Restrictive Convenants Confidentiality Ownership of Proceeds of Employment Sample Clauses

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Restrictive Convenants Confidentiality Ownership of Proceeds of Employment 

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• Ownership of Proprietary Information Unless otherwise provided by law any reports, histories, studies, tests, manuals, instructions, photographs, negatives, blue prints, plans, maps, data, system designs, computer code (which is intended to be consideration under this Contract), or any other documents or drawings, prepared or in the course of preparation by either party in performance of its obligations under this Contract shall be the joint property of both parties.

• Confidentiality; Non-Competition (a) Executive agrees that he will not, at any time during or after the Term, make use of or divulge to any other person, firm or corporation any trade or business secret, process, method or means, or any other confidential information concerning the business or policies of the Company, which he may have learned in connection with his employment. For purposes of this Agreement, a "trade or business secret, process, method or means, or any other confidential information" shall mean and include written information reasonably treated as confidential or as a trade secret by the Company. Executive's obligation under this Section 4.3 (a) shall not apply to any information which (i) is known publicly; (ii) is in the public domain or hereafter enters the public domain without the fault of Executive; (iii) is known to Executive prior to his receipt of such information from the Company, as evidenced by written records of Executive or (iv) is hereafter disclosed to Executive by a third party not under an obligation of confidence to the Company. Executive agrees not to remove from the premises of the Company, except as an employee of the Company in pursuit of the business of the Company or except as specifically permitted in writing by the Company, any document or other object containing or reflecting any such confidential information. Executive recognizes that all such documents and objects, whether developed by him or by someone else, will be the sole exclusive property of the Company. Upon termination of his employment hereunder, Executive shall forthwith deliver to the Company all such confidential information, including without limitation all lists of customers, correspondence, accounts, records and any other documents or property made or held by him or under his control in relation to the business or affairs of the Company, and no copy of any such confidential information shall be retained by him. (b) If Executive's employment is terminated for any reason other than for Cause, Executive shall not for a period of one year from the date of such termination, directly or indirectly, whether as an employee, consultant, independent contractor, partner, or joint venturer, (i) perform any services for a competitor which has material operations which directly compete with the Company in the sale of any products sold by the Company at the time of the termination of Executive's employment; (ii) solicit or induce, or in any manner attempt to solicit or induce, any person employed by, or as agent of, the Company to terminate such person's contract of employment or agency, as the case may be, with the Company or (iii) divert, or attempt to divert, any person, concern, or entity from doing business with the Company, nor will he attempt to induce any such person, concern or entity to cease being a customer or supplier of the Company. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Section 4.3(b) shall not prevent Executive from acquiring securities representing not more than 5% of the outstanding voting securities of any publicly held corporation.

• Definition of Proprietary Information The Executive acknowledges that he may be furnished or may otherwise receive or have access to confidential information which relates to the Company’s past, present or future business activities, strategies, services or products, research and development; financial analysis and data; improvements, inventions, processes, techniques, designs or other technical data; profit margins and other financial information; fee arrangements; compilations for marketing or development; confidential personnel and payroll information; or other information regarding administrative, management, or financial activities of the Company, or of a third party which provided proprietary information to the Company on a confidential basis. All such information, including in any electronic form, and including any materials or documents containing such information, shall be considered by the Company and the Executive as proprietary and confidential (the “Proprietary Information”).

• 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.

• Confidentiality of Proprietary Information Employee agrees, during or after the term of this employment, not to reveal confidential information, or trade secrets to any person, firm, corporation, or entity. Should Employee reveal or threaten to reveal this information, the Company shall be entitled to an injunction restraining the Employee from disclosing same, or from rendering any services to any entity to whom said information has been or is threatened to be disclosed. The right to secure an injunction is not exclusive, and the Company may pursue any other remedies it has against the Employee for a breach or threatened breach of this condition, including the recovery of damages from the Employee.

