Common use of Governmental Authorities Clause in Contracts

Governmental Authorities. Nothing in the Award Agreement prohibits or interferes with your right to disclose any relevant and necessary information in any action or proceeding relating to the Award Agreement or as otherwise required by law or legal process. In addition, nothing in the Award Agreement prohibits or interferes with your or your attorney’s right: (a) to initiate communications directly with or report or disclose possible violations of law or regulation to, any governmental agency or entity, legislative body, or any self-regulatory organization, including but not limited to the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), or U.S. Congress, and such reports or disclosures do not require prior notice to, or authorization from, the Corporation; (b) to participate, cooperate, or testify in any action, investigation or proceeding with, provide information to, or respond to any inquiry from any governmental agency or legislative body, any self-regulatory organization, including but not limited to the IRS, SEC, FINRA, the EEOC, DOJ, U.S. Congress (“Governmental Authorities”), or the Corporation’s Legal or Compliance Departments and such communications do not require prior notice to, or authorization from the Corporation. However, with respect to such communications, reports, participation, cooperation or testimony to the Governmental Authorities, as set forth above in clauses (a) and (b) of this Section, you may not disclose privileged communications with the Corporation’s counsel. To the extent permitted by law, upon receipt of a subpoena, court order or other legal process compelling the disclosure of any information, you will give prompt written notice to the Corporation so as to provide the Corporation ample opportunity to protect its interests in confidentiality to the fullest extent possible unless the subpoena, court order or other legal process pertains to an action described above in clauses (a) or (b) of this Section, in which event no such notice is required. Notwithstanding any confidentiality and non-disclosure obligations you may have, you are hereby advised as follows pursuant to the U.S. Federal Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016: “An individual shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any Federal or State trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that (A) is made (i) in confidence to a Federal, State, or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney; and (ii) solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal. An individual who files a lawsuit for retaliation by an employer for reporting a suspected violation of law may disclose the trade secret to the attorney of the individual and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if the individual (A) files any document containing the trade secret under seal; and (B) does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.”