Executive agrees and acknowledges that all non-public or proprietary information regarding the Company Group, whether or not maintained in written form and whether in digital, hardcopy, or other format, including all personal information, personnel information, financial data, investment data, commercial data, trade secrets, business plans, business models, cost and pricing information, organizational structures and models, blueprints, business strategies, strategies, internal controls, risk management, security procedures, internal industry studies, research and development efforts, marketing plans, information and materials, processes, inventions, devices, training manuals, computer programs, analytical models, templates and agreements, and all other non-public, proprietary or confidential information, concerning or provided by or on behalf of the Company Group, including information regarding any actual or prospective business opportunities, employment opportunities, finances, investments, other proprietary information and trade secrets, including, in each case, such information, observations and data obtained prior to the date of this Agreement concerning the business or affairs of any member of the Company Group or their predecessors (collectively, “Confidential Information”) are the property of such entity and Executive agrees that such entity has a protectable interest in such Confidential Information. Therefore, Executive agrees that Executive shall not (during the Employment Period or at any time thereafter) disclose to any Person or use any such Confidential Information without the prior written consent of the Board unless and to the extent that the aforementioned matters: # become or are generally known to and available for use other than as a result of Executive’s acts or omissions in breach of this Agreement, # are required to be disclosed by judicial process or law (provided that Executive, if possible under the circumstances, shall give prompt advance written notice of such requirement to the Company to enable the Company to seek an appropriate protective order or confidential treatment), or ((c) are in furtherance of Executive’s good faith performance of duties in respect of Executive’s employment with or service to any member of the Company Group in accordance with Company Group policy or applicable directive. Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason whatsoever, or at any time requested by the Company, Executive shall promptly deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company any and all Company property, including keys and keycards, computers, personal data assistants, cell phones, software, documents, manuals, records, notebooks and similar materials, including any copies thereof, regardless of whether such items constitute or contain Confidential Information (and not retain or otherwise have access to, including via any removable storage or file hosting service). Executive shall provide all passwords and locations of Confidential Information that are not located on the Company’s computers or servers. Executive shall not retain any Confidential Information on Executive’s personal computer, portable memory devices, phone or tablets following Executive’s Termination Date and shall make all personal devices readily available upon request by any member of the Company Group for the removal of Confidential Information. If Executive becomes aware of Confidential Information on any of Executive’s personal devices, including the devices listed in the prior sentence, the Executive shall promptly notify the Board of such Confidential Information and shall follow the instructions of the Board. Executive shall only destroy Confidential Information (or copies thereof) at the direction of the Board and in the manner provided by the Board.

Confidential Information. Executive acknowledges that the information, observations and data obtained by him while employed by any member of the Company Group concerning the business or affairs of the Company Group or provided to the Company Group by its customers and suppliers, that is not known generally to the public (“Confidential Information”), are the property of the Company Group. Therefore, Executive agrees that during his employment and for a period of two (2) years thereafter he shall not disclose to any unauthorized person or use for his own purposes any Confidential Information without the prior written consent of the Board other than in a good faith effort to promote the interests of the Company Group, unless and to the extent that the aforementioned matters become generally known to and available for use by the public other than as a result of Executive’s acts or omissions. With respect to any Confidential Information constituting a trade secret under applicable law, Executive agrees not to use or disclose such information for so long as the item continues to constitute a trade secret (i.e., the two (2) year restriction shall not apply to such information). Executive shall deliver to the Company at the termination of the Employment Period, or at any other time the Company may request, all memoranda, notes, plans, records, reports, computer tapes, printouts and software and other documents and data (and copies thereof) relating to the Confidential Information, Work Product (as defined below) or the business of any member of the Company Group which he may then possess or have under his control. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this paragraph 6 shall be construed to in any way limit the rights of the Company to protect confidential or proprietary information which constitute trade secrets under applicable trade secret laws. The terms and conditions of this Agreement shall remain strictly confidential, and Executive hereby agrees not to disclose the terms and conditions hereof to any person or entity, other than immediate family members, legal advisors or personal tax or financial advisors, or prospective future employers solely for the purpose of disclosing the limitations on Executive’s conduct imposed by the provisions of this paragraph 6 who, in each case, shall be instructed by Executive to keep such information confidential.

