Exhibit
10.1
CONSULTING, CONFIDENTIALITY AND
PROPRIETARY RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This
Consulting, Confidentiality and Proprietary Rights Agreement
("Agreement") is entered into as of the 31st day of January, 2011
(the “Effective Date”) by and between Green Star
Alternative Energy, Inc. (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 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 which shall include travel time, 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 from
the Effective Date to December 31, 2011. 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. In the event, Consultant is compelled to spend
time as relates to his duties under this Agreement after the
termination of this Agreement, the Consultant shall be paid at a
rate of $350 per hour. Upon termination of this Agreement the
following sections of this Agreement shall survive such
termination: Sections 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12 13 and
20.
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 to 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,
consultan
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