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Freelance Fashion Designer Contract
This Freelance Fashion Designer Agreement (the "Agreement"), dated [the date both parties will
have signed] is entered into by [Fashion Designer name], an individual residing in [address], (the
"Fashion Designer"), and [client name], an individual residing in [address], (the "Client").
Whereas, the Fashion Designer and the Client desire to establish the terms and conditions under
which the Fashion Designer will provide services to the Client, the parties agree as follows:
1. Scope of Work. The Fashion Designer agrees to perform such consulting, advisory and related
services specified on Exhibit A to this Agreement ("Description of Services").
2. Term. This Agreement shall commence from the date this Agreement is signed by both parties
and shall continue until the scope of work defined in the Description of Services is completed (such
period, as it may be extended or sooner terminated in accordance with the provisions of Section 4,
being referred to as the ("Service Period").
3. Payment.
a. Service Cost. In consideration of the Service, the Client will pay the Fashion Designer of
$ per hour (the "Service Cost").
b. Expenses. The Fashion Designer shall be responsible for all business expenses incurred
by the Fashion Designer in connection with, or related to, the performance of the services.
c. Invoices. The Client shall pay to the Fashion Designer amounts shown on each statement
or invoice described in Section 3(a) and 3(b) within () days after receipt thereof.
d. Benefits. The Fashion Designer shall not be entitled to any benefits, coverages or
privileges, including, without limitation, health insurance, social security, unemployment,
medical or pension payments, made available to employees of the Client.
4. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated prior to the end of the Service Period in the
following manner: (a) by either the Fashion Designer or the Client upon not less than () days prior
written notice to the other party; (b) by the non-breaching party, upon twenty-four (24) hours prior
written notice to the breaching party if one party has materially breached this Agreement; or (c) at
any time upon the mutual written consent of the parties hereto. In the event of termination, the
Fashion Designer shall be entitled to payments for services performed that have not been previously
paid and, subject to the limitations in Section 3.2, for expenses paid or incurred prior to the effective
date of termination that have not been previously paid. Such payment shall constitute full settlement
of any and all claims of the Fashion Designer of every description against the Client. In the event
that the Client’s payment to the Fashion Designer exceeds the amount of services performed and
(subject to the limitations in Section 3.2) for expenses paid or incurred prior to the effective date of
termination, then the Fashion Designer will immediately refund the excess amount to the Client.
Such refund shall constitute full settlement of any and all claims of the Client of every description
against the Fashion Designer.
5. Cooperation.The Fashion Designer shall use Fashion Designer's best efforts in the performance
of Fashion Designer's obligations under this Agreement. The Client shall provide such access to its
information and property as may be reasonably required in order to permit the Fashion Designer to
perform Fashion Designer's obligations hereunder. The Fashion Designer shall cooperate with the
Client’s personnel, shall not interfere with the conduct of the Client’s business and shall observe all
rules, regulations and security requirements of the Client concerning the safety of persons and
property.
6. Proprietary Information and Inventions.
a. Proprietary Information.
1. The Fashion Designer acknowledges that Fashion Designer’s relationship with the
Client is one of high trust and confidence and that in the course of Fashion
Designer's service to the Client, Fashion Designer will have access to and contact
with Proprietary Information. The Fashion Designer will not disclose any Proprietary
Information to any person or entity other than employees of the Client or use the
same for any purposes (other than in the performance of the services) without written
approval by an officer of the Client, either during or after the Consultation Period,
unless and until such Proprietary Information has become public knowledge without
fault by the Fashion Designer.
2. For purposes of this Agreement, Proprietary Information shall mean, by way of
illustration and not limitation, all information, whether or not in writing, whether or not
patentable and whether or not copyrightable, of a private, secret or confidential
nature, owned, possessed or used by the Client, concerning the Client’s business,
business relationships or financial affairs, including, without limitation, any Invention,
formula, vendor information, customer information, apparatus, equipment, trade
secret, process, research, report, technical or research data, clinical data, know-how,
computer program, software, software documentation, hardware design, technology,
product, processes, methods, techniques, formulas, compounds, projects,
developments, marketing or business plan, forecast, unpublished financial statement,
budget, license, price, cost, customer, supplier or personnel information or employee
list that is communicated to, learned of, developed or otherwise acquired by the
Fashion Designer in the course of Fashion Designer's service as a Fashion Designer
to the Client.
3. The Fashion Designer’s obligations under this Section 6 shall not apply to any
information that (i) is or becomes known to the general public under circumstances
involving no breach by the Fashion Designer or others of the terms of this Section 6,
(ii) is generally disclosed to third parties by the Client without restriction on such third
parties, or (iii) is approved for release by written authorization of an officer of the
Client.
