Non Competition and Non Interference During the period of his employment with the Company or its affiliates and for the one-year period after the termination of his employment with the Company and its affiliates, Employee will not, directly or indirectly:
1. without the express prior written consent of the Board of Directors, own an interest in, manage, operate, join, control, lend money or render financial or other assistance to or participate in or be connected with, as an officer, employee, partner, stockholder, consultant or otherwise, any person that competes with the Company in the field of neurostimulation in a matter covered by a patent assigned to or held by the Company; provided, however, that following Employee’s termination of employment with the Company the foregoing restriction shall apply only to those areas where the Company is actually doing business on the date of such termination of employment; provided, further, that Employee may purchase or otherwise acquire for passive investment up to 3% of any class of securities of any such enterprise if such securities are listed on any national or regional securities exchange or have been registered under Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934;
2. whether for Employee’s own account or for the account of any other person, (except for the account of the Company and its affiliates), solicit Business from any person known by Employee to be a customer of the Company or its affiliates, whether or not Employee had personal contact with such person during Employee’s employment with the Company and its affiliates;
3. whether for Employee’s own account or the account of any other person, (i) solicit, employ, or otherwise engage as an employee, independent contractor, or otherwise, any person who is an employee of the Company or an affiliate, or in any manner induce, or attempt to induce, any employee of the Company or its affiliate to terminate his employment with the Company or its affiliate; or (ii) interfere with the Company’s or its affiliate’s relationship with any person who at any time during the Term, was an employee, contractor, supplier, or customer of the Company or its affiliate; or
4. at any time after the termination of his employment, disparage the Company or its affiliates or any shareholders, directors, officers, employees, or agents of the Company or any of its affiliates, so long as the Company does not disparage Employee.
Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement In consideration of Employee’s (as defined below) entering into at-will employment with Employer (as defined below) or one of its subsidiary companies, the compensation and benefits provided to me including those set forth in a separate Employment Agreement, Change in Control Agreement and Confidentiality and Intellectual Property Agreement (the “Confidentiality Agreement”) and Employer’s agreement to provide Employee with access to Employer’s confidential information, intellectual property and trade secrets, access to its customers and other promises made below, Employee enters into the following non-competition and non-solicitation agreement: This Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement (“Agreement”) is effective by and between Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx (“Employee”) and First Solar, Inc. (“Employer”) as of October 6, 2008.
Non-Compete Agreement In consideration of this Agreement, the Executive agrees that he will not, for a period of one year from the date of his or her termination of employment with the Company, directly or indirectly own, manage, operate, join, control, be employed by, or participate in the ownership, management, operation or control of, or be connected in any manner, including but not limited to, holding the position of shareholder, director, officer, consultant, independent contractor, executive partner, or investor with any "Competing Enterprise." For purposes of this paragraph, a "Competing Enterprise" means any entity, firm or person engaged in a business within the State of Wisconsin or the upper peninsula area of the State of Michigan (the "Territory") which is in competition with any of the businesses of the Company or any of its subsidiaries within the Territory as of the date the Executive's termination of employment, and whose aggregate gross revenues, calculated for the most recently completed fiscal year of the Competing Enterprise, derived from all such competing activities within the Territory during such fiscal year, equal at least 10% or more of such Enterprise's consolidated net revenues for such fiscal year. If the Executive notifies the Company in writing of any employment or opportunity which the Executive proposes to undertake during the one year non-compete period, and supplies the Company with any additional information which the Company may reasonably request, the Company agrees to promptly notify the Executive within thirty days after all information reasonably requested by it has been provided, whether the Company considers the proposed employment or opportunity to be prohibited by these provisions and, if so, whether the Company is willing to waive the same. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 10, the Executive shall not be prohibited from acquiring or holding up to 2% of the common stock of an entity that is traded on a national securities exchange or a nationally recognized over-the-counter market.
