Privacy Policy - Columbus Street

1. Introduction

Columbus Street LLC (“Columbus Street,” “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at https://columbus-street.com (the “Site”) and use our related services.

Columbus Street also operates MergerWatch.com, a separate market intelligence platform with its own privacy policy. Although both properties are owned and operated by Columbus Street LLC, each website maintains separate data collection systems, email marketing accounts (via Kit, formerly ConvertKit), and opt-in subscriber lists. Data collected through MergerWatch is governed by the MergerWatch Privacy Policy. However, certain back-end research and data management functions for both websites are administered through Columbus Street’s Google Workspace accounts.

By accessing or using the Site, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the practices described herein, please discontinue use of the Site.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you interact with the Site, including:

Contact and Consultation Requests. When you submit a contact form or schedule a confidential consultation, we collect your name, work email address, firm name, professional role or title, and the contents of any message you include.

Resource Downloads. When you download materials such as our law firm merger readiness checklist or other resources, we collect your name, work email address, firm name, and professional role.

Newsletter Subscriptions. When you subscribe to our email newsletter or insights updates, we collect your email address and any additional information you provide during signup. Our Columbus Street email communications are managed through a dedicated Kit (formerly ConvertKit) account that is separate from the Kit account used for MergerWatch.

Correspondence. If you contact us directly via email at hello@columbus-street.com or through other channels, we collect the content of your communications and any information you choose to provide.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Site, certain information is collected automatically, including your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, screen resolution, pages visited, time spent on pages, referring URLs, click patterns, and other browsing behavior on the Site. We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience, as described in Section 6 below.

2.3 Information from Third-Party Sources

We may receive information about you from third-party platforms, including LinkedIn and other professional networking services, publicly available business directories, and analytics providers.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to respond to your inquiries and facilitate confidential consultations about our M&A advisory, strategy consulting, and other services; to deliver requested resources including downloadable reports, checklists, and other materials; to send email communications including newsletters, insights, market updates, and information about our services where you have subscribed or otherwise consented; to operate, maintain, and improve the Site, including analyzing usage patterns and optimizing content; to protect the security and integrity of the Site and our business; to comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms and Conditions; and to support our legitimate business interests including marketing, business development, and relationship management.

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

Service Providers. We share information with third-party vendors who perform services on our behalf, including website hosting (WordPress), email marketing (Kit/ConvertKit), analytics, and IT support. These providers are contractually obligated to use your information only as necessary to provide services to us.

Affiliated Properties. Columbus Street LLC operates both columbus-street.com and mergerwatch.com. While each website maintains separate opt-in subscriber lists and separate Kit accounts, certain administrative and research data may be managed through Columbus Street’s centralized Google Workspace environment. We do not merge subscriber lists across the two websites without your separate consent for each.

Professional Advisors. We may share information with our legal counsel, accountants, or other professional advisors as necessary for our business operations.

Legal Requirements. We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Columbus Street, our users, or others.

Business Transfers. In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change via email or prominent notice on the Site.

With Your Consent. We may share your information for other purposes with your express consent.

5. Confidentiality of Inquiries

Columbus Street treats all consultation inquiries and communications with discretion. However, as described in our Terms and Conditions, information submitted through the Site should not be considered confidential unless a formal engagement letter has been executed. Please do not submit sensitive proprietary business information through the Site prior to establishing a formal advisory relationship.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

The Site uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience and analyze Site traffic. These include essential cookies required for basic Site operation and security; analytics cookies that help us understand how visitors interact with the Site (we use Google Analytics for this purpose); functional cookies that enable enhanced functionality and personalization; and marketing cookies that may be used to track visitors across websites for displaying relevant content or measuring campaign effectiveness.

You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of the Site.

7. Third-Party Services

The Site integrates with third-party services that may collect information subject to their own privacy policies, including Kit (ConvertKit) for email newsletter management, WordPress for website hosting and content management, Google Analytics for website analytics, Google Workspace for internal business operations, and LinkedIn for social media engagement. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these services.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to provide our services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Newsletter subscriber information is retained until you unsubscribe. Contact form submissions are retained for the duration of our business relationship and for a reasonable period thereafter. When personal information is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

9. Data Security and the New York SHIELD Act

Columbus Street LLC is domiciled in and operates from New York. As a business that owns or licenses computerized data containing the private information of New York residents, we are subject to the Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security Act (the “SHIELD Act”), codified in New York General Business Law § 899-bb.

