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DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
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1.1 |
Definitions
In the construction of this Agreement, unless the contrary intention
appears:
“Agreement” means this Agreement, and any
document that varies or supplements it;
“Business” means the business of the
Vendor, to which the Enquiry relates;
“Confidant” means the party that
submitted the Enquiry, being a potential buyer of the Business, and
includes its agents, employees, directors, related entities, spouse,
assigns and executors;
“Confidential Information” means any
Information obtained by the Confidant or provided to the Confidant
prior to or from the date of this Agreement in the course of their
consideration of the purchase of the Business, including but not
limited to any Information concerning the employees, service providers
and / or clients of the Business, services and the operation of the
Business including trade secrets, know how, processes, ideas,
scientific and technical data, intellectual property, design
information, projected trading figures, financial accounts, any
information memorandum, business and marketing plans, projections,
arrangements and agreements with third parties, customer information
and customer lists (including contact details), and supplier
information and supplier lists and includes any other information
provided to the Confidant and also includes the intellectual property
and other proprietary rights of Zircom in the content, style and form
of the provision of the Confidential Information to the Confidant on
behalf of the Vendor;
“Enquiry” means the website enquiry or
other enquiry submitted by the Confidant to Zircom, pertaining to the
Confidant’s interest in purchasing the Business;
“Information” means all files, documents,
data and any other information of any nature relating to the Vendor,
and the Business given by the Vendor or any of their employees,
advisers or associates orally, in writing or otherwise or obtained by
observation during any visits to the Vendor’s premises or
location but does not include any information already known or
available to the Confidant in the course of conducting its business
and businesses of related entities to the Confidant;
“Purpose” means the purpose for which the
Confidential Information is provided by Zircom (as agent for the
Vendor) to the Confidant, being for the Confidant to review
Confidential Information pertaining to the Business with the intention
the Confidant use the Confidential Information to determine whether it
may wish to purchase the Business from the Vendor and on what terms;
“Vendor” means the seller of the Business
and the owner of the Confidential Information;
“Zircom” means Zircom Business Marketing
Pty Ltd and its directors and assigns in its own capacity and in its
capacity as the Vendor’s listing agent for the sale of the
Business.
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1.2 |
General
In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) a reference to any thing includes a part of that thing;
(b) words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa;
and
(c) the word “person” means a natural person and any
association, body or entity whether incorporated or not.
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2 |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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2.1 |
The Confidant agrees that the Confidential Information is provided to
it on the terms of this Agreement and that it will not use or disclose
the Confidential Information except as provided for in this Agreement.
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2.2 |
In consideration for the Vendor disclosing to the Confidant the
Confidential Information, the Confidant has agreed to keep such
Confidential Information confidential and to maintain such confidence
on the terms as set out below.
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2.3 |
The parties agree and acknowledge the Confidential information
provided is valuable consideration on the part of the Vendor and
Zircom and the undertaking of the Confidant in accordance with this
Agreement is valuable consideration on behalf of the Confidant.
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2.4 |
The Information to be provided to the Confidant in accordance with
this Agreement will be limited information and may be redacted as
Zircom sees fit.
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2.5 |
Zircom provides the Confidential Information for and on behalf of the
Vendor as its agent and Zircom makes no representations as to the
accurateness or completeness of the Information provided to the
Confidant.
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2.6 |
The Confidant represents and warrants they have the full authority to
enter into this Agreement and such representation acts as an
inducement for Zircom to enter into this Agreement.
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2.7 |
The Confidant agrees and acknowledges it must not contact any staff,
suppliers, customers of the Business, nor the Vendor, any lessor or
managing agents or other persons or entities associated with the
Business at any time, without the express authority of Zircom which
may be absolutely withheld. The Confidant also agrees and acknowledges
it will not visit or approach the Business premises unless otherwise
agreed.
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2.8 |
The laws of Western Australia shall apply to this Agreement and the
courts in Western Australia shall have exclusive jurisdiction relating
to this Agreement and any disputes regarding the same.
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3 |
CONFIDENTIALITY |
3.1 |
The Confidant acknowledges that the Confidential Information is secret
and confidential to the Vendor.
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3.2 |
The Confidant must not directly or indirectly, without the prior
written consent of the Vendor, use, disclose, publish or permit the
use, disclosure or publication of the Confidential Information to or
by any person, other than in accordance with this Agreement.
