2.8Enforcement of Proprietary Rights. I will assist the Company in every proper way to obtain, and from time to time enforce, United States and foreign Proprietary Rights relating to Company Inventions in any and all countries. To that end I will execute, verify and deliver such documents and perform such other acts (including appearances as a witness) as the Company may reasonably request for use in applying for, obtaining, perfecting, evidencing, sustaining and enforcing such Proprietary Rights and the assignment thereof. In addition, I will execute, verify and deliver assignments of such Proprietary Rights to the Company or its designee. My obligation to assist the Company with respect to Proprietary Rights relating to such Company Inventions in any and all countries shall continue beyond the termination of my employment, but the Company shall compensate me at a reasonable rate after my termination for the time actually spent by me at the Company’s request on such assistance.
In the event the Company is unable for any reason, after reasonable effort, to secure my signature on any document needed in connection with the actions specified in the preceding paragraph, I hereby irrevocably designate and appoint the Company and its duly authorized officers and agents as my agent and attorney in fact, which appointment is coupled with an interest, to act for and in my behalf to execute, verify and file any such documents and to do all other lawfully permitted acts to further the purposes of the preceding paragraph with the same legal force and effect as if executed by me. I hereby waive and quitclaim to the Company any and all claims, of any nature whatsoever, which I now or may hereafter have for infringement of any Proprietary Rights assigned hereunder to the Company.
2.9Defend Trade Secrets Act. I hereby acknowledge notice under 18 U.S.C § 1833(b)(1), which states, in pertinent part: “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.”
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2.10Preserved Rights. No provision of this Agreement shall prevent or restrict me from disclosing information about unlawful workplace acts, including but not limited to factual information relating to any claims of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation under Title VII the New York State Human Rights Law or any other similar federal, state, or local law, including claims based on race, sexual orientation, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, and age. No provision of this Agreement is intended to limit, or shall be interpreted as limiting, my right to file administrative charges with any Governmental Entity (as defined below) charged with enforcement of any law, including but not limited to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, New York State Division of Human Rights and the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and National Labor Relations Board, and to participate in agency investigations. Additionally, nothing herein is intended to restrict, or shall be interpreted as restricting, my right to engage in concerted activity protected by Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act or my right to file for or collect unemployment benefits and/or to seek and receive remedies for workplace injuries under the provisions of any applicable workers’ compensation act. Nothing in this Agreement shall prohibit or impede me from communicating, cooperating or filing a complaint with any U.S. or foreign federal, state or local governmental or law enforcement branch, federal or state attorney general, agency, entity, commission or other governmental authority or instrumentality of competent jurisdiction (collectively, a “Governmental Entity”) or any attorney retained by me, with respect to possible violations of any U.S. or foreign federal, state or local law or regulation, or otherwise making disclosures to any Governmental Entity, in each case, that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of any such law or regulation (including, but not limited, under the federal securities laws, including the Dodd-Frank Act); provided, that in each case such communications and disclosures are consistent with applicable law. I do not need the prior authorization of (or to give notice to) the Company regarding any such communication or disclosure.
3.RECORDS. I agree to keep and maintain adequate and current records (in the form of notes, sketches, drawings and in any other form that may be required by the Company) of all Proprietary Information developed by me and all Inventions made by me during the period of my employment at the Company, which records shall be available to and remain the sole property of the Company at all times.
4.DUTY OF LOYALTY DURING EMPLOYMENT. I understand that my employment with the Company requires my full attention and effort. I agree that during the period of my employment by the Company I will not, without the Company’s express written consent, engage in any employment or business activity other than for the Company, including but not limited to employment or business activity which is competitive with, or would otherwise conflict with, my employment by the Company.
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5.NO SOLICITATION OF EMPLOYEES, CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS OR CUSTOMERS. I agree that for the period of my employment by the Company and for one (1) year after the date my employment by the Company ends for any reason, including but not limited to voluntary termination by me or involuntary termination by the Company, I will not, either directly or through others, (i) solicit or attempt to solicit any employee of the Company to end his or her relationship with the Company; and (ii) solicit any consultant, contractor, or customer of the Company, with whom I had contact or whose identity I learned as a result of my employment with the Company to diminish or materially alter its relationship with the Company.
The parties agree that for purposes of this Agreement, a customer is any person or entity to which the Company has provided goods or services at any time during the period commencing six (6) months prior to my employment with the Company and ending on the date my employment with the Company ends.
6.NON-COMPETE PROVISION. I agree that for the period of my employment with the Company, and for the period of one (1) year after the later of (1) the date my employment ends for any reason, including but not limited to voluntary termination by me or involuntary termination by the Company; or (2) the date a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order enforcing this provision, I will not provide services, similar to those I provided to the Company, to any person or entity in competition (as defined below) with the Company. I acknowledge that this non-compete provision is limited to the types of activities and services I provided in my employment with the Company.
