Privacy Policy
Last updated: 5 May, 2026
Sovereign Whale respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect about you when you visit sovereignwhale.com, how we use that information, who we share it with, and the rights you have under applicable data protection laws.
This policy applies to all visitors to our website, professionals who submit listings, readers who use the directory, and anyone who contacts us. By using the website, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the website.
We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be noted at the top of this page, and the last updated date will be revised accordingly. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
Who We Are
Sovereign Whale is operated by YBO LLC, a limited liability company organized under the laws of Delaware, United States, with a registered mailing address at 8 The Green #5816, Dover, DE 19901. For the purposes of applicable data protection laws, YBO LLC is the data controller for personal information collected through this website.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, your data, or your rights, you can contact us at info@sovereignwhale.com or through the contact form at https://sovereignwhale.com/contact-us/.
What This Policy Covers
This Privacy Policy covers the personal information we collect, use, and share through:
✓ Visits to sovereignwhale.com and any subdomains
✓ Contact form submissions
✓ Newsletter signups
✓ Listing submissions, edits, and management by professionals
✓ Reviews submitted by readers
✓ Account creation for listing management
✓ Payments made for Verified listings
✓ Inquiries sent to listed firms through the directory
✓ Sponsored content submissions and inquiries
This policy does not cover what happens to your information after you contact a listed firm directly through the directory. Each firm operates under its own privacy practices and is a separate data controller for any information you share with them. We recommend reviewing a firm’s privacy policy before sharing sensitive personal or financial information with them.
This policy also does not cover the practices of any third-party websites linked from our content or listings. We are not responsible for how those websites handle your information.
Information We Collect
We collect personal information in three ways: information you provide to us directly, information collected automatically when you use the website, and information received from third parties.
Information You Provide To Us
You may provide personal information when you:
✓ Submit a listing for your firm, which includes your name, professional credentials, firm name, firm address, contact details, services offered, jurisdictions covered, team information, and any supporting documentation requested during verification
✓ Submit a review of a listed firm, which includes your name (if provided), review content, and the rating you assign
✓ Contact us through the contact form, which includes your name, email address, firm name (if applicable), reason for contact, and the message itself
✓ Subscribe to our newsletter, which includes your name and email address
✓ Create an account to manage your listing, which includes your name, email address, and account credentials
✓ Submit payment for a Verified listing, which includes billing information processed through our payment provider
✓ Submit a sponsored content inquiry, which includes your name, firm name, and the details of your proposal
We collect this information only when you provide it voluntarily. Some information is required for us to provide the service you have requested, and we will indicate which fields are required at the time of collection.
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical information, including:
✓ Your IP address
✓ Your device type, operating system, and browser type and version
✓ Pages you view on our site, the order in which you view them, and the time you spend on each
✓ The website you came from before arriving at ours (referrer URL)
✓ Search terms you use within our directory
✓ Date and time of your visit
✓ General location information derived from your IP address (city or region level)
This information is collected through cookies, server logs, and analytics tools described in the Cookies section below.
Information We Receive From Third Parties
We may receive information about you from:
✓ Payment processors, including transaction confirmation, billing address, and payment method type (we do not receive or store full card numbers)
✓ Analytics platforms, including aggregated usage data and audience characteristics
✓ Verification sources during the Verified listing process, including regulatory bodies, sanctions and PEP screening databases, adverse media databases, and other professional and public records used to verify a firm’s credentials
For firms applying for verification, the information received from these sources is used solely for the verification process and is not shared further except as described in this policy.
How We Use Your Information
We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes.
To Operate The Directory
We use your information to display listings on the directory, process listing submissions, conduct verification checks, deliver reader inquiries to listed firms, display reviews on listings, and provide the functional features of the website such as search, filtering, and account management.
To Communicate With You
We use your contact information to respond to inquiries you send through the contact form, confirm receipt of your listing or review submission, notify you of changes to your listing or account, send you the newsletter if you have subscribed, and inform you of important updates to our service, policies, or terms.
To Process Payments
For Verified listings, we use your billing and payment information to process subscription payments through our payment provider. We do not store full payment card details on our servers. All payment processing is handled by Stripe, which operates under its own privacy and security standards.
