Last updated: October 2026
How Legal 500 handles personal information during recruitment
In brief: Legal 500 is responsible for how candidate information is used during recruitment. We use approved recruitment technology and service providers to help us source candidates, manage applications, arrange interviews and maintain recruitment records.
About this notice
This notice supplements Legal 500's General Privacy Notice and provides additional information specifically about recruitment. Legalease Limited (trading as Legal 500), registered in England and Wales under company number 02427356, is the data controller responsible for the recruitment activities described here.
Legal 500 is committed to protecting your personal information and respecting your privacy throughout our recruitment process. This notice explains how we collect, use, share, store and protect your personal data when you apply for a role with us or when we contact you about a potential employment opportunity.
Who is responsible for your data?
Legal 500 is the data controller for personal information processed for our recruitment activities. This means that we decide why and how candidate information is used.
What information we collect
Depending on the role and the stage of the recruitment process, we may collect:
Your name, contact details and location.
Your CV, application form, cover letter and other information you provide.
Your employment history, qualifications, skills and experience.
Candidate communications, interview scheduling information and interview notes.
Assessment results, recruitment feedback and information used to support hiring decisions.
Right to work information and documentation, where required.
References from former employers or professional contacts, where applicable.
Information relevant to reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process.
Information obtained through recruitment agencies, employee referrals, publicly available professional profiles such as LinkedIn, and other recruitment or talent-sourcing platforms.
How we use your information
We may use your information to:
Identify and assess potential candidates and determine suitability for employment opportunities.
Communicate with you and manage applications, interviews and assessments.
Verify information provided during the recruitment process.
Conduct reference and right to work checks, where appropriate.
Make and document recruitment decisions and, where relevant, prepare an employment offer.
Maintain recruitment records, monitor our hiring process and produce recruitment reporting.
Protect the security and integrity of our recruitment systems.
Comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
Sensitive information
Where necessary, we may process information relating to health, disability or reasonable adjustments, and, where applicable, diversity-monitoring information. We will do so only where an appropriate lawful basis and additional conditions under applicable data protection law apply, with appropriate access restrictions and safeguards.
Recruitment technology and service providers
Legal 500 uses approved third-party technology and service providers to support its recruitment activities, including applicant tracking, candidate communications, interview scheduling, assessments and sourcing. We currently use Ashby as our applicant tracking system. Ashby processes candidate information on behalf of Legal 500 and in accordance with our talent team’s instructions. Legal 500 remains responsible for how candidate information is used during recruitment.
Interview recording and AI-assisted tools
Some interviews may use approved technology to record, transcribe or summarise the discussion, or to support the preparation of interview feedback. Such tools do not independently determine whether a candidate is offered or refused employment. Where additional automated assessment tools are used, we will provide appropriate information about their operation and any applicable rights. Recruitment decisions remain the responsibility of Legal 500.
Our legal bases for processing
Depending on the activity, we process candidate information because:
It is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into an employment contract.
We have legitimate interests in attracting, identifying, assessing and recruiting suitable candidates and managing an effective recruitment process.
We need to comply with a legal obligation, including right to work requirements.
You have given consent, where consent is the appropriate legal basis. You may withdraw that consent at any time.
Who we share information with
We may share candidate information, where necessary, with:
The Talent Acquisition team.
Hiring managers, interviewers and relevant Legal 500 stakeholders involved in the recruitment decision.
Approved service providers supporting our recruitment process, including applicant tracking, assessment, interview, communications and sourcing providers.
Recruitment agencies, professional advisers, regulators or public authorities where necessary or required by law.
We do not sell candidate personal information.
International transfers
Some of our service providers may process candidate information outside the United Kingdom. Where personal data is transferred internationally, Legal 500 will require appropriate safeguards in accordance with applicable UK data protection law.
How long we keep your information
If your application is unsuccessful, we will normally retain your recruitment record for up to 12 months after the recruitment process ends. This allows us to manage recruitment records, respond to queries or legal claims and, where appropriate, consider you for future opportunities. Where consent is required to retain or use your information for future opportunities, we will seek it separately.
If you join Legal 500, relevant recruitment information will form part of your employee record and will be managed in line with our employee privacy arrangements and retention requirements.
Your rights
Subject to applicable data protection law, you may have the right to:
Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Ask us to delete your information in certain circumstances.
Object to or ask us to restrict certain processing.
Request your information in a portable format where the right applies.
Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
Contact us
For questions about recruitment, please contact our Talent Acquisition team. For questions about your personal data or to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us. Further information is available in our General Privacy Notice.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office. Further information is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office.