Exhibit 99.1
Trestle Holdings, Inc.
CONSULTING, CONFIDENTIALITY
AND PROPRIETARY RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Consulting, Confidentiality and Proprietary
Rights Agreement ("Agreement") is entered into as of the 25th day
of September, 2006 (the “Effective Date”) by and
between Trestle Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
“Company”), and Eric Stoppenhagen
(“Consultant”).
WHEREAS, the Company desires to engage
Consultant to provide certain services as set forth on Schedule
attached hereto and as specified from time to time by the
Company.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the
foregoing and the mutual covenants and conditions contained herein,
the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Engagement. The Company hereby engages
Consultant to perform those duties set forth in the Schedule
attached hereto and such other duties as may be requested from time
to time by the Chairman or Board of Directors of the Company.
Consultant hereby accepts such engagement upon the terms and
subject to conditions set forth in this Agreement.
2. Compensation. For the services
rendered by Consultant under this Agreement, the Company shall pay
to Consultant the compensation specified in the Schedule, subject
to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
3. Term and Survivability. The term of
this Agreement shall be for a period of six months from the
Effective Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Company may
terminate this Agreement on or after thirty days (30) of providing
written notice to Consultant and Consultant may terminate this
Agreement on or after thirty days (30) of providing written notice
to Company. In addition, this Agreement may be terminated if either
party materially fails to perform or comply with this Agreement or
any material provision hereof. Termination shall be effective five
(5) days after notice of such material failure to perform or comply
with this Agreement or any material provision hereof to the
defaulting party if the defaults have not been cured within such
five (5) day period. Upon termination of this Agreement the
following sections of this Agreement shall survive such
termination: Sections 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12 and 13.
4. Costs and Expenses of Consultant’s
Performance. Except as set forth on the Schedule, all costs and
expenses of Consultant’s performance hereunder shall be borne
by the Consultant.
5. Taxes . As an independent contractor,
Consultant acknowledges and agrees that it is solely responsible
for the payment of any taxes and/or assessments imposed on account
of the payment of compensation to, or the performance of services
by Consultant pursuant this Agreement, including, without
limitation, any unemployment insurance tax, federal and state
income taxes, federal Social Security (FICA) payments, and state
disability insurance taxes. The Company shall not make any
withholdings or payments of said taxes or assessments with respect
to amounts paid to Consultant hereunder; provided, however, that if
required by law or any governmental agency, the Company shall
withhold such taxes or assessments from amounts due Consultant, and
any such withholding shall be for Consultant's account and shall
not be reimbursed by the Company to Consultant. Consultant
expressly agrees to make all payments of such taxes, as and when
the same may become due and payable with respect to the
compensation earned under this Agreement.
6. Confidentiality. Consultant agrees
that Consultant will not, except when required by applicable law or
order of a court, during the term of this Agreement or thereafter,
disclose directly or indirectly to any person or entity, or copy,
reproduce or use, any Trade Secrets (as defined below) or
Confidential Information (as defined below) or other information
treated as confidential by the Company known, learned or acquired
by the Consultant during the period of the Consultant's engagement
by the Company. For purposes of this Agreement, "Confidential
Information" shall mean any and all Trade Secrets, knowledge, data
or know-how of the Company, any of its affiliates or of third
parties in the possession of the Company or any of its affiliates,
and any nonpublic technical, training, financial and/or business
information treated as confidential by the Company or any of its
affiliates, whether or not such information, knowledge, Trade
Secret or data was conceived, originated, discovered or developed
by Consultant hereunder. For purposes of this Agreement, "Trade
Secrets" shall include, without limitation, any formula, concept,
pattern, processes, designs, device, software, systems, list of
customers, training manuals, marketing or sales or service plans,
business plans, marketing plans, financial information, or
compilation of information which is used in the Company's business
or in the business of any of its affiliates. Any information of the
Company or any of its affiliates which is not readily available to
the public shall be considered to be a Trade Secret unless the
Company advises Consultant in writing otherwise. Consultant
acknowledges that all of the Confidential
Information is proprietary to the Company and is a special,
valuable and unique asset of the business of the Company, and that
Consultant's past, present and future engagement by the Company has
created, creates and will continue to create a relationship of
confidence and trust between the Consultant and the Company with
respect to the Confidential Information. Furthermore, Consultant
shall immediately notify the Company of any information which comes
to its attention which might indicate that there has been a loss of
confidentiality with respect to the Confidential Information. In
such event, Consultant shall take all reasonable steps within its
power to limit the scope of such loss.
7. Return of the Company’s Proprietary
Materials. Consultant agrees to deliver promptly to the Company
on termination of this Agreement for whatever reason, or at any
time the Company may so request, all documents, records, artwork,
designs, data, drawings, flowcharts, listings, models, sketches,
apparatus, notebooks, disks, notes, copies and similar repositories
of Confidential Information and any other documents of a
confidential nature belonging to the Company, including all copies,
summaries, records, descriptions, modifications, drawings or
adaptations of such materials which Consultant may then possess or
have under its control. Concurrently with the return of such
proprietary materials to the Company, Consultant agrees to deliver
to the Company such further agreements and assurances to ensure the
confidentiality of proprietary materials. Consultant further agrees
that upon termination of this Agreement, Consultant's, employees,
consultants, agents or independent contractors shall not retain any
document, data or other material of any description containing any
Confidential Information or proprietary materials of the
Company.
8. Assignment of Proprietary Rights.
Other than the Proprietary Rights listed on the Schedule attached
hereto, if any, Consultant hereby assigns and transfers to the
Company all right, title and interest that Consultant may have, if
any, in and to all Proprietary Rights (whether or not patentable or
copyrightable) made, conceived, developed, written or first reduced
to pr
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