For Analytics And Improvement
We use aggregated and anonymized usage data to understand how visitors use our website, identify which content and features are most useful, troubleshoot technical issues, and improve the overall service. This information is used in a form that does not identify you personally.
For Legal And Security Purposes
We use information as necessary to comply with applicable laws, respond to lawful requests from government authorities, enforce our terms of use, protect the security of our website and users, prevent fraud and abuse, and investigate or defend against legal claims.
For Verification Of Listed Firms
For firms applying for or holding a Verified listing, we use information about the firm and its principals to confirm credentials with relevant regulators, screen against sanctions, PEP, and adverse media databases, review public reputation, conduct test inquiries, and perform interviews. This use is necessary to maintain the integrity of the Verified badge.
How We Share Your Information
We share personal information only in the limited circumstances described below. We do not sell your personal information to anyone, and we do not share it with any party for their independent marketing purposes.
With Listed Firms
When you contact a listed firm through their profile in our directory, your inquiry is delivered directly to the firm. The firm receives the contact information and message you provided in the inquiry. Once delivered, the firm becomes an independent data controller for the information you shared with them, and their handling of that information is governed by their own privacy practices.
We retain reader inquiries for up to 12 months from the date of submission, after which they are deleted from our systems. We may retain inquiries for longer where required to resolve a specific dispute, respond to a legal or regulatory request, or investigate suspected abuse of the platform.
With Service Providers
We share personal information with third-party service providers who process information on our behalf to operate the website and deliver the service. These providers are contractually required to handle your information only as needed to provide their services and to maintain appropriate security measures. Our current service providers include:
✓ xneelo which hosts the website and database and processes outgoing emails sent from the site
✓ Cloudflare, Inc., which provides content delivery, security, and protection against malicious traffic
✓ Stripe, Inc., which processes payments for Verified listings
✓ Google LLC, through Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console, which provide website usage analytics
✓ Beehiiv, Inc., which manages the newsletter and stores subscriber email addresses
✓ GeoDirectory and its associated plugins, which power the directory listing and review functions
✓ GetPaid, which manages listing fee subscriptions and renewals
✓ Ninja Forms, which processes contact form submissions
✓ WP Armour and reCAPTCHA, which provide spam protection on submission forms
✓ xxx, which manages cookie consent records
Each provider has its own privacy policy that governs how they handle your information.
For Legal Reasons
We may share personal information when we believe in good faith that sharing is necessary to comply with applicable law, a court order, or a lawful request from a government authority; to enforce our terms of use; to protect the rights, property, or safety of Sovereign Whale, our users, listed firms, or the public; or to investigate or prevent fraud, abuse, or security threats.
In Connection With A Business Transfer
If Sovereign Whale is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of its assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. You will be notified by email or by a prominent notice on the website if such a transfer occurs and if your information becomes subject to a materially different privacy policy.
Cookies And Similar Technologies
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to operate the website, remember your preferences, understand how visitors use our site, and improve the service. Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website.
We use the following categories of cookies:
Essential Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function. They enable core features such as page navigation, account login, listing management, and cookie consent storage. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and they cannot be disabled through our cookie banner.
Analytics Cookies
These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with the website by collecting and reporting information on how the site is used. We use Google Analytics 4 to gather this information. Data collected through analytics cookies is processed in aggregate and is not used to identify individual visitors.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable enhanced functionality such as remembering search preferences, location settings, and recently viewed listings. They are not strictly necessary for the website to function, but they improve the experience for repeat visitors.
Managing Cookies
You can manage your cookie preferences at any time through the cookie banner on the website. The banner is provided by xxx  and allows you to accept all cookies, reject non-essential cookies, or customize your choices by category. Your preferences are stored in your browser and applied across future visits.
You can also block or delete cookies through your browser settings. Each browser handles this differently, but instructions are available in your browser’s help documentation. Please note that blocking essential cookies may prevent parts of the website from working as expected.
We do not use cookies for advertising purposes, behavioral retargeting, or third-party tracking.
Your Rights
Depending on where you are located, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. We honor these rights regardless of where you live, where reasonably possible.
Right To Access
You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. We will provide this information in a portable format within a reasonable timeframe and free of charge for the first request. Repeated or excessive requests may be subject to a reasonable fee.
