ARTICLE 4
Non-Competition; Confidential Information
Section 4.1Non-Competition.
(a) From the date hereof until the termination of the Employment Period (subject to extension as set forth below, the “Non-Competition Period”), Executive:
(i) shall not engage, directly or indirectly, in any activities whether as employer, proprietor, partner, stockholder (other than the holder of less than 5% of the stock of a corporation, the securities of which are traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market), director, officer, employee or otherwise, in competition within the United States, England and Canada with Company or any of its affiliates;
(ii) shall not solicit, directly or indirectly, any person who is a customer or supplier of Company, any of its affiliates or Windward Capital Partners II, L.P., Windward Capital II, LP, LLC, Windward/MSG Co-Invest, LLC and Windward Acquisition/MS, LLC (collectively, “Windward”) for the purpose of acquiring, marketing, leasing or selling mobile or fixed storage containers, storage trailers or mobile offices (the “Company Business”); and
(iii) shall not induce or actively attempt to persuade any employee of Company, any of its affiliates or Windward to terminate his employment relationship in order to enter into any competitive employment.
(b) Except as required by law, Executive shall not, at any time during the Non-Competition Period or thereafter, make use of any confidential information of Company, Windward or any of their respective affiliates, nor divulge any trade secrets or proprietary or confidential information of Company, Windward or any of their respective affiliates (including, without limitation, information relating to customers, suppliers, contracts, business plans and developments, discoveries, processes, products, systems, know-how, books and records), except to the extent that such information becomes a matter of public record (other than as a result of disclosure by Executive), is published in a newspaper, magazine or other periodical available to the general public or as Windward may so authorize in writing. When Executive shall cease to be employed by Company, Executive shall surrender to Company or Windward all records and other documents obtained by him or entrusted to him during the course of his employment hereunder (together with all copies thereof) which pertain to the business of Company or Windward or which were paid for by Company other than the Executive’s counterparts of this Agreement and employment-related documents referred to herein.
(c) The covenants contained in clauses (i) and (ii) ofSection 4.l(a) shall apply within all territories in which Company is actively engaged in the conduct of business during the Non-Competition Period.
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(e) It is the desire and intent of the parties that the provisions ofSections 4.1(a) and4.l(b) shall be enforced to the fullest extent permissible under the law and public policies applied in each jurisdiction in which enforcement is sought. Accordingly, if any particular provision ofSections 4.l(a) or4.1(b) shall be adjudicated to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be deemed amended to delete therefrom the portion thus adjudicated to be invalid or unenforceable, such deletion to apply only with respect to the operation of such provision in the particular jurisdiction in which such adjudication is made. In addition, should any court determine that the provisions ofSections 4.l(a) or4.1(b) shall be unenforceable with respect to scope, duration or geographic area, such court shall be empowered to substitute, to the extent enforceable, provisions similar hereto or other provisions so as to provide to Company and Windward, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the benefits intended bySections 4.1(a) and4.1(b).
(f) The covenants contained inSection 4.l(b) shall survive the conclusion of Executive’s employment by the Company and/or his service as an officer of Company.
(g) If, at any time, the Executive sells or transfers any securities of Company to Company or to any then-current stockholder of Company, a subsequent Non-Competition Period shall begin on the effective date of any such sale or transfer and expire on the first anniversary of such effective date; provided, however, that such subsequent Non-Competition Periods shall not extend beyond the tenth (10th) anniversary of the date hereof. Each and every provision of this Agreement applicable to Executive and Company during the original Non-Competition Period shall apply with equal force and effect to Executive and Company during such subsequent Non-Competition Period and any reference in this Agreement to the “Non-Competition Period” shall be deemed to include such subsequent Non-Competition Period.
(h) In the event Executive violates any provision of this Agreement, the running of the time period of such provisions so violated shall be automatically suspended upon the date of such violation and shall resume on the date such violation ceases and all appeals, if any, are resolved.
