All persons should note that it is not the Company’s intention to grant or to permit waivers from the requirements of this Code. The Company expects full compliance with this Code.
VII. INSIDER TRADING AND DISSEMINATION OF INSIDE INFORMATION
Employees who have access to material confidential (or “inside”) information regarding the Company or its affiliates are not permitted to use or share that information for stock trading purposes or for any other purpose except to conduct the Company’s business. All non-public information about the Company or its affiliates or about companies with which any do business is considered material inside information. To use non-public material inside information in connection with buying or selling securities, including “tipping” others who might then trade in securities, is not only unethical, it is illegal. Employees must exercise the utmost care when handling material inside information.
VIII. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND OTHER RECORDS
All of the Company’s books, records, accounts and financial statements must be maintained in reasonable detail, must appropriately reflect the Company’s transactions and must both conform to applicable legal requirements and to the Company’s system of internal controls. Unrecorded or “off the books” funds or assets should not be maintained unless permitted by applicable law or regulation. Records should always be retained or destroyed according to the Company’s record retention policies. In accordance with those policies, in the event of litigation or governmental investigation, please consult the Board or the Company’s internal or external legal counsel.
IX. IMPROPER INFLUENCE ON CONDUCT OF AUDITS
No director, officer or employee, or any other person acting under the direction thereof, shall directly or indirectly take any action to coerce, manipulate, mislead or fraudulently influence any public or certified public accountant engaged in the performance of an audit or review of the financial statements of the Company or take any action that such person knows or should know that if successful could result in rendering the Company’s financial statements materially misleading. Any person who believes such improper influence is being exerted should report such action to such person’s supervisor, or if that is impractical under the circumstances, to any of the Company’s directors.
Types of conduct that could constitute improper influence include, but are not limited to, directly or indirectly:
| • | | Offering or paying bribes or other financial incentives, including future employment or contracts for non-audit services; |
| • | | Providing an auditor with an inaccurate or misleading legal analysis; |
| • | | Threatening to cancel or canceling existing non-audit or audit engagements if the auditor objects to the Company’s accounting; |
| • | | Seeking to have a partner removed from the audit engagement because the partner objects to the Company’s accounting; |
| • | | Making physical threats. |
X. ANTI-CORRUPTION LAWS
The Company complies with the anti-corruption laws of the countries in which it does business, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. To the extent prohibited by applicable law, directors, officers and employees will not directly or indirectly give anything of value to government officials, including employees of state-owned enterprises or foreign political candidates. These requirements apply both to Company employees and agents, such as third party sales representatives, no matter where they are doing business. If you are authorized to engage agents, you are responsible for ensuring they are reputable and for obtaining a written agreement to uphold the Company’s standards in this area.
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