Non-Disparagement The Executive acknowledges and agrees that the Executive will not defame or criticize the services, business, integrity, veracity, or personal or professional reputation of the Company or any of its directors, officers, employees, affiliates, or agents of any of the foregoing in either a professional or personal manner either during the term of the Executive’s employment or thereafter.
Cooperation and Non-Disparagement The Executive agrees that, during the twelve-month period following his or her cessation of employment, he or she shall cooperate with the Company in every reasonable respect and shall use his or her best efforts to assist the Company with the transition of Executive’s duties to his or her successor. The Executive further agrees that, during this twelve-month period, he or she shall not in any way or by any means disparage the Company, the members of the Company’s Board of Directors or the Company’s officers and employees.
Confidentiality and Non-Disparagement (a) Xxxxxx agree to keep all details of this Agreement and the details surrounding his separation in strict confidence except that he may make disclosures as follows: (1) to his immediate family; (2) to his financial and legal advisors who have a reasonable need to know this information; (3) to the extent he is compelled by subpoena or other legal process to disclose such information; or (4) to the extent reasonably required in order to prosecute or defend any action for breach of this Agreement. Xxxxx agrees that if he does share this Agreement or any information in it with any of the aforementioned individuals, he will instruct such person(s) that the information is strictly confidential and that they may not share it with anyone else. The Parties agree that, to the extent that Microsoft discloses the terms of the Agreement in any filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission pursuant to the applicable securities laws and regulations, the foregoing obligation to maintain the confidentiality of the terms of this Agreement ceases with respect to the information disclosed in the filing. (b) Xxxxxx agrees not to make any disparaging remarks about Microsoft, its officers or directors, its products, or the Released Parties, including but not limited to disparaging statements relating to his employment with or separation from Microsoft; provided that commencing January 1, 2016, this clause (b) shall not be violated by statements or communications (in any medium) that (i) do not rely on confidential information obtained by Xxxxxx during his employment at Microsoft and (ii) are made directly or indirectly by Xxxxxx (A) regarding Microsoft products, services, or business practices or decisions that are created, rendered or implemented after January 1, 2016 or (B) regarding Microsoft products or services made after January 1, 2014 and that are made in connection with, related to or during the course of Steven’s employment, engagement or other relationship with another business organization. (c) Microsoft agrees that it and its directors and members of the company’s Senior Leadership Team (or any successor team thereto) will not make any disparaging remarks about him, including but not limited to disparaging statements relating to Steven’s employment with or separation from Microsoft. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Paragraph 6 shall prevent any person from: (i) responding publicly to any incorrect, disparaging or derogatory public statement to the extent reasonably necessary to correct or refute such public statement, or (ii) making any truthful statement to the extent: (x) necessary with respect to any litigation, arbitration or mediation involving this Agreement, including, but not limited to, the enforcement of this Agreement, or (y) required by law or by any court, arbitrator, mediator or administrative of legislative body (including any committee thereof) with actual or apparent jurisdiction to order such person to disclose or make accessible such information.
Confidentiality; Non-Disparagement (a) Except to the extent required by law, including SEC disclosure requirements, the Employee agrees that the terms of this Release will be kept confidential by Employee, except that Employee may advise his or her family and confidential advisors. (b) Employee will not at any time knowingly reveal to any person or entity any of the trade secrets or confidential information of the Company or the Company Affiliates or of any third party which the Company is under an obligation to keep confidential (including, but not limited to, trade secrets or confidential information respecting inventions, products, designs, methods, know-how, techniques, systems, processes, software programs, works of authorship, customer lists, projects, plans, and proposals), and Employee shall keep secret all confidential matters relating to the Company or the Company Affiliates and shall not use or attempt to use any such confidential information in any manner which injures or causes loss or may reasonably be calculated to injure or cause loss whether directly or indirectly to the Company or the Company Affiliates. These