In accordance with the SHIELD Act, we maintain a data security program that includes reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect the security, confidentiality, and integrity of the private information we collect. These safeguards include designating personnel to coordinate data security efforts; identifying and assessing reasonably foreseeable internal and external risks to the security, confidentiality, and integrity of personal information; training employees in security program practices and procedures; selecting service providers capable of maintaining appropriate safeguards and requiring those safeguards by contract; and adjusting the data security program in light of business changes or new circumstances.

In the event of a breach of the security of the system involving private information as defined under the SHIELD Act, we will notify affected individuals and the New York Attorney General, the New York Department of State, and the New York State Police in the most expedient time reasonable and consistent with the legitimate needs of law enforcement, as required by New York General Business Law § 899-aa.

No method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to use commercially reasonable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. New York General Business Law § 899-aa (Breach Notification)

Under New York law, if we experience a security breach involving your private information—defined to include Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, account numbers, biometric information, or username/email and password combinations—we are required to provide you with notice of such breach. Notice will be provided in the most expedient time reasonable and without unreasonable delay, consistent with the legitimate needs of law enforcement and any measures necessary to determine the scope of the breach and restore the reasonable integrity of the data system.

11. New York General Business Law § 349 (Deceptive Practices)

Columbus Street is committed to transparent and accurate representations regarding its data practices. This Privacy Policy is designed to provide you with a clear, accurate, and complete description of how we collect, use, and share your personal information, consistent with our obligations under New York General Business Law § 349, which prohibits deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any business, trade, or commerce in the State of New York.

12. New York Child Data Protection Act (NYCDPA)

The Site is a professional advisory website designed for managing partners, executive committee members, private equity sponsors, and other legal industry professionals. It is not directed to individuals under the age of 18 and does not knowingly collect personal information from minors. In compliance with the New York Child Data Protection Act and the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), if we become aware that a child under 18 has provided us with personal information, we will take steps to delete such information promptly. If you believe that a minor has provided us with personal information, please contact us using the information in Section 16.

13. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including the right to access, correct, or delete your personal information; the right to opt out of marketing communications by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any email or contacting us directly; and the right to manage cookie preferences through your browser settings.

13.1 California Residents

If you are a California resident, you may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), including the right to know what personal information is collected and how it is used, the right to request deletion, and the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. We do not sell personal information as defined under the CCPA/CPRA. To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 16. We will respond to verifiable requests within the timeframes required by applicable law.

13.2 Other State Privacy Laws

Residents of states with comprehensive privacy legislation—including Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, Texas, Oregon, Montana, and others—may have similar rights under their respective state laws. Please contact us to exercise any applicable rights.

13.3 Pending New York Privacy Legislation

As of the date of this Privacy Policy, New York does not have a comprehensive consumer privacy law comparable to the CCPA. However, multiple versions of the proposed New York Privacy Act (including S.3044, A.4947, A.8158, and S.8524 in the 2025–2026 legislative session) are under active consideration by the New York State Legislature. Should such legislation be enacted, we will update this Privacy Policy to reflect any additional rights afforded to New York residents and any new compliance obligations imposed upon us.

14. SMS Disclosures

Columbus Street may offer you the opportunity to receive SMS (text message) communications. By opting in, you consent to receive general communication SMS messages from Columbus Street LLC, which only include general business communications. We will not market to you.

Consent and Third-Party Sharing. Your SMS consent and the phone number you provide are not shared with, sold to, rented to, or disclosed to any third parties or affiliates for their marketing purposes. Your consent to receive SMS messages is solely between you and Columbus Street LLC.

Opting Out. You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by replying STOP to any message you receive from us. Upon receiving your STOP request, we will confirm your removal and cease sending SMS messages to your number. Reply HELP for support.

Message Frequency and Rates. Message and data rates may apply depending on your mobile carrier and plan. Messaging frequency may vary based on your interactions with Columbus Street and the nature of our communications.

By consenting to receive SMS from Columbus Street, you agree to these terms. For full details, please visit our Privacy Policy at https://columbus-street.com/privacy-policy/ and our Terms and Conditions at https://columbus-street.com/terms-and-conditions/.

15. Do Not Track

Some web browsers transmit “do-not-track” signals to websites. Because there is no universally accepted standard for how to respond to these signals, we do not currently alter our data collection and use practices based upon such signals. We will update this Privacy Policy if a standard is adopted and we begin responding to these signals.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. The “Last Updated” date at the top indicates when the policy was most recently revised. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

17. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, or wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact us at:

Columbus Street LLC

Email: hello@columbus-street.com

Website: https://columbus-street.com/contact/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/columbus-street/

Last Updated: March 13, 2026