• Restricted Use of Confidential Information (a) Each Receiving Party acknowledges the confidential and proprietary nature of the Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party and agrees that such Confidential Information (i) shall be kept confidential by the Receiving Party; (ii) shall not be used for any reason or purpose other than to evaluate and consummate the Contemplated Transactions; and (iii) without limiting the foregoing, shall not be disclosed by the Receiving Party to any Person, except in each case as otherwise expressly permitted by the terms of this Agreement or with the prior written consent of an authorized representative of Seller with respect to Confidential Information of Seller(each, a "Seller Contact") or an authorized representative of Buyer with respect to Confidential Information of Buyer (each, a "Buyer Contact"). Each of Buyer and Seller shall disclose the Confidential Information of the other party only to its Representatives who require such material for the purpose of evaluating the transactions contemplated herein and are informed by Buyer or Seller, as the case may be, of the obligations of this Article 12 with respect to such information. Each of Buyer and Seller shall (iv) enforce the terms of this Article 12 as to its respective representatives; (v) take such action to the extent necessary to cause its representatives to comply with the terms and conditions of this Article 12; and (vi) be responsible and liable for any breach of the provisions of this Article 12 by it or its representatives. (b) Unless and until this Agreement is terminated, Seller shall maintain as confidential any Confidential Information (including for this purpose any information of Seller of the type referred to in Sections 12.l(a)(i), (ii) and (iii), whether or not disclosed to Buyer) of the Seller or Shareholders relating to any of the Assets or the Assumed Liabilities. (c) From and after the Closing, the provisions of Section 12.2(a) above shall not apply to or restrict in any manner Buyer's use of any Confidential Information of the Seller relating to any of the Assets or the Assumed Liabilities.

• Non Competition Confidentiality (a) Executive agrees and acknowledges that reasonable limits on his ability to engage in activities which are competitive with the Company are warranted in order to protect the Company's trade secrets and proprietary information and are warranted in order to protect the Company in developing and maintaining its reputation, good will and status in the marketplace. In that regard, during the 60 months following the Termination Date (the "Continuation Period"), the Executive will not directly or indirectly, on Executive's own behalf or in the service of or on behalf of any other individual or entity, either as a proprietor, employee, agent, independent contractor, consultant, director, officer, partner or stockholder (other than a stockholder of a corporation listed on a national securities exchange or whose stock is regularly traded in the over-the-counter market, provided that the Executive at no time owns, directly or indirectly, in excess of 5% of the outstanding stock of any class of any such corporation): (i) participate or engage in any activities or business developing, manufacturing, marketing or distributing any products or services offered by the Company as of the Effective Time (as defined in the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of February 14, 2000, by and among the Parent, Silversmith Acquisition Corp. and the Company), or any products or services offered by the Company subsequent to the Effective Time and in which the Executive actively participated, recognizing that the Company offers products and services globally ("Competitive Activities"), including, without limitation, (A) selling goods or rendering services of the type (or similar to the type) sold or rendered by the Company, whether by means of electronic, traditional or other form of commerce; (B) soliciting any person or entity that is a current or prospective customer or has been a customer, in each case, of the Company, while the Executive has been employed by the Company (provided that it shall not be deemed a breach of this Agreement if the Executive solicits such customers for goods or services unrelated to the Competitive Activities) and (C) assisting any person in any way to do, or attempt to do, anything prohibited by clauses (A) or (B) above; or (ii) solicit (other than pursuant to general, non-targeted advertisements) any employee of the Company, who was an employee at or prior to the Effective Time, to leave the employment of the Company. (b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Executive may remain a director at those companies for which Executive is a director as of the Effective Time, and may engage in any activities or businesses for which the Company has given permission in writing, which shall not be unreasonably withheld (or delayed) following the expiration of three years from the date the Offer is consummated, provided Executive's engaging in such activities or business would not have a material adverse impact on any of the Company's lines of businesses. (i) The Executive shall not, without the written consent of the Company, disclose to any other person or use, whether directly or indirectly, any Confidential Information (as hereinafter defined) relating to or used by the Company, whether in written, oral or other form. "Confidential Information" shall mean information about the Company, and its clients and customers that is not disclosed by the Company for financial reporting purposes and that was learned by the Executive in the course of employment with the Company, including (without limitation) any proprietary knowledge, product and service designs, trade secrets, manuals, technical information and plans, contracts, systems, procedures, databases, electronic files, disks and printouts, correspondence, internal reports, personnel files, information about Company employees relating to their education, experience, skills, abilities, compensation and benefits, and inter-personal relationships with suppliers to and customers of Company, sales and advertising material, business plans, marketing plans, financial data (including without limitation the revenues, costs or profits associated with services), customer and industry lists, customer information, customer lists coupled with product or service pricing, customer contracts, supplier contacts and other contact information, pricing policies, supplies, agents, risk analyses, engineering information and computer screen designs and computer input and output specifications, inclusive of any pertinent documentation, techniques, processes, technical information and know how. The Executive acknowledges that such Confidential Information is specialized, unique in nature and of great value to the Company, and that such information gives the Company a competitive advantage. The Executive's obligations under this Section 10(c) shall survive the termination of the Continuation Period.