restrictions contained in this sub-paragraph (b) shall not apply to: (i) information that at the time of disclosure is in the public domain through no fault of Employee; (ii) information received from a third party outside of the Company that was disclosed without a breach of any confidentiality obligation; (iii) information approved for release by written authorization of the Company or the Company Affiliate; or, (iv) information that may be required by law or an order of the court, agency or proceeding to be disclosed; provided, Employee shall provide the Company notice of any such required disclosure once Employee has knowledge of it and will help the Company at the Company’s expense to the extent reasonable to obtain an appropriate protective order. (c) Employee represents that Employee has not taken, used or knowingly permitted to be used any notes, memorandum, reports, lists, records, drawings, sketches, specifications, software programs, data, documentation, or other materials of any nature relating to any matter within the scope of the business of the Company, the Company Affiliates, or their partner companies or concerning any of its dealings or affairs otherwise than for the benefit of the Company or the Company Affiliates. Employee shall not, after his or her termination of employment, use or knowingly permit to be used any such notes, memoranda, reports, lists, records, drawings, sketches, specifications, software programs, data, documentation, or other materials, it being agreed that all of the foregoing shall be and remain the sole and exclusive property of the Company, the Company Affiliate or client of the same, as the case may be, and that immediately upon the effectiveness of Employee’s resignation from employment, Employee shall deliver all of the foregoing, and all copies thereof, to the Company at its main office. (d) In accordance with normal ethical and professional standards, the Company and Employee agree that they shall not in any way engage in any conduct or make any statement that would defame or disparage the other, or make to, or solicit for, the media or others, any comments, statements (whether written or oral), and the like that may be considered to be derogatory or detrimental to the good name or business reputation of either party. It is understood and agreed that the Company’s obligation under this paragraph extends only to the conduct of the Company’s senior officers. The only exception to the foregoing shall be in those circumstances in which Employee or the Company is obligated to provide information in response to an investigation by a duly authorized governmental entity or in connection with legal proceedings.
Mutual Non-Disparagement Subject to applicable law, each of the Parties covenants and agrees that, during the Standstill Period, or if earlier, until such time as the other Party or any of its agents, subsidiaries, controlled affiliates, successors, assigns, partners, members, officers, key employees or directors shall have breached this Section 12, neither it nor any of its respective agents, subsidiaries, controlled affiliates, successors, assigns, partners, members, officers, key employees or directors, shall in any way publicly criticize, disparage, call into disrepute or otherwise defame or slander the other Party or such other Party’s subsidiaries, affiliates, successors, assigns, partners, members, officers (including any current officer of a Party or a Party’s subsidiaries who no longer serves in such capacity at any time following the execution of this Agreement), directors (including any current director of a Party or a Party’s subsidiaries who no longer serves in such capacity at any time following the execution of this Agreement), employees, shareholders, agents, attorneys or representatives, or any of their businesses, products or services, in any manner that would reasonably be expected to damage the business or reputation of such other Party, their businesses, products or services or their subsidiaries, affiliates, successors, assigns, officers (or former officers), directors (or former directors), employees, shareholders, agents, attorneys or representatives. The restrictions set forth in this Section 12 shall not (a) apply (i) in any compelled testimony or production of information, whether by legal process or subpoena or as part of a response to a request for information from any governmental or regulatory authority with jurisdiction over the Party from which information is sought, in each case, solely to the extent required, or (ii) to any disclosure that such Party reasonably believes, after consultation with outside counsel, to be legally required by applicable law, rules or regulations; or (b) prohibit any Party from reporting what it reasonably believes, after consultation with outside counsel, to be violations of (i) federal law or regulation to any governmental authority pursuant to Section 21F of the Exchange Act or the rules of the SEC promulgated under such Section 21F or (ii) provincial securities laws to any Canadian provincial securities regulatory authority pursuant to a whistleblower program established by such authority.
