Confidentiality Policy

JRC Legal ("we," "our," "us," or the "Firm") places the utmost importance on maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and security of all client information entrusted to us. In our practice—spanning company formation, corporate governance, tax filings, intellectual property protection, virtual CFO advisory, and IEPF share recovery—we receive sensitive proprietary, financial, and strategic documents every day.

This Confidentiality Policy sets forth our institutional commitments, internal standards, and legally binding non-disclosure protocols governing how we handle, safeguard, and protect your information.

1. Our Confidentiality Statement

At JRC Legal, client confidentiality is the cornerstone of our professional practice:

• Zero Data Selling or Commercialization: JRC Legal has never sold, rented, monetized, traded, or shared any client information with any third party for marketing, promotional, or commercial purposes, and we never will.
• No Unauthorized Publicity or Client Listing: We do not disclose client names, logos, trademarks, or case details in public marketing materials, website portfolios, or social media announcements without express written prior consent.
• Mandatory Enforceable NDAs: Every legal practitioner, Chartered Accountant (CA), Company Secretary (CS), associate, researcher, and paralegal working with JRC Legal signs an enforceable, comprehensive Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality Agreement prior to accessing any client matter.
• Professional Privilege & Secrecy: We strictly adhere to statutory codes of professional ethics, including professional communications privilege as recognized under Indian law.

2. Definition of Confidential Information

"Confidential Information" refers to all non-public, proprietary, or sensitive technical, corporate, financial, operational, and legal information disclosed by you (the "Client") to JRC Legal, whether communicated in writing, orally, electronically, or through document uploads, including but not limited to:

• Corporate & Incorporation Data: Draft Memorandum of Association (MOA), Articles of Association (AOA), partnership deeds, board resolutions, shareholder agreements, director identification numbers (DIN), capitalization tables, and internal restructuring plans.
• Intellectual Property & Technical Innovations: Inventions, patent specifications, trademark design files, trade secrets, software code, algorithm blueprints, proprietary workflows, and brand registration strategies.
• Financial & Taxation Records: Financial statements, profit and loss forecasts, tax audit records, bank statements, GST invoices, valuation reports, investor pitch decks, and cap table models.
• Government Portal Credentials: User IDs, passwords, and digital certificate tokens provided for the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN), Income Tax e-filing portal, IP India Trademark Registry, or ICEGATE.
• IEPF & Share Recovery Files: Original and duplicate physical share certificates, succession certificates, legal heirship deeds, probate documents, and transmission claims.
• Advisory & Litigation Matters: Legal notices, dispute correspondence, settlement negotiations, and legal opinions rendered to the Client.

3. Permitted Purpose & Strict Non-Use

All Confidential Information disclosed to JRC Legal shall be used exclusively for the Permitted Purpose—namely, to evaluate, advise, draft, file, prosecute, coordinate, and execute the specific legal, corporate, tax, intellectual property, or compliance services for which JRC Legal has been engaged by the Client.

JRC Legal expressly covenants that it shall:

• Not use, exploit, or duplicate the Client's Confidential Information for its own economic benefit or for the benefit of any third party.
• Not reverse engineer, copy, or distribute client concepts, business models, or trade secrets.
• Refrain from utilizing client business data in any manner that creates a competitive disadvantage for the Client.

4. Limited Internal Access & "Need-to-Know" Protocol

Access to Client Confidential Information is strictly partitioned within our firm based on the principle of least privilege:

• Need-to-Know Basis: Only those advocates, company secretaries, chartered accountants, and compliance analysts directly assigned to the Client’s active matter are granted access to relevant files.
• Secure Workspace Controls: Document repositories, cloud drives, and correspondence folders are role-restricted, preventing cross-team document visibility.
• Supervised Associates: Junior analysts and support personnel handle documentation only under the direct supervision of lead counsel or certified compliance partners.

5. Exclusions from Confidentiality

Confidential Information does not include information that:

1. 1Was Already Known: Was lawfully in the rightful possession of JRC Legal prior to disclosure by the Client, without any obligation of confidentiality.
2. 2Becomes Public Domain: Is or becomes publicly known and available through no fault, act, or breach of this Policy by JRC Legal.
3. 3Lawfully Received from Third Parties: Is rightfully obtained by JRC Legal from an independent third party who has the lawful right to disclose it without restriction or confidentiality breach.
4. 4Independently Developed: Was developed independently by JRC Legal personnel without reference to or reliance upon the Client’s Confidential Information.
5. 5Government Registry Publications: Information that is published as a statutory public record by government authorities pursuant to official filings requested by the Client (e.g., publicly searchable company master data on the MCA portal, or trademark advertisements in the official Trade Marks Journal).