4. The Fashion Designer agrees that all files, documents, letters, memoranda,
reports, records, data sketches, drawings, models, laboratory notebooks, program
listings, computer equipment or devices, computer programs or other written,
photographic, or other tangible material containing Proprietary Information, whether
created by the Fashion Designer or others, which shall come into Fashion Designer's
custody or possession, shall be and are the exclusive property of the Client to be
used by the Fashion Designer only in the performance of Fashion Designer's duties
for the Client and shall not be copied or removed from the Client’s premises except in
the pursuit of the business of the Client. All such materials or copies thereof and all
tangible property of the Client in the custody or possession of the Fashion Designer
shall be delivered to the Client, upon the earlier of (i) a request by the Client or (ii) the
termination of this Agreement. After such delivery, the Fashion Designer shall not
retain any such materials or copies thereof or any such tangible property.
5. The Fashion Designer agrees that Fashion Designer’s obligation not to disclose or
to use information and materials of the types set forth in paragraphs (2) and (4)
above, and Fashion Designer's obligation to return materials and tangible property
set forth in paragraph (4) above extends to such types of information, materials and
tangible property of customers of the Client or suppliers to the Client or other third
parties who may have disclosed or entrusted the same to the Client or to the Fashion
Designer.
6. The Fashion Designer acknowledges that the Client from time to time may have
agreements with other persons or with the United States Government, or agencies
thereof, that impose obligations or restrictions on the Client regarding inventions
made during the course of work under such agreements or regarding the confidential
nature of such work. The Fashion Designer agrees to be bound by all such
obligations and restrictions that are known to Fashion Designer and to take all action
necessary to discharge the obligations of the Client under such agreements.
b. Inventions.
1. All inventions, ideas, creations, discoveries, computer programs, works of
authorship, data, developments, technology, designs, innovations and improvements
(whether or not patentable and whether or not copyrightable) which are made,
conceived, reduced to practice, created, written, designed or developed by the
Fashion Designer, solely or jointly with others or under Fashion Designer's direction
and whether during normal business hours or otherwise, (i) during the Consultation
Period if related to the business of the Client or (ii) after the Consultation Period if
resulting or directly derived from Proprietary Information (as defined below)
(collectively under clauses (i) and (ii), "Inventions"), shall be the sole property of the
Client. The Fashion Designer hereby assigns to the Client all Inventions and any and
all related patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade names, and other industrial and
intellectual property rights and applications therefore, in the United States and
elsewhere and appoints any officer of the Client as Fashion Designer's duly
authorized attorney to execute, file, prosecute and protect the same before any
government agency, court or authority. However, this paragraph shall not apply to
Inventions which do not relate to the business or research and development
conducted or planned to be conducted by the Client at the time such Invention is
created, made, conceived or reduced to practice and which are made and conceived
by the Fashion Designer not during normal working hours, not on the Client’s
premises and not using the Client’s tools, devices, equipment or Proprietary
Information. The Fashion Designer further acknowledges that each original work of
authorship which is made by the Fashion Designer (solely or jointly with others)
within the scope of the Agreement and which is protectable by copyright is a "work
made for hire," as that term is defined in the United States Copyright Act.
2. Upon the request of the Client and at the Client’s expense, the Fashion Designer
shall execute such further assignments, documents and other instruments as may be
necessary or desirable to fully and completely assign all Inventions to the Client and
to assist the Client in applying for, obtaining and enforcing patents or copyrights or
other rights in the United States and in any foreign country with respect to any
Invention. The Fashion Designer also hereby waives all claims to moral rights in any
Inventions.
3. The Fashion Designer shall promptly disclose to the Client all Inventions and will
maintain adequate and current written records (in the form of notes, sketches,
drawings and as may be specified by the Client) to document the conception and/or
first actual reduction to practice of any Invention. Such written records shall be
available to and remain the sole property of the Client at all times.
4. Notwithstanding the foregoing in this Section 6(b), the ownership and use of the
Inventions that are assigned to the Client in Section 6(b)(i) (the "Assigned
Inventions") shall be limited as set forth in Exhibit B.
7. Limitation of Liability. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained elsewhere herein,
neither party shall be liable to the other for any consequential, special, incidental, indirect or punitive
damages of any kind or character, including, but not limited to, loss of use, loss of profit, loss of
anticipated profit, loss of bargain, loss of revenue or loss of product or production, however arising
under this contract or as a result of, relating to or in connection with the service and the parties’
performance of the obligations hereunder, and no such claim shall be made by any party against the
other regardless of whether such claim is based or claimed to be based on negligence (including
sole, joint, active, passive, or concurrent negligence, but excluding gross negligence), fault, breach
of warranty, breach of agreement, breach of contract, statute, strict liability or any other theory of
liability.
8. Indemnification. The Fashion Designer shall be solely liable for, and shall indemnify, defend and
hold harmless the Company and its successors and assigns from any claims, suits, judgments or
causes of action initiated by any third party against the Company where such actions result from or
arise out of the services performed by the Fashion Designer or its Employees under this Agreement.
