Actual or potential conflicts of interest (including, but not limited to, any material transaction or relationship that reasonably could be expected to give rise to a conflicting interest) must be reported to the Responsible Manager or the Corporate Counsel. Approval of potential conflicts involving Directors or Officers will be made exclusively by the NCG&C Committee.
Company Information and Company Property
Company information is a valuable asset. Company information includes all proprietary and confidential information that is not generally available to or known by the public, and it includes information in any format: written, electronic, visual, or oral. It also may include information that the Company develops, purchases or licenses, and information the Company receives from others, including its strategic partners and customers.
Employees may use Company information to the extent needed to perform their jobs properly, but Employees need to remember that they are responsible for safeguarding that information (and information provided to the Company by another person or company) from theft or misuse.
Accordingly, Employees cannot, directly or indirectly:
1. | | Disclose any Company information to others, including other Employees, unless they have a legitimate need to know it to perform their jobs and, if they are not Employees, have agreed to maintain its confidentiality; |
2. | | Use Company information for any purpose other than its intended use; |
3. | | Copy any documents containing Company information, or remove any documents or other records or copies from the work area, except as required to perform their jobs properly; or |
4. | | Dispose of Company information inappropriately. |
All Company documents, e-mail and other materials containing Company information (and all materials prepared from or incorporating those documents) are the Company’s property. If the Company so requests, or when an Employee’s employment ends, such documents and other materials must be promptly returned to the Company.
Use of Company property or services for personal benefit is prohibited. When an Employee uses Company property, it must be for valid corporate purposes and, except as described below, exclusively for the Company’s benefit.
Company property includes far more than many people realize. In addition to physical plants, equipment, computers, software, inventory, corporate funds and office supplies, Company property includes Company information, including, but not limited to: technologies, concepts, intellectual property, product development strategies and projects, business strategies and plans, customer and supplier lists, personnel data, marketing and sales plans, Company phone directories, organization charts, product cost data, product pricing, financial data and all other proprietary information about the Company’s business and Employees.
All of the Company’s information systems, including communications systems, electronic media, e-mail, voice mail, and Internet access, are the Company’s property and generally must be used only for business activities. Incidental personal use is permissible as long as it does not consume