Confidential Information and Non-Competition 13.1 The Executive acknowledges and agrees that in performing the duties and responsibilities of her employment pursuant to this Agreement, she will occupy a position of high fiduciary trust and confidence with the Corporation, pursuant to which she will develop and acquire wide experience and knowledge with respect to all aspects of the Business carried on by the Corporation and its Related Corporations, and the manner in which such Business is conducted. It is the express intent and agreement of the Executive and the Corporation that such knowledge and experience shall be used solely and exclusively in furtherance of the Business interests of the Corporation and its Related Corporations, and not in any manner detrimental to them. The Executive therefore agrees that, so long as she is engaged by the Corporation pursuant to this Agreement, she shall not engage in any practice or business that competes with the Business of the Corporation or its Related Corporations. It shall not be considered a violation of this Section 13.1 for the Executive to be involved as an investor or shareholder in securities issued by corporations that compete directly or indirectly with the Business, provided that such investment does not constitute more than 5% of the outstanding securities of a business or corporation whose shares trade on a recognized stock exchange. 13.2 The Executive agrees that during the Term, and following the termination of the Executive's employment for any reason, she shall treat confidentially all Confidential Information belonging to the Corporation or its Related Corporations, and shall not use or disclose the Confidential Information to any unauthorized persons, except with the prior express written consent of the Corporation, or otherwise as required by law. 13.3 The Executive further acknowledges and agrees that pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, she will acquire Company Property which is and shall remain the sole and exclusive property of the Corporation. Upon termination of the Executive's employment and this Agreement for any reason, the Executive shall return to the Corporation all Company Property, together with any copies or reproductions thereof, which may have come into the Executive's possession during the course of or pursuant to this Agreement, and shall delete or destroy all computer files on her personal computer which may contain any Confidential Information belonging to the Corporation, or its Related Corporations. 13.4 Notwithstanding the provision of 13.2 and 13.3, the Executive shall be permitted to disclose Confidential Information as required by law, regulation, government body or authority or by court order. 13.5 The Executive acknowledges and agrees that the Corporation would suffer irreparable harm in the event that any Confidential Information or other knowledge and experience acquired by the Executive in relation to the business of the Corporation were disclosed to a competitor of the Corporation or used for a competitive purpose for a reasonable period of time following the termination of her employment. Accordingly, the Executive agrees that in the event her employment with the Corporation is terminated for Cause by the Corporation, or in the event that the Executive voluntarily resigns her employment with the Corporation, neither she nor any employee or agent of the Executive shall, for a period of three (3) months from the Termination Date: (a) be engaged, either directly or indirectly in any manner including, without limitation, as an officer, director, shareholder, owner, partner, member, joint venturer, employee, independent contractor, consultant, advisor or sales representative, in any business or enterprise which competes with the Business of the Corporation or any Related Corporation, as such business was conducted as of the Termination Date, with the exception that the Executive may be involved as an investor or shareholder in securities issued by corporations that compete directly or indirectly with the Business, provided that such investment does not constitute more than 5% of the outstanding securities of a business or corporation whose shares trade on a recognized stock exchange; (b) solicit, entice or attempt to solicit or entice, either directly or indirectly, any customer or prospective customer of the Corporation or any Related Corporation as at the Termination Date, to become a customer of any business or enterprise which competes with the Corporation or any Related Corporation for any business as such business was conducted by the Corporation or any Related Corporation as at the Termination Date; or (c) solicit or entice, or attempt to solicit or entice, either directly or indirectly, any employee of the Corporation or any Related Corporation as at the Termination Date, to become employed by or connected with any business or enterprise which competes with the Corporation or any Related Corporation for any business as such business was conducted by the Corporation or any Related Corporation as at the Termination Date. The restrictions set out in this Section 13.5 shall apply only within North America or to any business that directly relates to North America. 13.6 The Executive acknowledges and agrees that the Corporation will suffer harm in the event that the Executive breaches any of the obligations under this Article 13, and that monetary damages would be difficult to quantify and may be inadequate to compensate the Corporation for such a breach. Accordingly, the Executive agrees that in the event of a breach or a threatened breach by the Executive of any of the provisions of this Article 13, the Corporation shall be entitled to seek, in addition to any other rights, remedies or damages available to the Corporation at law or in equity, an interim and permanent injunction, in order to prevent or restrain any such breach or threatened breach by the Executive. 13.7 The Executive hereby agrees that all restrictions contained in this Article 13 are reasonable and necessary to protect the legitimate proprietary interests of the Corporation, and will not unduly restrict her ability to secure comparable alternative employment following the termination of her employment for any reason. If any covenant or provision of this Article 13 is determined to be void or unenforceable in whole or in part, for any reason, it shall be deemed not to affect or impair the validity of any other covenant or provision of this Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect. 13.8 The provisions of this Article 13 shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the termination of this Agreement for any reason.
Disparagement Executive shall not at any time make false or misleading statements about Company, including its products, management, employees, customers and suppliers.
Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation and Non-Disparagement (a) During the Term, the Executive shall not (1) provide any services, directly or indirectly, to any other business or commercial entity without the consent of the Board or (2) participate in the formation of any business or commercial entity without the consent of the Board; provided, however, that nothing contained in this Section 5(a) shall be deemed to prohibit the Executive from acquiring, solely as an investment, shares of capital stock (or other interests) of any corporation (or other entity) not exceeding two percent (2%) of such corporation’s (or other entity’s) then-outstanding shares of capital stock (or other interests). (b) If this Agreement is terminated by the Company for Cause (as defined in Section 6(c)) or if the Executive terminates this Agreement other than in accordance with Section 7 or 8 hereof, or if the Executive is receiving Severance Payments in accordance with Section 9(c) or payments under Section 9(d), then for a period of one (1) year following the date of termination the Executive shall not (1) provide any services, directly or indirectly, to any other business or commercial entity in the Company’s Field of Interest (as defined in Section 12), (2) solicit any customers or suppliers of the Company, (3) attempt to persuade or encourage customers or suppliers of the Company not to do business with the Company and/or to do business with a competitor of the Company, (4) participate in the formation of any business or commercial entity engaged primarily in the Company’s Field of Interest, or (5) directly or indirectly employ, or seek to employ or secure the services in any capacity of, any person employed at that time by the Company or any of its Affiliates, or otherwise encourage or entice any such person to leave such employment; provided, however, that nothing contained in this Section 5(b) shall be deemed to prohibit the Executive from acquiring, solely as an investment, shares of capital stock (or other interests) of any corporation (or other entity) in the Company’s Field of Interest not exceeding two percent (2%) of such corporation’s (or other entity’s) then outstanding shares of capital stock (or other interests). This Section 5(b) shall be subject to written waivers, which may be obtained by the Executive from the Company. (c) At no time during the Term of this Agreement or thereafter will the Executive knowingly make any written or oral untrue statement or any statement that disparages the Company or its Affiliates or will the Company knowingly make any written or oral untrue statement or any statement that disparages the Executive. (d) If the Executive commits a breach, or threatens to commit a breach, of any of the provisions of this Section 5, the Company shall have the right and remedy to have the provisions of this Agreement, as the case may be, specifically enforced by any court having equity jurisdiction, it being acknowledged and agreed that any such breach or threatened breach will cause irreparable injury to the Company and that money damages will not provide an adequate remedy to the Company. (e) If any of the covenants contained in this Section 5 or any part hereof or thereof, is hereafter construed to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable by a court or regulatory agency or tribunal of competent jurisdiction, such court, agency or tribunal shall have the power, and hereby is directed, to substitute for or limit such provision(s) in order as closely as possible to effectuate the original intent of the parties with respect to such invalid, illegal or unenforceable covenant(s) generally and so to enforce such substituted covenant(s). Subject to the foregoing, the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of any one or more of the covenants contained in this Section 5 shall not affect the validity of any other provision hereof, which shall be given full effect without regard to the invalid portions. (f) If any of the covenants contained in this Section 5, or any part hereof or thereof, is held to be unenforceable because of the duration of such provision, the area covered thereby or the extent thereof, the parties agree that the tribunal making such determination shall have the power, and hereby is directed, to reduce the duration, area and/or extent of such provision and, in its reduced form, such provision shall then be enforceable. (g) Anything else contained in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, the parties hereto intend to and hereby do confer jurisdiction to enforce the covenants contained in this Section 5 A upon the courts of any state within the geographical scope of such covenants. In the event that the courts of any one or more of such states shall hold any such covenant wholly unenforceable by reason of the breadth of such scope or otherwise, it is the intention of the parties hereto that such determination not bar or in any way affect the Company’s right to the relief provided above in the courts of any other state within the geographical scope of such other covenants, as to breaches of such covenants in such other jurisdictions, the above covenants as they relate to each state being, for this purpose, severable into diverse and independent covenants.
Mutual Nondisparagement The Executive and the Company each agree that, following the Executive’s termination of employment, neither the Executive, nor the Company will make any public statements which materially disparage the other party. The Company shall not be liable for any breach of its obligations under this paragraph if it informs its directors and executive officers, as such term is defined in Rule 3b-7 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, of the content of its covenant hereunder and takes reasonable measures to ensure that such individuals honor the Company’s agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Section 10(b) shall prohibit any person from making truthful statements when required by order of a court or other governmental or regulatory body having jurisdiction or to enforce any legal right including, without limitation, the terms of this Agreement.
