7. Company Property. On or before the last day of the Term, Consultant shall, to the extent not previously returned or delivered: (a) return all equipment, records, files, documents, data, programs or other materials and property in Consultant’s possession, custody or control which relates or belongs to the Company or any one or more of its affiliates, including, without limitation, all, Confidential Information (defined below), computer equipment, access codes, messaging devices, credit cards, cell phones, keys and access cards; and (b) deliver all original and copies of confidential information, electronic data, notes, materials, records, plans, data or other documents, files or programs (whether stored in paper form, computer form, digital form, electronically or otherwise, on Company equipment or Consultant’s personal equipment) that relate or refer in any to (1) the Company or any one or more of its affiliates, its business or its employees, or (2) the Company’s Confidential Information or similar information. By signing this Agreement, Consultant represents and warrants that Consultant has not retained and has or shall timely return and deliver all the items described or referenced in subsections (a) or (b) above; and, that should Consultant later discover additional items described or referenced in subsections (a) or (b) above, Consultant shall promptly notify the Company and return/deliver such items to the Company. “Confidential Information” means information (1) disclosed to or known by Driscoll as a consequence of or through his employment or consulting arrangement with the Company or one of its affiliates; and (2) which relates to any aspect of the Company’s or an affiliate’s business, research, or development, and shall include, but is not limited to, the Company’s or an affiliate’s trade secrets, proprietary information, business plans, marketing plans, financial information, employee performance, compensation and benefit information, cost and pricing information, identity and information pertaining to customers, suppliers and vendors, and their purchasing history with the Company, any business or technical information, design, process, procedure, formula, improvement, or any portion or phase thereof, that is owned by or has, at the time of termination, been used by the Company, any information related to the development of products and production processes, any information concerning proposed new products and production processes, any information concerning marketing processes, market feasibility studies, cost data, profit plans, capital plans and proposed or existing marketing techniques or plans, financial information, including, without limitation, information set forth in internal records, files and ledgers, or incorporated in profit and loss statements, fiscal reports, business plans or other financial or business reports, and information provided to the Company or an affiliate by a third party under restrictions against disclosure or use by the Company or others. Nothing in this Section shall be construed, however, to require Consultant to return to the Company any publicly available information or other information Driscoll obtained by reason of his ownership of Company stock or debt.
8. Warranties. Consultant warrants that the Services (a) will be performed in a diligent and professional manner; (b) will conform to the provisions of this Agreement; and (c) will be performed in accordance with applicable laws.
9. General Provisions.
(a) Independent Contractor. Consultant understands and agrees that Consultant is serving as an independent contractor of the Company during the Term, and that Consultant is not an employee of the Company. Consultant further understands and agrees that the Company will not withhold any income or other taxes from the fees paid hereunder and that Consultant is responsible for paying Consultant’s own income, social security, Medicare and other applicable taxes. Consultant further understands and agrees that Consultant will not have any right to the benefits under, or rights and privileges to participate in, the Company’s employee benefit plans
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