Right To Correction
You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you. If you have an account, you can update most of your information directly through your account dashboard.
Right To Deletion
You have the right to request that we delete personal information we hold about you. We will honor this request unless we are required by law to retain the information, or unless the information is necessary to defend a legal claim or resolve a dispute.
Right To Object Or Restrict Processing
You have the right to object to or restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances, including where the processing is based on our legitimate interests, where you contest the accuracy of the information, or where you have objected to processing pending verification.
Right To Withdraw Consent
Where we rely on your consent to process your personal information (for example, for newsletter subscriptions), you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.
Right To Data Portability
You have the right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format and to transmit that information to another data controller.
Right To Lodge A Complaint
If you believe we have not handled your personal information in accordance with applicable law, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority in your country.
How To Exercise Your Rights
To exercise any of the rights above, contact us at info@sovereignwhale.com or through the contact form. Please include enough detail for us to verify your identity and locate the relevant information.
We will respond to verified requests within 30 days. Where a request is complex or where we receive a high volume of requests, we may extend this period by up to a further 60 days and will notify you of the extension.
International Data Transfers
Sovereign Whale operates internationally, and the service providers we work with are located in various countries, including the United States, the European Union, and other jurisdictions. As a result, personal information you provide to us may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in countries other than your own.
Where personal information is transferred outside your country of residence, we take appropriate steps to ensure that the information remains protected to a standard consistent with applicable data protection laws. These steps include working with service providers that maintain appropriate certifications, entering into standard contractual clauses where required, and limiting access to personal information to those who need it to provide the service.
If you are located in the European Union, the United Kingdom, or another jurisdiction with data transfer restrictions, the legal basis for these transfers is either your consent, the necessity of the transfer to provide a service you have requested, or appropriate safeguards as described above.
Data Security
We take the security of your personal information seriously. We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect against unauthorized access, accidental loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction of your personal information.
These measures include:
✓ Encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS) for all data transmitted between your device and our website
✓ Encryption of stored data where appropriate
✓ Access controls limiting which staff and service providers can access personal information
✓ Regular security reviews of our website, plugins, and hosting environment
✓ Spam and bot protection on submission forms
✓ Cloudflare protection against malicious traffic and common web threats
Despite our efforts, no method of transmitting or storing information over the internet is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, and any transmission of personal information is at your own risk. If we become aware of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you and the relevant authorities in accordance with applicable law.
Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the purpose of processing.
General retention periods:
✓ Contact form inquiries: up to 12 months from the date of submission
✓ Listing data: for the duration of the listing plus 12 months after the listing is removed
✓ Account information: for the duration of the account plus 12 months after account closure
✓ Payment records: for at least 7 years, as required for tax and accounting purposes
✓ Newsletter subscriptions: until the subscriber unsubscribes, plus a brief retention period for unsubscribe confirmation
✓ Reviews: for the duration of the related listing, or until removed under our review policy
✓ Verification records: for the duration of the Verified listing plus 24 months after verification ends
✓ Analytics data: in aggregate form, indefinitely; in identifiable form, in line with Google Analytics 4 default retention settings
After the relevant retention period, personal information is deleted or anonymized.
Children’s Privacy
Sovereign Whale is not directed at, marketed to, or intended for use by individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe that we may have collected personal information from a person under 18, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete that information.
Third-Party Links
The Sovereign Whale website contains links to third-party websites, including the websites of listed firms, social media platforms, and other resources. These third-party sites are not under our control, and we are not responsible for their privacy practices or content.
When you click a link to a third-party website, you leave the Sovereign Whale website and are subject to the privacy policy and terms of the destination site. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any website you visit.
Changes To This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, our service, or applicable law. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this policy and, where appropriate, notify you by email or through a notice on the website.
Your continued use of the website after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. If you do not agree with any changes, you should stop using the website and contact us to request deletion of your personal information.
How To Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:
Email: info@sovereignwhale.com
Contact form: https://sovereignwhale.com/contact-us/
Mailing address: 8 The Green # 5816, Dover, DE 1990, United States
For requests related to your data protection rights, please mark your message clearly so it can be routed to the right person. We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days of receipt.