6. Statutory & Compelled Disclosures

In the event JRC Legal receives a subpoena, court order, statutory directive, or lawful summons from a judicial, regulatory, or tax authority under Indian law requiring the disclosure of Client information:

• We shall, to the extent legally permitted under applicable statutes, provide prompt written notice to the Client so that the Client may seek a protective order or appropriate injunctive remedy.
• If disclosure is legally mandatory, JRC Legal will furnish only that portion of the Confidential Information that is strictly required by the legal mandate.
• We will assert all applicable legal privileges (including attorney-client and professional secrecy privileges) available under the law.

7. Information Security & Technical Safeguards

JRC Legal implements rigorous organizational, physical, and digital safeguards aligned with the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures Rules:

• Cryptographic Protection: All electronic files, digital documents, and communication transmissions are secured using 256-bit encryption in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest.
• Safe Credential Management: Portal credentials provided by clients for filing purposes are stored in encrypted vaults with multi-factor authentication (MFA) and access audit logs. Passwords are never stored in unencrypted spreadsheets or shared across insecure channels.
• Physical Asset Security: Physical share certificates, stamped deeds, and original notarized affidavits handled during IEPF claims are stored in fire-resistant, access-controlled document safes.
• Audit Trails & Monitoring: Network logs, document download requests, and portal access actions are continuously logged and audited to prevent unauthorized data exfiltration.

8. Return, Retention & Secure Disposal

Upon written request by the Client or upon the conclusion of our professional engagement:

• Document Return & Deletion: JRC Legal will promptly return to the Client or securely purge all digital and physical copies of the Client's Confidential Information.
• Statutory Retention Requirements: JRC Legal may retain archived copies of engagement files solely to the extent required to comply with statutory retention mandates under the Companies Act, 2013, Income Tax Act, 1961, Anti-Money Laundering (AML) standards, or professional conduct regulations issued by the Bar Council of India, ICAI, or ICSI.
• Ongoing Confidentiality: Any retained archive copies remain fully protected under the confidentiality covenants of this Policy in perpetuity.

9. Client Ownership & Intellectual Property

All rights, title, and interest in and to the Confidential Information, including all intellectual property, patentable inventions, copyrightable content, trade secrets, trademarks, and proprietary methodologies disclosed by the Client, remain the exclusive property of the Client.

Nothing contained in this Policy, on our website, or during our service engagement shall be construed as granting or conferring, either expressly or by implication, any license, right, or interest in the Client's intellectual property to JRC Legal or any third party.

10. Breach Notification & Legal Remedies

In the unlikely event that JRC Legal discovers an unauthorized disclosure, security compromise, or accidental leak of Client Confidential Information:

• Immediate Containment & Remediation: Our security and legal teams will immediately initiate containment protocols to halt the incident and secure affected systems.
• Prompt Notification: We will notify the affected Client without undue delay, providing a detailed summary of the incident, the nature of the information involved, and the remediation steps underway.
• Equitable Relief: JRC Legal acknowledges that any unauthorized disclosure or use of Confidential Information may cause irreparable harm for which monetary damages alone would be inadequate. Accordingly, the Client shall be entitled to seek injunctive relief, specific performance, or other equitable remedies in any court of competent jurisdiction.

11. Dispute Resolution & Governing Law

This Confidentiality Policy shall be governed by, construed, and interpreted in accordance with the substantive laws of India. Any disputes, controversies, or claims arising out of or relating to this Policy or our confidentiality obligations shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent civil courts in Pune, Maharashtra, India.

12. Grievance Officer & Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding this Confidentiality Policy, wish to verify the non-disclosure protocols applicable to your case, or need to reach our data security team, please contact our designated office:

• Entity Name: JRC Legal
• Email Address: support@jrclegal.in
• Helpline Phone: +91 94207 00705
• Primary Office: 1st Office Rajgurunagar Pune Maharashtra 410505.
• Secondary Office: KWT Tower 2 Opp Empire Estate, Old Mumbai - Pune Hwy Pimpri Pune 411019.
• Hours of Operation: Mon – Sat (10:00 AM – 7:00 PM)