• Non-Disclosure of Proprietary Information The Officer acknowledges that all Proprietary Information is received or developed by him in confidence and is the property of the Company. During the period of engagement and thereafter, the Officer will not, directly or indirectly, except as required by the normal business of the Company or expressly consented to in writing by the Company: (i) disclose, publish or make available, other than to an authorized employee, officer, or Officer of the Company, any Proprietary Information; (ii) sell, transfer or otherwise use or exploit any Proprietary Information; (iii) permit the sale, transfer, or use or exploitation of any Proprietary Information by any third party; or (iv) retain upon termination or expiration of the Period of Engagement any Proprietary Information, any copies thereof or any other tangible or retrievable materials containing or constituting Proprietary Information.

• Noncompetition and Confidentiality (a) The parties recognize that the employment of Executive with the Company has been and will continue to be special, unique and of an extraordinary character, and in connection with such employment Executive has and will continue to acquire special skill and training. The parties also recognize that the covenants of Executive contained in this Section 9 are an essential part of Executive’s engagement by the Company and that, but for the agreement of the Executive to comply with such covenants, the Company would not have entered into this Agreement. Executive accordingly agrees that, during the Term, (i) Executive shall not act or serve, directly or indirectly, as a principal, agent, independent contractor, consultant, director, officer, executive, employee or advisor or in any other position or capacity with or for, or acquire a direct or indirect ownership interest in or otherwise conduct (whether as stockholder, partner, investor, joint venturer, or as owner of any other type of interest), any Competing Business (defined below); provided, however, that this clause shall not prohibit the Executive from being the owner of (A) up to 5% of any class of outstanding securities of any entity if such class of securities is publicly traded or (B) any other securities owned by Executive on the date of this Agreement, and (ii) Executive shall not, in connection with or for the benefit of any person or entity engaged in the non-hazardous solid waste business, solicit, induce, divert or take away, any officer, employee or consultant of the Company. (b) From the date hereof, Executive shall hold in secrecy for the Company all trade secrets and other confidential information relating to the business and affairs of the Company that have come or may have come to his attention during his employment with the Company, including information concerning costs, profits, markets, sales, business development plans, lists of clients or customers, lists of acquisition targets and other information about such acquisition targets and other information of a similar nature (such categories of information being referred to herein as “Confidential Information”). Executive shall not use for his own benefit or disclose to any person any Confidential Information other than in the ordinary course of the Company’s business or in response to a court order, unless such use or disclosure has the prior written authorization of the Company. Executive shall deliver to the Company, upon request, all correspondence, memoranda, notes, records, plans, customer lists, product compositions and other documents and all copies thereof, whether in hard copy form or electronically or magnetically stored, made, composed, or received by the Executive, solely or jointly with others, that are in the Executive’s possession, custody or control and that are related in any manner to the past, present or anticipated business of the Company. (c) For the purposes of this Section 9, “Competing Business” shall mean an individual, business, corporation, association, firm, undertaking, partnership, joint venture, organization or other entity that operates non-hazardous solid waste landfills, non-hazardous solid waste collection businesses or similar facilities or businesses within a 50-mile radius of any of the landfills or similar facilities of the Company, Guarantor or any affiliate thereof. (d) Should any portion of this Section 9 be deemed unenforceable because of the scope, duration or territory encompassed by the undertakings of the Executive hereunder, and only in such event, then the Executive and the Company consent and agree to such limitation on scope, duration or territory as may be finally adjudicated as enforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction after the exhaustion of all appeals. (e) The covenants in this Section 9 shall be construed as an agreement ancillary to the other provisions of this Agreement, and the existence of any claim or cause of action of the Executive against the Company, whether predicated on this Agreement or otherwise, other than a claim or cause of action based on the Company’s failure to pay Executive amounts payable to Executive hereunder, shall not constitute a defense to the enforcement by the Company of this covenant. (f) It is expressly recognized and agreed that the covenants set forth in this Section 9 are for the purpose of restricting the activities of the Executive only to the extent necessary for the protection of the legitimate business interests of the Company, and the Company and the Executive agree that said covenants are reasonable for that purpose and that such covenants do not and will not preclude Executive from engaging in activities sufficient for the purpose of earning a living.