(i) Executive acknowledges and agrees that the covenants, obligations and agreements of Executive contained herein relate to special, unique and extraordinary matters and that a violation of any of the terms of such covenants, obligations or agreements will cause Company and its successors irreparable injury for which adequate remedies are not available at law. In the event of a breach or threatened breach by Executive of any provision of this Agreement, Company and its successors, without proving actual damages, shall be entitled to an injunction (without the requirement to post bond) restraining Executive from (a) soliciting or interfering with employees, consultants, independent contractors, customers or suppliers of Company, its affiliates or their respective successors, (b) disclosing, in whole or in part, the private, secret and confidential information described herein, or from rendering any services to any person, firm, corporation, association or other entity to whom such information has been disclosed, or is threatened to be disclosed, (c) engaging, participating or otherwise being connected with any arrangement in competition with Company’s Business described inSection 4.1 or (d) otherwise violating the provisions of this Agreement. Nothing herein contained shall be construed as prohibiting Company or its successors from pursuing any other remedies
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available to it or them for such breach or threatened breach, including, without limitation, the recovery of damages from Executive.
(j) Executive acknowledges and agrees that he has and will have a prominent rule in the management, and the development of the goodwill, of Company and its affiliates and has and will establish and develop relations and contacts with the principal customers and suppliers of Company and its affiliates in the United States and the rest of the world, if any, all of which constitute valuable goodwill of, and could be used by Executive to compete unfairly with, Company and its affiliates and that (i) Executive has obtained confidential and proprietary information and trade secrets concerning the business and operations of Company and its affiliates in the United States and the rest of the world that could be used to compete unfairly with Company and its affiliates, (ii) the covenants and restrictions contained herein are intended to protect the legitimate interests of Company and its affiliates in their respective goodwill, trade secrets and other confidential and proprietary information, and (iii) Executive desires to be bound by such covenants and restrictions.
(k) Executive represents that his economic means and circumstances are such that the provisions of this Agreement, including the restrictive covenants herein, will not prevent him from providing for himself and his family on a basis satisfactory to him and them.
(l) If Executive raises any question as to the enforceability of any part or terms of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the restrictive covenants contained herein, Executive agrees that he will comply fully with this Agreement unless and until the entry of an award to the contrary.
ARTICLE 5
Miscellaneous
Section 5.1.Notices. Any notice or request required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be sufficient if in writing and delivered personally or sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, as follows: if to Executive, to his address as set forth in the records of Company, and if to Company, to Company’s address hereinabove set forth, or to any other address designated by either party by notice similarly given. Such notice shall be deemed to have been given upon the personal delivery or such mailing thereof, as the case may be.
Section 5.2.Authority: No Conflict. Executive represents and warrants to Company that he has full right and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to comply with the terms and provisions hereof and that the execution and delivery of this Agreement and compliance with the terms and provisions hereof by Executive will not conflict with or result in a breach of the terms, conditions or provisions of any agreement, restriction or obligation by which Executive is bound.
Section 5.3.Assignment and Succession. The rights and obligations of Company under this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon its respective successors and assigns, and Executive’s rights and obligations hereunder shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon his Designated Successors. Executive may not assign any obligations or responsibilities he has under this Agreement.
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Section 5.4.Headings. The Article, Section, paragraph and subparagraph headings are for convenience of reference only and shall not define or limit the provisions hereof.
Section 5.5.Tax Withholding. Company may withhold from any amounts payable under this Agreement, including, without limitation, any Discretionary Bonus paid hereunder, all federal, state, city or other taxes as may be required pursuant to my law, regulation or ruling.
Section 5.6.ApplicableLaw. This Agreement shall at all times be governed by and construed, interpreted and enforced in accordance with the internal laws (as opposed to conflict of laws provisions) of the State of California.
Section 5.7.Waiver. No waiver of any right or remedy of either party hereto under this Agreement shall be effective unless in a writing, specifying such waiver, executed by such party. A waiver by either party hereto of any of its rights or remedies under this Agreement on any occasion shall not be a bar to the exercise of the same right or remedy on any subsequent occasion or of any other right or remedy at any time.
Section 5.8.Amendment or Modification. This Agreement may be amended, altered, or modified only by a writing, specifying such amendment, alteration or modification, executed by all of the parties.
Section 5.9.Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which shall constitute one and the same instrument.
Section 5.10.Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire Agreement between the parties regarding the subject matter hereof, and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous negotiations, understandings or agreements of the parties, whether written or oral, with respect to such subject matter.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Company has caused this Agreement to be executed by its respective duly authorized officer and Executive has executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
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| EXECUTIVE |
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| 
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| Allan A. Villegas |
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| COMPANY |
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| MOBILE STORAGE GROUP, INC., a Delaware corporation |
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| | 
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| By: |
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| | Name: Douglas A. Waugaman |
| | Title: President & Chief Executive Officer |
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