Protection of Confidential Information; Non-Competition 4.1. Executive acknowledges that: (1) As a result of his current employment with the Company, Executive will obtain secret and confidential information concerning the business of the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates (referred to collectively in this Article 4 as the “Company”), including, without limitations, financial information, designs and other proprietary rights, trade secrets and “know-how,” customers and sources (“Confidential Information”). (2) The Company will suffer substantial damage which will be difficult to compute if, during the period of his employment with the Company or thereafter, Executive should enter a business competitive with the Company or divulge Confidential Information. (3) The provisions of this Agreement are reasonable and necessary for the protection of the business of the Company. 4.2. Executive agrees that he will not at any time, either during the term of this Agreement or thereafter, divulge to any person or entity any Confidential Information obtained or learned by him as a result of his employment with the Company, except (i) in the course of performing his duties hereunder, (ii) to the extent that any such information is in the public domain other than as a result of Executive’s breach of any of his obligations hereunder, (iii) where required to be disclosed by court order, subpoena or other government process or (iv) if such disclosure is made without Executive’s knowing intent to cause material harm to the Company. If Executive shall be required to make disclosure pursuant to the provisions of clause (iii) of the preceding sentence, Executive promptly, but in no event more than 72 hours after learning of such subpoena, court order, or other government process, shall notify, by personal delivery or by electronic means, confirmed by mail, the Company and, at the Company’s expense, Executive shall: (a) take reasonably necessary and lawful steps required by the Company to defend against the enforcement of such subpoena, court order or other government process, and (b) permit the Company to intervene and participate with counsel of its choice in any proceeding relating to the enforcement thereof. 4.3. Upon termination of his employment with the Company, Executive will promptly deliver to the Company all memoranda, notes, records, reports, manuals, drawings, blue-prints and other documents (and all copies thereof) relating to the business of the Company and all property associated therewith, which he may then possess or have under his control; provided, however, that the Executive shall be entitled to retain one copy of such documents for his personal use and records. 4.4. During the period commencing with the start date of employment under this agreement and terminating three years after termination of employment: (A) Executive, without the prior written permission of the Company, shall not, anywhere in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong SAR and Taiwan, (i) enter into the employ of or render any services to any person, firm or corporation engaged in any business which is directly in competition with the Company’s principal existing business at the time of termination (“Competitive Business”); (ii) engage in any Competitive Business as an individual, partner, shareholder, creditor, director, officer, principal, agent, employee, trustee consultant, advisor or in any other relationship or capacity; (iv) employ, or have or cause any other person or entity to employ, any person who was employed by the Company at the time of termination of Executive’s employment by the Company (other than Executive’s personal secretary and assistant); or (v) solicit, interfere with, or endeavor to entice away from the Company, for the benefit of a Competitive Business, any of its customers. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive shall not be precluded from investing and managing the investment of, his or his family’s assets in the securities of any corporation or other business entity which is engaged in a Competitive Business if such securities are traded on a national stock exchange or in the over-the-counter market and if such investment does not result in his beneficially owning, at any time, more than 5% of any class of the publicly-traded equity securities of such Competitive Business; provided, however, that for a period commencing with the start date of employment under this agreement and terminating three years after termination of Executive’s employment (except for investments in a class of securities trading on public markets), Executive shall refer to the Company for consideration (before any other party) any and all opportunities to acquire or purchase, or otherwise make equity or debt investments in, companies primarily involved in a Competitive Business if such opportunities becomes known to Executive while he is the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. If the Company determines not to exploit any opportunity referred to in the foregoing sentence, the Company shall determine what, if anything, should be done with such opportunity. Executive shall not be entitled to any compensation, as a finder or otherwise, if either the Company or Executive introduces such opportunity to other persons, it being understood that all such compensation shall be paid to the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the Company terminates this Agreement without “cause” or if Executive terminates this Agreement for Good Reason under Section 3.5 hereof, Executive’s obligations under this Section 4.4 shall terminate one month following termination. 4.5. If Executive commits a breach of any of the provisions of Sections 4.2 or 4.4, the Company shall have the right: (1) to have the provisions of this Agreement specifically enforced by any court having equity jurisdiction, it being acknowledged and agreed by Executive that the services being rendered hereunder to the Company are of a special, unique and extraordinary character and that any breach or threatened breach will cause irreparable injury to the Company and that money damages will not provide an adequate remedy to the Company; and (2) to require Executive to account for and pay over to the Company all monetary damages determined by a non-appealable decision by a court of law to have been suffered by the Company as the result of any actions constituting a breach of any of the provisions of Section 4.2 or 4.4, and Executive hereby agrees to account for and pay over such damages to the Company (up to the maximum of all payments made under the Agreement). 4.6. If Executive shall violate any covenant contained in Section 4.4, the duration of such covenant so violated shall be automatically extended for a period of time equal to the period of such violation. 4.7. If any provision of Sections 4.2 or 4.4 is held to be unenforceable because of the scope, duration or area of its applicability, the tribunal making such determination shall not have the power to modify such scope, duration, or area, or all of them and such provision or provisions shall be void ab initio.