Confidential Information; Unauthorized Disclosure. Executive shall not, whether during the period of his employment hereunder or thereafter, without the written consent of the Board or a person authorized thereby, disclose to any person, other than an executive of Company or a person to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary or appropriate in connection with the performance by Executive of his duties as an executive of Company, any Confidential Information obtained by him while in the employ of Company with respect to Company’s business. Subject to the exclusions below, as used in this Agreement “Confidential Information” means data or information in any form, regardless of whether or not marked “confidential” or “proprietary” # which concerns, relates to, or comes from the business activities, business methods, products, services, relationships, research, or business development of Company or another member of the Company Group; # which Executive received, designed, compiled, produced, used, generated or otherwise became aware of as a result of his employment or engagement with Company or any other member of the Company Group; and # which is not generally known to the public. The parties agree that “Confidential Information” specifically includes, but is not limited to, trade secrets (as defined by Texas and federal law) of Company or another member of the Company Group and the following kinds of information and data (to the extent not generally known to the public): # information about the customers and prospective customers (such as customer and prospective customer identities, contact information, preferences, needs, requirements, specifications, proposals, contracts, financial information, and historic purchasing patterns, and information about Company’s or its Affiliates’ provision of products and services to each customer) of Company or another member of the Company Group; # non-public information about the products and service techniques of Company or any other member of the Company Group; # the computer systems and software developed by Company or another member of the Company Group or their respective agents for use by of Company or another member of the Company Group; # non-public information about the business methods (such as sales methods, business processes, training manuals and methods, research and development work, purchasing information and contracts, and new ideas made or conceived by employees or agents) of Company or another member of the Company Group; # financial information (such as pricing and bidding formulas, financial projections, budgets, analyses, accounting data, and financing information) of Company or another member of the Company Group; # information about the business plans and strategies (such as marketing plans, opportunities for new or developing business, products, services, or markets, and information about new business partnerships or distributorship arrangements) of Company or another member of the Company Group; # private personnel information (including employee social security numbers and medical records); # communications between Company or other members of the Company Group and their respective attorneys; # information provided to Company or another member of the Company Group with an expectation of confidentiality or which is subject to non-disclosure obligations (such as information shared in confidence by a customer or supplier); and # information marked “confidential” or “proprietary” by Company or another member of the Company Group. “Confidential Information” does not include general knowledge and skills used throughout the energy industry or any information which Executive may be required to disclose by any applicable law, order, or judicial or administrative proceeding. In no event shall an asserted violation of the provisions of this Section constitute a basis for deferring or withholding any amounts payable to Executive under this Agreement. Within fourteen (14) days after the termination of Executive’s employment for any reason, Executive shall return to Company all documents and other tangible items containing Company or other Company Group information which are in Executive’s possession, custody or control. Executive agrees that all Confidential Information exclusively belongs to Company, the other members of the Company Group or their designated affiliate, and that any work of authorship relating to Company’s business, products or services, whether such work is created solely by Executive or jointly with others, and whether or not such work is Confidential Information, shall be deemed exclusively belonging to Company, the other members of the Company Group or their designated affiliate.

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. The Company agrees that during the course of and in connection with the Executive’s employment with the Company, the Company will provide and the Executive agrees to accept access to and knowledge of Confidential Information (as hereafter defined). Confidential Information may include but is not limited to business decisions, plans, procedures, strategies and policies, legal matters affecting the Company and its Subsidiaries and their respective businesses, personnel, customer records information, trade secrets, bid prices, evaluations of bids, contractual terms and arrangements (prospective purchases and sales), pricing strategies, financial and business forecasts and plans and other information affecting the value or sales of products, goods, services or securities of the Company or its Subsidiaries, and personal information regarding employees (collectively, the “Confidential Information”). The Executive acknowledges and agrees the Confidential Information is and shall remain the sole and exclusive property of the Company or such subsidiary. The Executive shall not disclose to any unauthorized person, or use for the Executive’s own purposes, any Confidential Information without the prior written consent of the Board, which consent may be withheld by the Board at its sole discretion, unless and to the extent that the aforementioned matters become generally known to and available for use by the public other than as a result of the Executive’s acts or omissions. The Executive agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Confidential Information after the termination of the Executive’s employment; provided, further, that if at any time the Executive or any person or entity to which the Executive has disclosed any Confidential Information becomes legally compelled (by deposition, interrogatory, request for documents, subpoena, civil investigative demand or similar process) to disclose any of the Confidential Information, the Executive shall provide the Company with prompt, prior written notice of such requirement so the Company, in its sole discretion, may seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy and/or waive compliance with the terms hereof. In the event that such protective order or other remedy is not obtained or the Company waives compliance with the provisions hereof, the Executive shall ensure that only the portion of the Confidential Information which the Executive or such person is advised by written opinion of the Company’s counsel that the Executive is legally required to disclose is disclosed, and the Executive further covenants and agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to obtain assurance that the recipient of such Confidential Information shall not further disclose such Confidential Information to others, except as required by law, following such disclosure. In addition the Executive covenants and agrees to deliver to the Company upon termination of this Agreement, and at any other time as the Company may request, any and all property of the Company including, but not limited to, keys, computers, credit cards, company car, memoranda, notes, plans, records, reports, computer tapes, printouts and software, Confidential Information in any form whatsoever, and other documents and data (and copies thereof) and relating to the Company or any subsidiary which he may then possess or have under his control or to which the Executive had access to or possession of in the course of such employment.