Non Competition Non Solicitation and Confidentiality The Company and Executive acknowledge and agree that while Executive is employed pursuant to this Agreement, the Company will give Executive access to Confidential Information of the Company and its Affiliates to which Executive did not have access prior to signing this Agreement and which Executive may need and use during such employment, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged by Executive; Executive will be provided under this Agreement (i) specialized training on how to perform his duties and (ii) contact with the Company’s and its Affiliates’ customers and potential customers. In consideration of all of the foregoing, the Company and Executive agree as follows:
Non-Competition Agreement (a) Executive shall not, during the term of his employment hereunder, be engaged in any other business activity pursued for gain, profit or other pecuniary advantage if such activity interferes in any material respect with Executive's duties and responsibilities hereunder. The foregoing limitations shall not be construed as prohibiting Executive from making personal investments in such form or manner as will neither require his services in the operation or affairs of the companies or enterprises in which such investments are made nor violate the terms of this paragraph 3. In addition, Executive shall not, during the period of his employment by or with the Company, and for a period of two (2) years immediately following the termination of his employment under this Agreement, for any reason whatsoever, other than a termination by the Company without cause or by Executive for Good Reason, directly or indirectly, for himself or on behalf of or in conjunction with any other person, company, partnership, corporation or business of whatever nature:
(i) engage, as an officer, director, shareholder, owner, partner, joint venturer, or in a managerial capacity, whether as an employee, independent contractor, consultant or advisor, or as a sales representative, in any business in direct competition with the Company or Metals, within 200 miles of where the Company or any of Metals' subsidiaries conducts business, including any territory serviced by the Company or Metals or any of such subsidiaries (the "Territory");
(ii) call upon any person who is, at that time, within the Territory, an employee of the Company or Metals (including the respective subsidiaries thereof) in a managerial capacity for the purpose or with the intent of enticing such employee away from or out of the employ of the Company or Metals (including the respective subsidiaries thereof);
(iii) call upon any person or entity which is, at that time, or which has been, within one (1) year prior to that time, a customer of the Company or Metals (including the respective subsidiaries thereof) within the Territory for the purpose of soliciting or selling products or services in direct competition with the Company or Metals within the Territory;
(iv) call upon any prospective acquisition candidate, on Executive's own behalf or on behalf of any competitor, which candidate was, to Executive's actual knowledge after due inquiry, either called upon by the Company or Metals (including the respective subsidiaries thereof) or for which the Company or Metals made an acquisition analysis, for the purpose of acquiring such entity. Notwithstanding the above, the foregoing covenant shall not be deemed to prohibit Executive from acquiring as an investment not more than one percent (1%) of the capital stock of a competing business, whose stock is traded on a national securities exchange or on an over-the-counter or similar market.
(b) Because of the difficulty of measuring economic losses to the Company and Metals as a result of a breach of the foregoing covenant, and because of the immediate and irreparable damage that could be caused to the Company and Metals for which they would have no other adequate remedy, Executive agrees that the foregoing covenant may be enforced by Metals or the Company in the event of breach by him, by injunctions and restraining orders.
(c) It is agreed by the parties that the foregoing covenants in this paragraph 3 impose a reasonable restraint on Executive in light of the activities and business of the Company or Metals, as the case may be (including Metals' other subsidiaries) on the date of the execution of this Agreement and the current plans of Metals (including Metals' other subsidiaries); but it is also the intent of the Company and Executive that such covenants be construed and enforced in accordance with the changing activities, business and locations of the Company and Metals, as the case may be (including Metals' other subsidiaries) throughout the term of this covenant, whether before or after the date of termination of the employment of Executive. For example, if, during the term of this Agreement, the Company or Metals, as the case may be (including Metals' other subsidiaries) engages in new and different activities, enters a new business or establishes new locations for its current activities or business in addition to or other than the activities or business enumerated under the Recitals above or the locations currently established therefor, then Executive will be precluded from soliciting the customers or employees of such new activities or business or from such new location and from directly competing with such new business within 200 miles of its then-established operating location(s) through the term of this covenant. It is further agreed by the parties hereto that, in the event that Executive shall cease to be employed hereunder, and shall enter into a business or pursue other activities not in competition with the Company or Metals (including Metals' other subsidiaries), or similar activities or business in locations the operation of which, under such circumstances, does not violate clause (i) of this paragraph 3, and in any event such new business, activities or location are not in violation of this paragraph 3 or of Executive's obligations under this paragraph 3, if any, Executive shall not be chargeable with a violation of this paragraph 3 if the Company or Metals (including Metals' other subsidiaries) shall thereafter enter the same, similar or a competitive (i) business, (ii) course of activities or (iii) location, as applicable.