At the present time, the Company engages in the development and commercialization of drugs that address medical needs in psychiatric and neurological disorders, including, without limitation, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, psychosis, agitation, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, and autism spectrum disorder, and therefore entities and individuals which provide similar products or services are defined as in competition with the Company. The parties understand that the scope and nature of my activities and services, and the Company’s business, products or services, may change as the Company develops. The parties agree that the scope of this provision will change to cover any changes in my activities or services, as well as any changes in the Company’s business, products or services, during my employment.
7.NO CONFLICTING AGREEMENT OR OBLIGATION. I represent that my performance of all the terms of this Agreement and as an employee of the Company does not and will not breach any agreement or obligation of any kind made prior to my employment by the Company, including agreements or obligations I may have with prior employers or entities for which I have provided services. I have not entered into, and I agree I will not enter into, any agreement or obligation either written or oral in conflict herewith.
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8.RETURN OF COMPANY DOCUMENTS. When I leave the employ of the Company, I will deliver to the Company any and all drawings, notes, memoranda, specifications, devices, formulas, and documents, together with all copies thereof, and any other material containing or disclosing any Company Inventions, Third Party Information or Proprietary Information of the Company. I further agree that any property situated on the Company’s premises and owned by the Company, including disks and other storage media, filing cabinets or other work areas, is subject to inspection by Company personnel at any time with or without notice. Prior to leaving, I will cooperate with the Company in completing and signing the Company’s termination statement.
9.LEGAL AND EQUITABLE REMEDIES. I recognize that in the course of employment with the Company, I will have access to Proprietary Information, to Third Party Information, and to employees, consultants, contractors, clients, and customers of the Company. I also recognize that the services I will be employed to provide are personal and unique. I understand that because of this the Company may sustain irreparable injury if I violate this Agreement. In order to limit or prevent such irreparable injury, the Company shall have the right to enforce this Agreement and any of its provisions by injunction, specific performance or other equitable relief, without bond and without prejudice to any other rights and remedies that the Company may have for a breach of this Agreement.
10.NOTICES. Any notices required or permitted hereunder shall be given to the appropriate party at the address specified below or at such other address as the party shall specify in writing. Such notice shall be deemed given upon personal delivery to the appropriate address or if sent by certified or registered mail, three (3) days after the date of mailing.
11.NOTIFICATION OF NEW EMPLOYER. In the event that I leave the employ of the Company, I authorize the Company to provide notice of my rights and obligations under this Agreement to my subsequent employer and to any other entity or person to whom I provide services.
12.GENERAL PROVISIONS.
12.1Governing Law; Consent to Personal Jurisdiction. This Agreement will be governed by and construed according to the laws of the State of New York, as such laws are applied to agreements entered into and to be performed entirely within New York between New York residents. I hereby expressly consent to the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts for New York County, New York in any lawsuit filed there against me by Company arising from or related to this Agreement.
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12.2Severability. In case any one or more of the provisions, subsections, or sentences contained in this Agreement shall, for any reason, be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect the other provisions of this Agreement, and this Agreement shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein. Moreover, if any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement shall for any reason be held to be excessively broad as to duration, geographical scope, activity or subject, it shall be construed by limiting and reducing it, so as to be enforceable to the extent compatible with the applicable law as it shall then appear.
12.3Successors and Assigns. This Agreement will be binding upon my heirs, executors, administrators and other legal representatives and will be for the benefit of the Company, its successors, and its assigns.
12.4Survival. The provisions of this Agreement shall survive the termination of my employment and the assignment of this Agreement by the Company to any successor in interest or other assignee.
12.5Employment At-Will. I agree and understand that I am employed at-will, and that nothing in this Agreement shall change this at-will status or confer any right with respect to continuation of employment by the Company, nor shall it interfere in any way with my right or the Company’s right to terminate my employment at any time, with or without cause.
12.6Waiver. No waiver by the Company of any breach of this Agreement shall be a waiver of any preceding or succeeding breach. No waiver by the Company of any right under this Agreement shall be construed as a waiver of any other right. The Company shall not be required to give notice to enforce strict adherence to all terms of this Agreement.
12.7Entire Agreement. The obligations pursuant to Sections 1 and 2 of this Agreement shall apply to any time during which I was previously employed, or am in the future employed, by the Company as a consultant if no other agreement governs nondisclosure and assignment of inventions during such period. This Agreement is the final, complete and exclusive agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes and merges all prior discussions between us. No modification of or amendment to this Agreement, nor any waiver of any rights under this Agreement, will be effective unless in writing and signed by the party to be charged. Any subsequent change or changes in my duties, salary or compensation will not affect the validity or scope of this Agreement.
[This Agreement shall be effective as of the first day of my employment with the Company, namely: [____________].] [This Agreement, effective as of [_______], amends and restates the Employee Proprietary Information, Inventions, and Non-Competition Agreement dated as of [____] by and between the Company and me.]
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I HAVE READ THIS AGREEMENT CAREFULLY AND UNDERSTAND ITS TERMS. I HAVE COMPLETELY FILLED OUT EXHIBIT A TO THIS AGREEMENT.