Introduction
This Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (referred to
hereinafter as the “Code”) sets forth Access Integrated
Technologies, Inc.’s (the “Company’s” or “our”) policies
with respect to the way we conduct our business. The
provisions of this Code are designed to promote honest
and ethical behavior among our employees, officers and
directors.
In the course of performing
our various roles in the Company, each of us will encounter
ethical questions under a variety of circumstances.
Moments of ethical uncertainty may arise in our dealings
with colleagues, with customers or with other parties
such as governmental entities or members of our community.
In fulfilling the high professional standards of excellence,
integrity and ethical behavior, compliance with governmental
laws is not enough. Our employees should never be content
with simply obeying the letter of the law, but must
also strive to conduct themselves in an honest and ethical
manner. This Code provides clear rules to assist our
employees, officers and directors in taking the proper
actions when faced with an ethical dilemma. For guidance
with respect to issues not addressed in this Code, employees
are directed to our Employee Manual, which sets forth
the Company’s policies on a wide range of issues that
arise in the course of employment.
Our reputation is our greatest
asset, and it depends on the character of our employees.
In order to protect this asset, the Company will not
tolerate unethical or illegal behavior by employees,
officers or directors. Those who violate the standards
in this Code will be subject to disciplinary action.
If you are concerned about taking an action that may
violate the Code or become aware of a violation by another
employee, officer or director, follow the guidelines
set forth in Sections 10 and 11 of this Code.
This Code applies equally
to all employees, officers and directors of the Company.
All references to employees contained in this Code should
be understood as referring to officers and directors
as well.
1. Compliance with Laws,
Rules and Regulations
The Company will not tolerate violations of law, rules
or regulations or lapses in ethics or integrity. All
employees must comply with those laws, rules and regulations
that govern or apply to the Company’s business and must
abide by the letter and the spirit of these laws, rules
and regulations. Whenever an applicable law, rule or
regulation is unclear or seems to conflict with either
another law or any provision of this Code, all employees
are urged to seek clarification from their supervisor
or the Ethics Officer (the “Ethics Officer”), who shall
initially be the Chairman of the Company’s Audit Committee
(the “Audit Committee”). Beyond mere compliance with
the law, we should always conduct our business with
the highest standards of honesty and integrity. In the
final analysis, we should operate our business in such
a way that we would be proud to have all the facts disclosed.
2. Conflicts of Interest
All of the Company’s employees should be scrupulous
in avoiding any action or interest that conflicts or
gives the appearance of a conflict with the Company’s
interests. A “conflict of interest” exists whenever
an individual’s private interests interfere or conflict
in any way (or even appear to interfere or conflict)
with the interests of the Company. A conflict situation
can arise when an employee, officer or director takes
actions or has interests that may make it difficult
to perform his or her work for the Company objectively
and effectively. Conflicts of interest may also arise
when an employee, officer or director or a member of
his or her family receives improper personal benefits
as a result of his or her position with the Company,
whether from a third party or from the Company.
In order to avoid a potential
conflict of interest, an employee may not receive any
payments, compensation or gifts, other than gifts of
nominal value, from any entity or person that does business
or seeks to do business with the Company. Employees
must be sensitive to other potential conflicts of interest
that may arise and use their best efforts to avoid the
conflict.
Conflicts of interest may
not always be clear-cut, so if a question arises, an
employee should consult with the Ethics Officer. If
an employee, officer or director has any questions regarding
the Company’s policy on conflicts of interest or needs
assistance in avoiding a potential conflict of interest,
he or she is urged to seek the advice of a supervisor
or the Ethics Officer. Any employee who is aware of
a transaction or relationship that could reasonably
be expected to give rise to a conflict of interest in
violation of this section must inform the appropriate
personnel in accordance with the procedures set forth
in Section 11 of this Code.
3. Corporate Opportunities
Employees are prohibited from taking for themselves
personally opportunities that are discovered through
the use of Company property, Company information or
their position in the Company. Furthermore, employees
may not use Company property, information or influence
or their position in the Company for improper personal
gain. Finally, employees have a duty to advance the
Company’s legitimate interests when the opportunity
to do so arises. Consequently, employees are not permitted
to compete with the Company.
Sometimes the line between
personal and Company benefits is difficult to draw,
and sometimes both personal and Company benefits may
be derived from certain activities. The only prudent
course of conduct for our employees is to make sure
that any use of Company property or services that is
not solely for the benefit of the Company is approved
beforehand through the Ethics Officer.