(d) The covenants in this paragraph 3 are severable and separate, and the unenforceability of any specific covenant shall not affect the provisions of any other covenant. Moreover, in the event any court of competent jurisdiction shall determine that the scope, time or territorial restrictions set forth are unreasonable, then it is the intention of the parties that such restrictions be enforced to the fullest extent which the court deems reasonable, and the Agreement shall thereby be reformed.
(e) All of the covenants in this paragraph 3 shall be construed as an agreement independent of any other provision in this Agreement, and the existence of any claim or cause of action of Executive against the Company or Metals, whether predicated on this Agreement or otherwise, shall not constitute a defense to the enforcement by Metals or the Company of such covenants. It is specifically agreed that the period of two (2) years following termination of employment stated at the beginning of this paragraph 3, during which the agreements and covenants of Executive made in this paragraph 3 shall be effective, shall be computed by excluding from such computation any time during which Executive is in violation of any provision of this paragraph 3.
NON-COMPETITION CLAUSE The parties agree that during the term of employment and for a period of up to 12 months after the expiry of the agreed notice period (such 12-month period referred to as the "Restricted Period"), the Executive shall not be entitled to be employed by, directly or indirectly offer services to, start up, lead, be a board member in, have an ownership interest in, participate in or otherwise in any way engage in any business that directly or indirectly competes with the Company or the Group (the "Non-Competition Clause"). In case of summary dismissal, the Restricted Period commences on the date of the summary dismissal. The Company may at the request of the Executive, or at any other time, decide if and to what extent the Non-Competition Clause shall be invoked. The procedure in connection with such a decision shall comply with the mandatory provisions of Chapter 14 A in the WEA including the Company's obligation to provide the Executive with a written statement in this regards. If the Restricted Period is invoked for a shorter period of time, the Compensation to the Executive (see below) is reduced correspondingly. Should the Employer decide not to invoke the Non-Competition Clause, the Executive will not be entitled to such Compensation. If the Non-Competition Clause is invoked, the Executive shall receive compensation during the Restrictive Period equivalent to 100% of the Executive's annual remuneration up to 8 G ("G" means the Basic Amount in the National Insurance Scheme), and then, if applicable, 70% of the annual remuneration exceeding 8G ("Compensation"). The term "remuneration" is to be understood in line with Chapter 14 A in the WEA. The total amount of Compensation will not exceed 12 G. The Compensation is based on the Executive's remuneration the last 12 months preceding the time of the notice and is paid monthly on the Company's payroll date. The Compensation is not included in the basis for holiday pay or pension, and the Executive is not entitled to any bonus or other supplementary benefits from the Company during the period for payment of the Compensation. The Employer will carry out tax deduction and any other mandatory deductions in accordance with applicable law. The Compensation is paid monthly on the Company's payroll date. Deductions shall be made in the Compensation for any income or other remuneration (or similar) that the Executive receives from the Company or accrues from others in the Restricted Period limited to 50% of the Compensation. The Executive shall provide adequate information about the salary from any new employer during the application of the obligations set out herein. If the Executive does not comply with this requirement, the Company may withhold the Compensation until such information is received.
