are not guaranteed to be secure. Do not use the Site to transmit information you consider confidential. Once you become a client of Lockhart IP, the confidentiality of your communications is governed by the terms of your Engagement Agreement and applicable rules of professional conduct.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide to Us

When you use our contact form, consultation booking tool, or otherwise communicate with us, we may collect:

• Your name
• Email address
• Phone number
• The service you are interested in (patents, trademarks, IP strategy, or other)
• Your preferred time to be contacted
• The content of any message you send us
• Any other information you choose to share

Information We Collect Automatically

When you visit the Site, we and our service providers automatically collect certain information, including:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Referring website
• Pages viewed, time spent on pages, and navigation paths
• Date and time of access
• Approximate geographic location (based on IP address)

We collect this information using standard web technologies, including server logs, cookies, and similar tools.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to make the Site function properly, remember your preferences, analyze how visitors use the Site, and improve your experience.

Essential cookies keep the Site running, including session management and security features.

Analytics cookies help us understand which pages are popular, how visitors find us, and where we can improve. We use Google Analytics for this purpose.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect how the Site works for you. Our Site does not currently respond to “Do Not Track” browser signals, because there is no industry consensus on how to interpret them.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to your questions and requests
• Schedule and confirm consultations
• Send you information you have requested
• Run conflict-of-interest checks before any potential engagement
• Operate, maintain, and improve the Site
• Analyze Site usage and visitor trends
• Protect against fraud, abuse, and security threats
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our rights
• Communicate with you about our services, with your consent where required

How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We do not share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising or targeted advertising. We share information only as described below.

Service Providers

We use trusted third-party service providers to operate the Site and our practice. These providers may process information on our behalf, under contractual obligations to protect it:

• Google (Workspace, Analytics, Search Console): email delivery, analytics, and search performance data
• Calendly: consultation scheduling
• Cloudflare: content delivery and security
• Our website hosting provider: server operations and backups
• Trustindex: displaying our Google Reviews on the Site

Each of these providers has its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review them if you want to know more about how they handle data.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to:

• Comply with applicable laws, legal process, subpoenas, or government requests
• Enforce our Terms of Use and other agreements
• Investigate or address fraud, security incidents, or violations of law
• Protect the rights, property, or safety of Lockhart IP, our clients, Site visitors, or the public

Business Transfers

If Lockhart IP is involved in a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will take reasonable steps to ensure your information remains protected.

Data Retention

We retain information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, or longer if required by law, professional conduct rules, or legitimate business needs.

• Contact form and consultation requests: retained for up to three years to run conflict-of-interest checks, follow up on unresolved inquiries, and meet our professional obligations
• Client files (once an engagement is signed): retained for five years after the conclusion of your matter, consistent with our Attorney Engagement Agreement and our record retention program in effect at that time
• Server logs: typically retained for up to 90 days
• Analytics data: retained in anonymized or aggregated form according to the applicable analytics provider’s policies

You may request deletion of your information as described in “Your Privacy Rights” below. Requests to delete client-matter files are subject to our retention obligations under applicable professional conduct rules and the terms of your Engagement Agreement.

Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information, including:

• Encryption of information in transit using HTTPS
• Access controls that limit who can view personal information
• Regular review of our security practices

No system connected to the internet is completely secure. We cannot guarantee that information transmitted to or from the Site will always be safe from unauthorized access. If you believe your information has been compromised, please contact us right away.

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to know or access: request confirmation of whether we process your information and a copy of the information we have about you
• Right to correct: ask us to fix inaccurate information
• Right to delete: request deletion of your information, subject to legal exceptions
• Right to portability: request a copy of your information in a portable format
• Right to opt out: of certain types of processing, including the sale of personal information or targeted advertising (we do not engage in either)
• Right to non-discrimination: we will not treat you differently for exercising your rights

California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

California residents may also request the categories of personal information we have collected, sold, or disclosed in the past 12 months. We do not sell personal information as defined by California law.

Texas Residents (TDPSA)

Texas residents may exercise the rights listed above under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act. You may make two free requests per 12-month period.

Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and Other State Residents

Residents of Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and other states with comprehensive privacy laws have similar rights under those laws.

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the email or address below. We may ask you to verify your identity before we act on your request. You may designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf by providing written authorization.

We will respond to verified requests within the time required by applicable law, typically within 45 days. If we need more time, we will notify you. If we deny your request, you may appeal by contacting us again at the same address.

Children’s Privacy

The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information through the Site, please contact us and we will delete the information promptly.

Visitors from Outside the United States

Lockhart IP operates in the United States. If you visit the Site from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, which may have different data protection laws than your country. By using the Site, you consent to this transfer.

Third-Party Links

The Site may contain links to websites operated by third parties, including professional associations, courts, and news sources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. Review their privacy policies before providing information to them.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

In the course of providing legal services to clients, Lockhart IP may use enterprise-grade artificial intelligence tools subject to contractual data privacy and security protections, as described in our Attorney Engagement Agreement. We do not use website-visitor information, including contact form submissions, to train public AI models. Sensitive, trade-secret, or personally identifiable information is never submitted to AI tools without appropriate safeguards.

Governing Law

This Privacy Policy and any dispute arising from your use of the Site are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflicts-of-law principles. Any legal action must be brought in the state or federal courts located in Texas.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or applicable law. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, provide additional notice on the Site. Your continued use of the Site after the changes take effect means you accept the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or want to exercise your privacy rights, contact us:

Lockhart IP LLC
506 Honea Egypt Rd, Suite 504
Magnolia, TX 77354
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (713) 487-6624