Confidentiality: Executive agrees that he will not disclose or make available to any other person or entity, or use for his own personal gain, monetary or otherwise, any Confidential Information, except for such disclosures as required in the performance of his duties hereunder. For purposes of this Agreement, “Confidential Information” shall mean any and all information, data and knowledge that have been created, discovered, developed or otherwise become known to [[Corporate Group:Organization]] or any of its [[Corporate Group:Organization]] or ventures or in which property rights have been assigned or otherwise conveyed to [[Corporate Group:Organization]] or any of its [[Corporate Group:Organization]] or ventures, which information, data or knowledge has commercial value in the business in which [[Corporate Group:Organization]] is engaged, except such information, data or knowledge as is or becomes known to the public without violation of the terms of this Agreement. By way of illustration, but not limitation Confidential Information includes trade secrets, processes, formulas, know-how, improvements, discoveries, developments, designs, inventions, techniques, marketing plans, manual, records of research, reports, memoranda, computer software, strategies, forecasts, new products, unpublished financial statements or parts thereof, budgets or other financial information, projections, licenses, prices, costs, and employee, customer and supplier lists or parts thereof.

Executive acknowledges that, during the course of Executive's employment with Company, Executive has acquired or been exposed to the Company's confidential information and trade secrets, including, but not limited to, business plans, marketing plans, financial data, proprietary technology, and customer and client lists and asset information ("Confidential Information"). Executive agrees hereafter to maintain the confidentiality of the Confidential Information, to refrain from disclosing any Confidential Information to anyone, to refrain from using the Confidential Information on his own behalf or on behalf of anyone other than the Company, and to comply with any confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement Executive has executed.

Executive acknowledges that during the course of Executive’s employment with the Company Executive will necessarily have access to and make use of proprietary information and confidential records of the Group. Executive covenants that Executive shall not, during Executive’s employment or at any time thereafter, directly or indirectly, use for Executive’s own purpose or for the benefit of any person or entity other than the Company, nor otherwise disclose to any individual or entity, any proprietary information, unless such disclosure is made in the good faith performance of Executive’s duties hereunder, has been authorized in writing by the Company, or is otherwise required by law. Executive acknowledges and understands that the term “proprietary information” includes, but is not limited to: # the software products, programs, applications, and processes utilized by the Group; # the name and/or address of any customer, vendor, distributor or supplier of the Group or any information concerning the transactions or relations of any customer, vendor, distributor or supplier of the Group with the Group or any of its partners, principals, directors, officers or agents; # any information concerning any product, technology, or procedure employed by the Group but not generally known to its or their customers, vendors, distributors, suppliers or competitors, or under development by or being tested by the Group but not at the time offered generally to customers, vendors, distributors or suppliers; # any information relating to the computer software, computer systems, pricing or marketing methods, sales margins, cost of goods, cost of material, capital structure, operating results, borrowing arrangements or business plans of the Group; # any information which is generally regarded as confidential or proprietary in any line of business engaged in by the Group; # any business plans, budgets, advertising or marketing plans; # any information contained in any of the written or oral policies and procedures or manuals of the Group; # any information belonging to customers, vendors, distributors or suppliers of the Group or any other person or entity which the Company or any of its affiliates has agreed to hold in confidence; # any inventions, innovations or improvements covered by this Agreement; # information regarding the Company’s current employees and their assigned duties and compensation; # all written, graphic, electronic, digital, and other material relating to any of the foregoing; and # all trade secrets of the Group. Executive acknowledges and understands that information that is not novel or copyrighted or patented or a trade secret may nonetheless be proprietary information. The term “proprietary information” shall not include information that is or becomes generally available to and known by the public through no direct or indirect efforts of Executive or information that is or becomes available to Executive on a non-confidential basis from a source other than the Group, or the directors, officers, employees, partners, principals or agents of the Group (other than as a result of a breach of any obligation of confidentiality).

