Exhibit C
CONFIDENTIALITY & ASSIGNMENT OF INVENTION AGREEMENT
This CONFIDENTIALITY AND ASSIGNMENT OF INVENTION AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is by and between Kevin S. Crutchfield (“Employee”) and Compass Minerals International, Inc., by and on behalf of itself and any parent companies, successor companies, affiliated companies, and assigns (referred to collectively in this Agreement as “Company”).
Confidentiality
For purposes of this Agreement, “Confidential Information” includes all data, information andknow-how, whether or not in writing and in whatever form (including electronic files,e-mail, hard drives, or videos), concerning Company, its customers, suppliers, vendors or employees or its business, labor or financial affairs. By way of illustration, but not limitation, Confidential Information may include trade secrets,know-how, inventions, products, processes, methods, techniques, formulas, compositions, compounds, projects, developments, plans, research data, financial data, personnel data, computer programs, software (source and object codes), customer lists, supplier lists and any other present or future business plans or strategies of Company.
During Employee’s employment with Company and thereafter, Employee shall not – without prior written consent of Company – disclose, post or otherwise disseminate any Confidential Information to third parties or use Confidential Information for any purpose other than carrying out the terms of Employee’s engagement by Company.
Other than in the ordinary course of Company’s business, Employee shall not – without prior written consent of Company – directly or indirectly copy, take, or remove from Company’s premises any Confidential Information in any form (including electronic files,e-mail, hard drives, or videos).
At the request of Company or upon the termination of Employee’s employment with Company for any reason, Employee shall immediately return and surrender to Company originals and all copies (including electronic files,e-mail, hard drives or videos) of any Company property, including but not limited to any Confidential Information.
Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to:
(A) prevent disclosure of Confidential Information as may be required by applicable law or regulation, or pursuant to the valid order of a court of competent jurisdiction or an authorized government agency, provided that the disclosure does not exceed the extent of disclosure required by such law, regulation or order. Employee shall promptly provide written notice of any such order to an authorized officer of Company;
(B) prohibit or restrict Employee (or Employee’s attorney) from filing a charge or complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) or a comparable state agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”), or any other self-regulatory organization or any other federal or state regulatory authority (“Government Agencies”). Employee further understands that this Agreement does not limit the Employee’s ability to communicate with any securities regulatory agency or authority/Government Agencies or otherwise participate in any investigation or proceeding that may be conducted by any securities regulatory agency or authority/Government Agency in connection with reporting a possible securities or other law violation without notice to Company;
(C) limit Employee’s right to receive an award for information provided to any Government Agencies, to the staff of the SEC or any other securities regulatory agency or authority; or
(D) prohibits Employee from making other disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of law. Employee does not need prior authorization of Company to make any such reports or disclosures and is not required to notify Company that he/she has made such reports or disclosure.