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4 |
PERMITTED USE AND DISCLOSURE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
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4.1 |
(a) The Confidant may only use and store the Confidential Information
whilst considering its purchase of the Business, with all Confidential
Information to be destroyed should the Confidant not purchase the
Business as anticipated. Subject to the successful settlement of the
Confidant’s purchase of the Business, all Confidential
Information relevant to the Business shall vest in the Confidant and
all covenants and obligations of the Confidant under this Agreement
shall cease.
(b) The Confidant must only share the Information with its employees,
directors, agents and advisors on a need-to-know basis, ensuring the
strictest confidence is kept at all times and the Confidant must take
all best steps necessary to protect the Confidential Information.
(c) The Confidant will be liable for any unauthorised disclosures of
the Confidential Information, howsoever caused.
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5 |
OPERATION OF THIS AGREEMENT
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5.1 |
The obligation of confidentiality under this Agreement continues
without limitation but does not apply to any part of the Confidential
Information that:
(a) subject to clause 5.2, the Confidant is required to disclose by
any applicable law or legally binding order of any court, government,
semi-government, administrative, fiscal or judicial body, department,
commission, authority, tribunal, agency or entity acting within its
powers;
(b) was provided to the Confidant (without restriction as to its use
or disclosure by the Confidant) by a third party whom the Confidant
reasonably believes is legally entitled to possess the Confidential
Information and provided to the Confidant; or
(C) is in the public domain other than as a result of a breach of this
Agreement by the Confidant; or
(D) is authorised under any contract to purchase the Business or
necessary to pursue any legal remedy for the Companies breach of its
obligations under such contract or at law.
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5.2 |
If the Confidant must make a disclosure as described in clause 5.1(a),
it must disclose only the minimum Confidential Information required to
comply with the applicable law or order and it must advise the Vendor
in writing before disclosure takes place of the nature of and reasons
for the disclosure.
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5.3 |
The Confidant may release any Confidential Information as required to
the Confidant’s legal and financial advisors, so far as is
reasonably necessary and relating to the Purpose and ensure the
Confidential Information is not disclosed by those advisors, unless in
accordance with clause 5.1 of this Agreement.
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REMEDY FOR DISCLOSURE
The Confidant acknowledges that damages may be inadequate compensation
for breach of this Agreement and, subject to the Court’s
discretion, the Vendor may restrain, by an injunction or similar
remedy, any conduct or threatened conduct which will be a breach of
this Agreement and is entitled to an equitable accounting of all
profits or benefits arising out of such breach.
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CONFIDANT’S COVENANTS
The Confidant must:
(a) use its best efforts to keep the Confidential Information secure
and, so far as reasonably possible, protect the Confidential
Information from unauthorised use, disclosure, access and damage or
destruction;
(b) not, without the prior written consent of the Vendor, photocopy,
reproduce, record or permit the photocopying, reproduction or
recording in any form of the Confidential Information, or any part of
a document or other records which contains, is based on or utilises
the Confidential Information, other than for the purpose of evaluating
the purchase of the Business, any of the matters listed in clause 5.1,
or obtaining advice as referred to in clause 5.3;
(c) not use the Confidential Information to initiate or hold
discussions with the Vendor’s customers, employees, or with any
person with whom the Vendor has entered into contractual arrangements.
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FURTHER DEED
Should the Confidant wish to continue negotiations with the Vendor
after the review of the Information provided pursuant to this
Agreement, the Vendor or Zircom may require a deed to be prepared and
signed by the parties before further Information is provided regarding
particulars of the Business.
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OWNERSHIP OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
The Confidant acknowledges that this Agreement does not convey any
interest of a proprietary or any other nature in the Confidential
Information to the Confidant or to any other person to whom the
Confidant may be entitled to disclose the Confidential Information
under this Agreement.
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10 |
DISCLAIMER |
10.1 |
The Confidant agrees to make independent enquiries and investigations
and will not act without having checked the accuracy of all facts and
any estimations and assumptions that may be contained in the
Confidential Information.
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10.2 |
The Confidant understands that any projections, facts and
representations are not a warranty or promise by Zircom or its
representatives. Neither Zircom, nor any of its representatives are
able to give any warranty, as to the correctness of the information,
or that all relevant information is contained in the Confidential
Information.
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10.3 |
The purchase price of the Business shall be determined by the
Confidant and subject to their independent advice from their advisors.
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10.4 |
Zircom recommends the Confidant undertake their own independent
enquiries and investigations in consultation with recognised and
qualified accounting, tax and legal specialists to satisfy themselves
as to the likelihood of achieving the results indicated by all
Information and as to the accuracy of the Confidential Information.
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