Confidential Information. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Confidential Information” shall mean all proprietary information or knowledge belonging to the Company including, but not limited to business plans, strategies, pricing, sales methods, client lists, trade secrets, or technology, inventions, developments, know-how or confidences of the Company. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the preceding sentence, Confidential Information shall not include information that is or becomes generally available to the public or other than as a result of a disclosure by the Executive or a representative of the Executive. The Executive acknowledges that all of the Confidential Information is and shall continue to be the exclusive proprietary property of the Company, whether or not prepared in whole or in part by the Executive and whether or not disclosed to or entrusted to the custody of the Executive. The Executive agrees that upon the termination of the Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason, the Executive will promptly at the Company’s discretion, destroy or return to the Company all memoranda, notes, records, reports, manuals, pricing lists, prints and other documents (and all copies existing in hard copy or soft form) relating to the Company’s or an Affiliated Company’s business, which he may then possess or have within the Executive’s control, regardless of whether any such documents constitute Confidential Information.

Company Information. Except as otherwise provided in [Subsection 18(a)(iii)] of this Agreement, the Executive agrees at all times during the term of the Executive’s employment and thereafter, to hold any Confidential Information of the Company or its Related Entities in strictest confidence, and not to use (except for the benefit of the Company to fulfill the Executive’s employment obligations) or to disclose to any person, firm or corporation other than the Company or those designated by it said Confidential Information without the prior authorization of the Company, except as may otherwise be required by law or legal process. The Executive agrees that “Confidential Information” means any proprietary information prepared or maintained in any format, including technical data, trade secrets or know-how in which the Company or Related Entities have an interest, including, but not limited to, business records, contracts, research, product or service plans, products, services, customer lists and customers (including, but not limited to, vendors to the Company or Related Entities on whom the Executive called, with whom the Executive dealt or with whom the Executive became acquainted during the term of the Executive’s employment), pricing data, costs, markets, expansion plans, summaries, marketing and other business strategies, software, developments, inventions, processes, formulas, technology, designs, drawings, engineering, hardware configuration or marketing, financial or other business information obtained by the Executive or disclosed to the Executive by the Company or Related Entities or any other person or entity during the term of the Executive’s employment with the Company either directly or indirectly electronically, in writing, orally, by drawings, by observation of services, systems or other aspects of the business of the Company or Related Entities or otherwise. Confidential Information does not include information that: # was available to the public prior to the time of disclosure, whether through press releases, SEC filings or otherwise; or # otherwise becomes available to the public through no act or omission of the Executive or through the wrongful act of a third party.

Confidential Information. Executive agrees that all aspects of the Company's business, products, prospects, plans and strategies that have not been publicly disclosed, including, but not limited to, the identities, needs and preferences of its customers, internal business operations and pricing information, manufacturing know-how, technical attributes of products, annual or strategic business plans or analyses, and any and all other trade secrets (collectively, "Confidential Information"), are confidential and secret, shall be maintained in confidence and not disclosed to any third party, and shall remain the exclusive property of the Company. Any Confidential Information may be used or disclosed by the Executive solely to discharge his obligations hereunder, and shall not be used or disclosed for any other purpose, including, without limitation, for any purpose whatsoever following termination of Executive's employment. All Confidential Information in tangible form that is provided to the Executive shall be returned by the Executive to the Company within 30 days of any termination of employment, together with a statement certifying: # that Executive has returned all Confidential Information in his possession, # that Executive has at all times maintained the confidential nature of the Confidential Information, and # that Executive confirms his continuing obligations of confidentiality under this Agreement following such termination.