Non-Competition (a) During the term of employment of the Employee under this Employment Agreement, and during a period of one (1) year after termination of employment of the Employee under this Employment Agreement without regard to the cause of termination of employment and whether or not such termination of employment was caused by the Employee or by the Corporation, (i) the Employee shall not engage, either directly or indirectly, in any manner or capacity, in any business or activity which is competitive with any business or activity conducted by the Corporation; (ii) the Employee shall not work for or employ, directly or indirectly, or cause to be employed by another, any person who was an employee, officer or agent of the Corporation or of any of its subsidiaries at any time during a period of twelve (12) months prior to the termination of the employment of the Employee under this Employment Agreement nor shall the Employee form any partnership with, or establish any business venture in cooperation with, any such person which is competitive with any business or activity of the Corporation; (iii) the Employee shall not give, sell or lease any goods or services competitive with the goods or services of the Corporation or its subsidiaries to any person, partnership, corporation or other entity who purchased goods or services from the Corporation or its subsidiaries within one (1) year before the termination of the employment of the Employee under this Employment Agreement; (iv) the Employee shall not have any material financial interest, or participate as a director, officer, 5% stockholder, partner, employee, consultant or otherwise, in any corporation, partnership or other entity which is competitive with any business or activity conducted by the Corporation.
(b) The Corporation and the Employee agree that the services of the Employee are of a personal, special, unique and extraordinary character, and cannot be replaced by the Corporation without great difficulty, and that the violation by the Employee of any of his agreements under this Section (10) would damage the goodwill of the Corporation and cause the Corporation irreparable harm which could not reasonably or adequately be compensated in damages in an action at law, and that the agreements of the Employee under this Section (10) may be enforced by the Corporation in equity by an injunction or restraining order in addition to being enforced by the Corporation at law.
(c) In the event that this Section (10) shall be determined by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable by reason of its extending for too long a period of time or over too great a range of activities, it shall be interpreted to extend only over the maximum period of time or range of activities as to which it may be enforceable.
Non-Solicitation and Non-Interference 5.1 The Company, Employer and Employee hereby mutually agree that the nature of Employer’s business and Employee’s employment hereunder are based on the Company’s and Employer’s goodwill, public perception, and customer relations. Therefore, ancillary to this otherwise enforceable agreement and in exchange for Employee being provided access to the Confidential Information and the other agreements and consideration set forth herein, Employee hereby agrees and covenants to each and all of the following:
(a) During the Term and the longer of (i) the period of 12 months following the termination of this Agreement or (ii) the conclusion of the Salary Continuation Period, Employee hereby covenants and agrees that Employee will not, either directly, indirectly or through a subsidiary or an affiliate, solicit (x) any customer of the Company or its subsidiaries and affiliates that has utilized the services or products of the Company during the twelve (12) month period prior to the termination of this Agreement for the purpose of causing such customer to cease doing business with the Employer or (y) anyone with whom Employee had contact during the Term during the twelve (12) month period prior to the termination of this Agreement for purposes of selling products or services to such person that are in competition with the products or services offered or sold by the Company or its subsidiaries and affiliates.
(b) During the Term and the longer of (i) the period of 12 months following the termination of this Agreement or (ii) the conclusion of the Salary Continuation Period, Employee hereby agrees not to employ or otherwise engage , either directly, indirectly or through an affiliate, any employee or independent contractor of the Company or its subsidiaries and affiliates or any individual who was an employee or independent contractor of the Company or its subsidiaries and affiliates at any time during the twelve (12) month period prior to the termination of this Agreement, with whom Employee had contact during the Term. Further, Employee agrees not to contact in any manner any such employee or independent contractor for the purpose of encouraging such employee or independent contractor to leave or terminate his or her employment or engagement with the Company or its subsidiaries and affiliates.
(c) During the Term and the longer of (i) the period of 12 months following the termination of this Agreement or (ii) the conclusion of the Salary Continuation Period, Employee hereby agrees not to interfere or attempt to interfere with the relationship of the Company or any of its subsidiaries with any person who at the relevant time is an employee, contractor, supplier, or customer of the Company or its subsidiaries and affiliates.
