In addition to the foregoing, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company and each subsidiary of the Company (or persons performing similar functions), and each other person that typically is involved in the financial reporting of the Company, must familiarize himself or herself with the disclosure requirements applicable to the Company as well as the business and financial operations of the Company.
Each person must promptly bring to the attention of the Co-Chairmen of the Board (the “Co-Chairmen”) any information he or she may have concerning (a) significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal and/or disclosure controls that could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data or (b) any fraud that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s financial reporting, disclosures or internal controls.
IV. COMPLIANCE
It is the Company’s obligation and policy to comply with all applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations. It is the personal responsibility of each person to, and each person must, adhere to the standards and restrictions imposed by those laws, rules and regulations, including those relating to accounting and auditing matters.
V. REPORTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY
The Board is responsible for applying this Code to specific situations in which questions are presented to it and has the authority to interpret this Code in any particular situation. Any person who becomes aware of any existing or potential breach of this Code is required to notify the Co-Chairmen promptly. Failure to do so is, in and of itself, a breach of this Code.
Specifically, each person must:
| • | | Notify the Co-Chairmen promptly of any existing or potential violation of this Code; and |
| • | | Not retaliate against any other person for reports of potential violations that are made in good faith. |
The Company will follow the following procedures in investigating and enforcing this Code and in reporting on this Code:
| • | | The Board will take all appropriate action to investigate any breaches reported to it; and |
| • | | Upon determination by the Board that a breach has occurred, the Board (by majority decision) will take or authorize such disciplinary or preventive action as it deems appropriate, after consultation with the Company’s internal or external legal counsel, up to and including dismissal or, in the event of criminal or other serious violations of law, notification of the SEC or other appropriate law enforcement authorities. |
No person following the above procedure shall, as a result of following such procedure, be subject by the Company or any officer or employee thereof to discharge, demotion suspension, threat, harassment or, in any manner, discrimination against such person in terms and conditions of employment.
VI. WAIVERS AND AMENDMENTS
Any waiver (defined below) or implicit waiver (defined below) from a provision of this Code for directors, the principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, or any amendment (as defined below) to this Code is required to be promptly disclosed in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC. In lieu of filing a Current Report on Form 8-K to report any such waivers or amendments, the Company may promptly provide such information on its website and keep such information on the website for at least 12 months and disclose the website address as well as any intention to provide such disclosures in this manner in its most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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