Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 26, 2026

Atherton & Associates, LLP (“Atherton,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect personal information when you visit athertoncpas.com, communicate with us, or use our services.

If you receive text messages from Atherton & Associates, LLP, your participation is also governed by our SMS Terms & Conditions. These terms explain our messaging program, message frequency, potential message and data rates, HELP instructions, and how to opt out.

  1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal information:

  • Contact information, such as your name, email address, telephone or mobile number, mailing address, city, state, and ZIP code.
  • Business and professional information, such as your job title, employer, organization, and information you provide in connection with an inquiry or professional engagement.
  • Communications and submissions, including information you send through website forms, email, telephone calls, text messages, document portals, proposal requests, or other communications with us.
  • Meeting and call information, when a meeting or call is recorded or transcribed with appropriate notice and consent, including audio or video recordings, transcripts, meeting chats, screen-sharing content, summaries, notes, and related metadata.
  • Website and device information, such as your Internet Protocol address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, pages visited, date and time of access, referring website, time spent on pages, and other diagnostic or usage information.
  • Cookie and analytics information collected through cookies, pixels, web beacons, and similar technologies.

Please do not submit payment card information or confidential financial, tax, or identity documents through our general website contact forms. Use the secure portals or payment tools identified on our website when submitting sensitive information.

  1. How We Collect Information

We collect personal information:

  • Directly from you when you complete a form, request a proposal, subscribe to communications, provide your contact information to an Atherton representative, engage our services, send us an email or text message, call us, or otherwise communicate with us.
  • Automatically when you visit or interact with our website, including through cookies, analytics tools, web beacons, and similar technologies.
  • From service providers and professional platforms that support our website, communications, secure portals, payment processing, analytics, and client services.
  • From other sources when permitted by law, including referrals, publicly available sources, and organizations with which you are affiliated.
  1. How We Use Personal Information

We may use personal information to:

  • Respond to inquiries and requests.
  • Provide, administer, and improve our professional services and client experience.
  • Communicate about appointments, scheduling, document requests, engagement matters, service updates, deadlines, and client support.
  • Document meetings and calls, prepare transcripts, summaries, notes, and action items, improve the accuracy of our records and follow-up communications, and support the delivery of professional services.
  • Send email or SMS communications when you have provided consent or when otherwise permitted by law.
  • Process proposal requests and manage prospective or existing client relationships.
  • Maintain and improve our website, analyze website usage, and diagnose technical issues.
  • Protect the security and integrity of our systems, prevent fraud or misuse, and enforce our agreements and policies.
  • Comply with professional standards, legal obligations, court orders, regulatory requirements, and lawful government requests.
  • Evaluate or complete a business transaction, such as a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or transfer of assets, subject to appropriate confidentiality and legal protections.
  1. SMS Communications

If you provide your mobile number and consent to receive text messages from Atherton, we may send you one-to-one SMS messages related to our business relationship or professional services. These messages may include scheduling communications, appointment reminders, document requests, engagement updates, deadline reminders, and responses to client-specific questions.

Message frequency varies based on your interactions with us and the needs of your engagement. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to receive SMS messages is not a condition of purchasing or receiving our professional services.

You may opt out at any time by replying STOP to any message. For assistance, reply HELP or contact us using the information in the Contact Us section below. Additional terms governing our SMS program are available in our SMS Terms & Conditions.

  1. Mobile Information and SMS Consent

We do not sell, rent, or share mobile phone numbers, SMS opt-in information, or SMS consent information with third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes.

We may disclose mobile information only to service providers and vendors that help us provide and operate the messaging service, or when disclosure is required by law. Those providers may use the information only as necessary to perform services for Atherton and are expected to protect it appropriately.

  1. Meeting and Call Recordings

Atherton may record or transcribe certain telephone calls, video conferences, or in-person meetings for purposes such as documenting discussions, preparing summaries, notes, or action items, improving the accuracy of our records and follow-up communications, and supporting the delivery of professional services.

When a meeting or call will be recorded or transcribed, we will provide notice and obtain consent as required by applicable law before recording or transcription begins. Please do not share information during a recorded meeting or call that you do not want included in the recording or transcript. If you do not wish to be recorded or transcribed, notify the Atherton representative before recording or transcription begins.

Recordings and transcripts may capture participants’ names, voices, images, statements, meeting chats, screen-sharing content, and other information communicated during the meeting or call. We may use third-party service providers, including conferencing, recording, transcription, or artificial intelligence-enabled tools, to process recordings or produce transcripts, summaries, notes, or action items on our behalf. These providers may process the information only to provide services to Atherton and are expected to protect it appropriately.

We retain recordings, transcripts, and related materials only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy and to satisfy applicable legal, regulatory, professional, and recordkeeping obligations.

  1. Cookies and Analytics

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate our website, remember preferences, understand how visitors interact with the site, and improve website performance. These technologies may collect information such as pages visited, clicks, scrolling behavior, IP address, device and browser information, and session-related data.

We use Microsoft Clarity to help us understand website interactions and improve the website. You may manage cookie preferences through our website consent tool and may configure your browser to refuse or delete cookies. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

  1. How We Disclose Personal Information

We may disclose personal information:

  • To service providers that perform services on our behalf, such as website hosting, analytics, secure document delivery, electronic signatures, payment processing, communications, SMS delivery, videoconferencing, recording, transcription, and meeting-summary tools.
  • To professional advisers, regulators, law enforcement, courts, or government authorities when reasonably necessary to comply with law, professional obligations, legal process, or a lawful request.
  • In connection with an actual or proposed merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, sale of assets, or similar business transaction, subject to appropriate protections.
  • To protect the rights, property, safety, or security of Atherton, our clients, website users, or others.
  • At your direction or with your consent.

We do not sell personal information. We do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. Mobile phone numbers and SMS opt-in or consent information are subject to the additional restrictions stated in Section 5.

  1. Third-Party Services and Links

Our website may link to third-party platforms that support client services, including secure document delivery, electronic signatures, client portals, and online payments. Information you submit through a third-party platform is also governed by that provider’s privacy practices.

We do not store or have access to payment card information submitted directly through our third-party payment processor. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of each third-party service before providing information.

  1. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to provide services, maintain business and professional records, comply with legal and regulatory obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. This may include meeting or call recordings, transcripts, summaries, notes, and related materials. Retention periods may vary based on the type of information and the reason it was collected.

  1. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information under our control. No method of Internet transmission or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

  1. Children’s Privacy

Our website and services are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the website. If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, please contact us so we can take appropriate action.

  1. California Privacy Rights

California residents may have rights regarding their personal information under applicable California privacy law, subject to legal limitations and exceptions. These rights may include requesting access to, correction of, or deletion of certain personal information.

To submit a request, contact us using the information below. We may need to verify your identity before completing a request. We will not discriminate against you for exercising an applicable privacy right.

  1. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. When we do, we will post the revised policy on this page and update the “Last updated” date. Changes become effective when posted unless otherwise stated.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, You can contact us:


Atherton & Associates, LLP
PO Box 4339
Modesto, CA 95352-4339
Phone: (209) 577-4800
Online: Contact Atherton & Associates

MODESTO OFFICE
 SONORA OFFICE