5.2 Employee acknowledges and agrees that the length and scope of the restrictions contained in Section 5.1 are reasonable and necessary to protect the legitimate business interests of the Company and its subsidiaries. The duration of the agreements contained in Section 5.1 shall be extended for the amount of any time of any violation thereof and the time, if greater, necessary to enforce such provisions or obtain any relief or damages for such violation through the court system. If any covenant in Section 5.1 of this Agreement is held to be unreasonable, arbitrary, or against public policy, such covenant will be considered to be divisible with respect to scope and time, and such lesser scope or time, or either of them, as an arbitrator or a court of competent jurisdiction may determine to be reasonable, not arbitrary, and not against public policy, will be effective, binding, and enforceable against Employee. In the event of termination of Employee’s employment with Employer for any reason, Employee consents to Employer communicating with Employee’s new employer, any entity in the business or through or in connection with which Employee is restricted hereunder, or any other party about the restrictions and obligations imposed on Employee under this Agreement.
5.3 In the event the Company or its subsidiaries shall file a lawsuit in any court of jurisdiction alleging a breach of any of Employee’s obligations under Section 5.1 of this Agreement, the Non-Solicitation and Non-Interference periods referenced in Section 5.1 shall be tolled during any time Employee was in breach of those obligations.
Non-Compete Agreements The Company, in its sole discretion, may require you to execute a separate non-compete, non-solicitation, or similar agreement in connection with the grant of the Restricted Stock Units pursuant to this Agreement or in connection with the acceleration of the Restricted Stock Units in accordance with the provisions of Section 6 of this Agreement.
Non Competition and Confidentiality (a) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary set forth elsewhere herein, the RSUs, the shares of common stock of the Company underlying the RSUs, or any proceeds received by the Key Person upon the sale of shares of common stock of the Company underlying the RSUs shall be forfeited by the Key Person to the Company without any consideration therefore, if the Key Person is not in compliance, at any time during the period commencing on the date of this Agreement and ending nine months following the termination of the Key Person’s affiliation with the Company and/or its subsidiaries, with all applicable provisions of the Plan and with the following conditions:
(i) the Key Person shall not directly or indirectly (1) be employed by, engage or have any interest in any business which is or becomes competitive with the Company or its subsidiaries or is or becomes otherwise prejudicial to or in conflict with the interests of the Company or its subsidiaries, (2) induce any customer of the Company or its subsidiaries to patronize such competitive business or otherwise request or advise any such customer to withdraw, curtail or cancel any of its business with the Company or its subsidiaries, or (3) solicit for employment any person employed by the Company or its subsidiaries; provided, however, that this restriction shall not prevent the Key Person from acquiring and holding up to two percent of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any corporation which is or becomes competitive with the Company or is or becomes otherwise prejudicial to or in conflict with the interests of the Company if such shares are available to the general public on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market; and
(ii) the Key Person shall not use or disclose, except for the sole benefit of or with the written consent of the Company, any confidential information relating to the business, processes or products of the Company.
(b) The Company shall notify in writing the Key Person of any violation by the Key Person of this Section 16. The forfeiture shall be effective as of the date of the occurrence of any of the activities set forth in (a) above. If the shares of common stock of the Company underlying the RSUs have been sold, the Key Person shall promptly pay to the Company the amount of the proceeds from such sale. The Key Person hereby consents to a deduction from any amounts owed by the Company to the Key Person from time to time (including amounts owed as wages or other compensation, fringe benefits or vacation pay) to the extent of the amounts owed by the Key Person to the Company under this Section 16. Whether or not the Company elects to make any set-off in whole or in part, the Key Person agrees to timely pay any amounts due under this Section 16. In addition, the Company shall be entitled to injunctive relief for any violation by the Key Person of subsection (a)(ii) of this Section 16.