The Fashion Designer shall further be solely liable for, and shall indemnify, defend and hold
harmless the Company and its successors and assigns from and against any claim or liability of any
kind (including penalties, fees or charges) resulting from the Fashion Designer’s or its Employees’
failure to pay the taxes, penalties, and payments referenced in Section 9 of this Agreement. The
Fashion Designer shall further indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Company and its
successors and assigns from and against any and all loss or damage resulting from any
misrepresentation, or any non-fulfillment of any representation, responsibility, covenant or agreement
on its part, as well as any and all acts, suits, proceedings, demands, assessments, penalties,
judgments of or against the Company relating to or arising out of the activities of the Fashion
Designer or its Employees and the Fashion Designer shall pay reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs and
expenses incident thereto.
9. Independent Contractor Status. The parties shall be deemed independent contractors for all
purposes hereunder. Accordingly:
a. The Fashion Designer will use its own equipment, tools and materials to perform its
obligations hereunder.
b. The Client will not control how the Service is performed on a day-to-day basis and the
Fashion Designer will determine when, where and how the Service will be provided.
c. The Client will not provide training to the Fashion Designer.
d. The Fashion Designer will be solely responsible for all state and federal income taxes in
connection with this Agreement.
e. This Agreement does not constitute an employment, partnership, joint venture or agency
between the parties hereto, nor shall either of the parties hold itself out as such contrary to
the terms hereof by advertising or otherwise nor shall either of the parties become bound or
become liable because of any representation, action or omission of the other.
10. General.
a. Survival. Sections 4 through 11 shall survive the expiration or termination of this
Agreement.
b. Non-Solicitation. During the Service Period and for a period of [six (6) months] thereafter,
the Fashion Designer shall not, either alone or in association with others, (a) solicit, or permit
any organization directly or indirectly controlled by the Fashion Designer to solicit, any
employee of the Client to leave the employment of the Client, or (b) solicit or permit any
organization directly or indirectly controlled by the Fashion Designer to solicit any person
who is engaged by the Client.
c. Use of Subcontractors. The Fashion Designer may use trusted contractors to complete
components of the Fashion Designer’s obligations hereunder, provided that the Fashion
Designer shall remain solely responsible for such contractors’ performance, that the Client
shall have no obligation to such contractors and the use of such contractors shall not cause
any increase in fees, costs or expenses that would otherwise be payable hereunder.
d. Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including the documents referred to herein)
constitutes the entire agreement between the Client and the Fashion Designer and
supersedes any prior understandings, agreements or representations by the parties, whether
written or oral, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
e. Assignment. Neither party may assign or transfer this Agreement in whole or in part, nor
any of the rights hereunder, without prior written consent of the other party.
f. Notices. All notices required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and
shall be deemed effective upon personal delivery or upon deposit in the United States Post
Office, by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the other party at the
address shown above, or at such other address or addresses as either party shall designate
to the other in accordance with this Section 13.
g. Amendments. No amendment of any provision of this Agreement shall be valid unless
the same shall be in writing and signed by each party.
h. Severability. Any term or provision of this Agreement that is invalid or unenforceable in
any situation in any jurisdiction shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining
terms and provisions hereof or the validity or enforceability of the offending term or provision
in any other situation or in any other jurisdiction. If the final judgment of a court of competent
jurisdiction declares that any term or provision hereof is invalid or unenforceable, the Fashion
Designer and the Client agree that the court making the determination of invalidity or
unenforceability shall have the power to limit the term or provision, to delete specific words or
phrases, or to replace any invalid or unenforceable term or provision with a term or provision
that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the intention of the invalid
or unenforceable term or provision, and this Agreement shall be enforceable as so modified.
i. Force Majeure. Neither party will be liable for any failure or delay in its performance under
this Agreement due to any cause beyond its reasonable control, including acts of war, acts of
God, earthquake, flood, fire, embargo, riot, sabotage, or failure of third party power or
telecommunications networks, provided that the delayed party: (a) gives the other party
prompt notice of such cause and (b) uses its reasonable commercial efforts to promptly
correct such failure or delay in performance.
j. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of (other than any principle of conflict or choice of laws that would
cause the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction).
k. Arbitration. Any unresolved controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this
Agreement, except as (i) otherwise provided in this Agreement, or (ii) any such controversies
or claims arising out of either party’s intellectual property rights for which a provisional
remedy or equitable relief is sought, shall be submitted to arbitration by one arbitrator
mutually agreed upon by the parties, and if no agreement can be reached within thirty (30)
days after names of potential arbitrators have been proposed by the American Arbitration
Association (the “AAA”), then by one arbitrator having reasonable experience in corporate
finance transactions of the type provided for in this Agreement and who is chosen by the
AAA. The arbitration shall take place in , , in accordance with the AAA rules then in effect,
and judgment upon any award rendered in such arbitration will be binding and may be
entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. The prevailing party shall be entitled to
reasonable attorney’s fees, costs, and necessary disbursements in addition to any other
relief to which such party may be entitled.
l. Counterpart. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same
instrument. This Agreement may be executed by facsimile, digital or electronic signature.