• Nondisclosure of Proprietary Information (a) Except in connection with the faithful performance of Executive’s duties hereunder or pursuant to Section 7(c) or (e), Executive shall, in perpetuity, maintain in confidence and shall not directly, indirectly or otherwise, use, disseminate, disclose or publish, or use for Executive’s benefit or the benefit of any person, firm, corporation or other entity (other than the Company) any confidential or proprietary information or trade secrets of or relating to the Company (including business plans, business strategies and methods, acquisition targets, intellectual property in the form of patents, trademarks and copyrights and applications therefor, ideas, inventions, works, discoveries, improvements, information, documents, formulae, practices, processes, methods, developments, source code, modifications, technology, techniques, data, programs, other know-how or materials, owned, developed or possessed by the Company, whether in tangible or intangible form, information with respect to the Company’s operations, processes, products, inventions, business practices, finances, principals, vendors, suppliers, customers, potential customers, marketing methods, costs, prices, contractual relationships, regulatory status, prospects and compensation paid to employees or other terms of employment) (collectively, the “Confidential Information”), or deliver to any person, firm, corporation or other entity any document, record, notebook, computer program or similar repository of or containing any such Confidential Information. The Parties hereby stipulate and agree that, as between them, any item of Confidential Information is important, material and confidential and affects the successful conduct of the businesses of the Company (and any successor or assignee of the Company). Notwithstanding the foregoing, Confidential Information shall not include any information that has been published in a form generally available to the public or is publicly available or has become public knowledge prior to the date Executive proposes to disclose or use such information, provided that such publishing or public availability or knowledge of the Confidential Information shall not have resulted from Executive directly or indirectly breaching Executive’s obligations under this Section 7(a) or any other similar provision by which Executive is bound, or from any third-party known by Executive to be breaching a provision similar to that found under this Section 7(a). For the purposes of the previous sentence, Confidential Information will not be deemed to have been published or otherwise disclosed merely because individual portions of the information have been separately published, but only if material features comprising such information have been published or become publicly available. (b) Upon termination of Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason, Executive will promptly deliver to the Company all correspondence, drawings, manuals, letters, notes, notebooks, reports, programs, plans, proposals, financial documents, or any other documents or property concerning the Company’s customers, business plans, marketing strategies, products, property or processes, provided that Executive may retain his compensation-related information, personal journal and rolodex, address book, appointment book, calendar and/or contact list. (c) Notwithstanding Section 7(a), Executive may respond to a lawful and valid subpoena or other legal process but shall give the Company the earliest practicable notice thereof, shall, as much in advance of the return date as practicable, make available to the Company and its counsel the documents and other information sought and shall assist such counsel at Company’s sole expense in resisting or otherwise responding to such process, in each case to the extent permitted by applicable laws or rules. (d) As used in this Section 7 and Section 8, the term “Company” shall include the Company and its direct and indirect subsidiaries. (e) Nothing in this Agreement shall prohibit Executive from (i) disclosing information and documents when required by law, subpoena or court order (subject to the requirements of Section 7(c) above), (ii) disclosing information and documents to Executive’s attorney, financial or tax adviser for the purpose of securing legal, financial or tax advice, (iii) disclosing Executive’s post-employment restrictions in this Agreement in confidence to any potential new employer, or (iv) retaining, at any time, Executive’s personal correspondence, Executive’s personal contacts and documents related to Executive’s own personal benefits, entitlements and obligations.