Exhibit 10.14
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CONFIDENTIALITY AND NON-COMPETITION AGREEMENT
This Agreement made as of the 1st day of January, 1999, by and between The
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Group, Ltd. ("Company") and ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ("Employee").
WHEREAS,
The Company desires to employ the Employee and the Employee desires to
provide services to the Company and as a condition to the Company employing the
Employee the Company requires the Employee to enter into this Confidentiality
and Non-Competition Agreement; and
Employee understands and agrees that he would not be offered employment
unless Employee had elected to enter into this Agreement; and
Employee represents that employment by the Company is more than adequate
consideration for the promises made by Employee in this Agreement and intends
that the Company shall rely upon that representation;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the respective agreements of the parties
contained herein, and intending to be legally bound hereby, it is agreed as
follows:
1. Confidential Information
(a) During Employee's employment with the Company ("Employee's
employment"), Employee will receive and have access to confidential or
proprietary information about the Company ("Information") and its business,
including but not limited to information about pricing, costs, profits, sales,
marketing or business plans, budgets, forecasts, customer lists, customer
requirements, internally developed methods of customer solicitation, facts
relating to existing or prospective customers, arrangements with customers or
suppliers, possible acquisitions or divestitures, markets or market extensions,
personnel, know-how, processes, systems and procedures, methods of operation,
equipment, development plans, operating manuals, and other data not available to
the public, none of which is part of the general knowledge of the industry.
(b) During Employee's employment and following termination of
Employee's employment for any reason (including resignation by Employee or
termination, with or without cause, by the Company), Employee will not disclose,
use, or appropriate any Information for his/her own use or for the use of
others, directly or indirectly, except as required in the performance of
Employee's duties to the Company. Employee recognizes that any unauthorized
disclosure, use, or appropriation of the Information would be highly prejudicial
to the interests of the Company.
(c) In the event that Employee's employment with the Company
terminates for any reason (including resignation by Employee or termination,
with or without cause, by the Company), Employee shall deliver to the Company,
on or before Employee's last
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day of employment, all documentation, records and materials in any form
(including without limitation, all computer files) that in any way contain,
incorporate, embody or reflect any Information.
2. No Business Diversion. Employee will not for a period of one year
following the termination of Employee's employment with the Company for any
reason (including resignation by Employee or termination, with or without cause,
by Company), either directly or indirectly, contact, solicit, divert, call on,
take away or do business with, or attempt to contact, solicit, divert, call on,
take away or do business with, any past, present or prospective customer or
supplier of the Company.
3. No Employee Solicitation. During Employee's employment, and for a period
of one year following the termination of Employee's employment with the Company
for any reason (including resignation by Employee or termination, with or
without cause, by the Company), Employee will not, directly or indirectly,
solicit, employ, interfere with, attempt to entice away from the Company, or
recommend for employment outside the Company, any individual who either (a) is
employed by the Company at the time of such solicitation, employment,
interference, or enticement or (b) has been so employed within 12 months prior
to such solicitation, employment, interference or enticement.
4. Non-Competition
(a) During Employee's employment, and for a period of one year
following the termination of Employee's employment with the Company for any
reason (including resignation by Employee or termination, with or without cause,
by Company), Employee will not, directly or indirectly, own, manage, operate,
join, control, receive compensation or benefits from, or participate in the
ownership, management, operation, or control of, or be employed or be otherwise
connected in any manner with, any business which directly or indirectly Competes
(as defined in subparagraph 4(b)) with, in the Territory (as defined in
subparagraph 4(c)), the business of the Company as conducted or planned to be
conducted by the Company during Employee's employment.
(b) "Competes" as used in this Agreement means engages in, or plans to
engage in, the marketing or selling of any product or service of any person,
other than the Company, which competes with a product or service of the Company
(or a product or service which, to Employee's knowledge, was under development
by the Company during Employee's employment).
(c) "Territory" as used in this Agreement means the geographic area(s)
contained within the United States of America.
5. Affiliates. References in paragraphs 1-4 to the Company shall include
the Company, its subsidiaries, divisions, and affiliates.
6. Tolling. Employee agrees that in the event of a violation of any of
the provisions of paragraphs 2-4, the period during which Employee is prohibited
from committing
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the violation shall be extended by the length of time of the violation.
7. Enforcement of Agreement
(a) Employee acknowledges and agrees that the restrictions contained
in this Agreement are necessary to protect the legitimate interests of the
Company, and impose no undue hardship on Employee. Employee further acknowledges
and agrees that the breach of any of the provisions of this Agreement will
result in irreparable injury to the Company, for which there is no adequate
remedy at law. Employee agrees that no alleged counterclaim, defense or offset
he/she may claim shall affect or impair the Company's rights to injunctive
relief under this Agreement.
(b) Employee consents to the issuance of any restraining order or
injunction which arises or results from, or relates to, directly or indirectly,
any violation of this Agreement. Additionally, the Company may proceed at law to
obtain such other relief as may be available. Employee agrees that, if the
Company prevails (in whole or in part) in any suit or proceeding under this
Agreement, Employee will pay the Company all of the Company's attorneys fees,
costs and expenses incurred in connection with such suit or proceeding or the
enforcement of Company's rights under this Agreement.
(c) This Agreement shall be governed by, construed and enforced in
accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, without giving
effect to conflict of law principles.
8. Survival. This Agreement shall survive the termination of Employee's
employment for any reason unless the parties expressly agree in writing to the
contrary.
9. Reading and Understanding Agreement. Employee acknowledges that
Employee has carefully read this entire Agreement, understands it, and has had
the opportunity to consult with an attorney of Employee's choice before signing
this Agreement.
10. No Contract of Employment. This Agreement does not constitute a
contract of employment, nor does it impose on the Company any obligation to
retain Employee in its employ. To the contrary, Employee is an employee-at-will.
11. Reform of Agreement. No provision of this Agreement may be amended,
modified, supplemented, or waived unless agreed to in writing and signed by a
duly authorized officer of the Company and Employee. The failure to exercise, or
delay in exercising, any right, power or remedy under this Agreement shall not
impair or waive any right, power or remedy which the Company has under this
Agreement.
12. Severability or Reform by Court. In the event that any provision of
this Agreement is deemed by a court to be broader than permitted by applicable
law, then such provision shall be reformed so that it is enforceable to the
fullest extent permitted by applicable law. If any provision of this Agreement
shall be declared by a court to be invalid or unenforceable to any extent, the
validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall
not be affected.
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13. Entire Agreement; Assignment. This Agreement constitutes the entire
agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes all prior agreements,
understandings and arrangements, oral or written, between the parties with
respect to the subject matter hereof. The Company may assign this Agreement
without the consent of Employee.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Agreement to be executed by
its duly authorized officer and the Employee has executed this Agreement as of
the day indicated below.
EMPLOYEE
Dated: January 1, 1999 /s/ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
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Name: ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
THE ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ GROUP, LTD.
Dated: January 1, 1999 By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
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Name: ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
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Title: Vice President
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