4. Insider Trading
Employees may become aware of confidential non-public
information concerning the Company and the parties with
which the Company does business. The Company prohibits
employees from using such confidential information for
personal financial gain, such as for purposes of stock
trading, or for any other purpose other than the conduct
of the Company’s business. Employees must maintain the
confidentiality of such information and may not make
disclosures to third parties, including members of the
employee’s family. All non-public information about
the Company should be treated as confidential information.
To use non-public information for personal financial
benefit or to “tip” others who may make stock trades
on the basis of this information is not only unethical
but is also illegal. In addition to possible legal sanctions,
any employee found to be in violation of the Company’s
insider trading policy will face decisive disciplinary
action. Employees are encouraged to contact the General
Counsel of the Company with any questions concerning
this policy.
5. Confidentiality
In carrying out the Company's business, employees often
learn confidential or proprietary information about
the Company, our customers, prospective customers or
other third parties. Employees must maintain the confidentiality
of all information so entrusted to them, except when
disclosure is authorized or legally mandated. Confidential
or proprietary information includes, among other things,
any non-public information concerning the Company, including
our business, financial performance, results or prospects,
and any non-public information provided by a third party
with the expectation that the information will be kept
confidential and used solely for the business purpose
for which it was conveyed. All employees must exercise
care not to misuse confidential information obtained
during his or her employment.
6. Protection and Proper
Use of Company Assets
All of the Company’s assets should be used for legitimate
business purposes and all employees must make all reasonable
efforts to protect the Company’s assets and ensure their
efficient use. Theft, carelessness and waste have a
direct impact on the Company’s profitability and must
therefore be avoided. The suspected occurrence of fraud
or theft should be immediately reported to the appropriate
person in accordance with the procedures set forth in
Section 11 of this Code.
An employee’s obligation to protect the Company’s assets
extends to the Company’s proprietary information. Proprietary
information includes intellectual property such as patents,
trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. Any employee
who uses or distributes such proprietary information
without the Company’s explicit authorization will be
subject to disciplinary measures as well as potential
legal sanctions.
7. Fair Dealing
We seek to outperform our competition fairly and honestly.
We seek competitive advantages through superior performance,
never through unethical or illegal business practices.
We seek to maintain a reputation for fair dealing among
our competitors and the public alike. In light of this
aim, the Company prohibits employees from engaging in
any unethical or illegal business practices. An exhaustive
list of unethical practices cannot be provided. Instead,
the Company relies on the judgment of each individual
employee to avoid such practices. Furthermore, each
employee should endeavor to deal fairly with the Company’s
customers, suppliers, competitors and other employees.
No employee should take unfair advantage of anyone through
manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information,
misrepresentation of material facts, or any other unfair
business practice.
8. Books and Records
and Accounting Controls
The Company takes pride in the open honesty of its accounting
system and relies on the cooperation of all employees
who are involved in keeping financial records of any
type in maintaining the integrity of the system. Company
policy requires that all books and records be maintained
accurately and that no fund, asset, liability, revenue
or expense be concealed or incompletely recorded for
any purpose. Furthermore, all entries must be supported
by documentation adequate to permit the books and records
to be verified by audit.
The Company’s internal auditing
mechanism is essential to ensuring the accurate reporting
of the Company’s financial information. The Audit Committee
has the responsibility to review the Company’s policies
and practice with respect to financial reporting. By
conducting this review, the Audit Committee helps the
Company identify deficiencies in its practices so that
they can be promptly corrected. Auditors shall have
unrestricted access to all of the Company documents
and records. All employees are required to cooperate
fully with internal and external audits. In no case
may an employee make a false or misleading statement
to any internal or external auditor, withhold records,
or otherwise interfere with an audit. An employee who
has knowledge of any unreported or improperly reported
financial activity must report such information to a
supervisor, the Ethics Officer or the Audit Committee.
Please consult Section 11 of this Code regarding an
employee’s right to report questionable accounting or
auditing practices to the Audit Committee.
9. Waivers
All employees must comply with the provisions of this
Code. Any waiver of this Code for executive officers
or directors may be made only by the Board of Directors
of the Company (the “Board”) or a Board committee and
will be promptly disclosed to the public as required
by law. When necessary, a waiver will be accompanied
by appropriate controls designed to protect the Company.
10. Compliance Guidelines
and Resources
In some situations, our employees may not be certain
how to proceed in compliance with this Code. This uncertainty
may concern the ethical nature of the employee’s own
acts or the employee’s duty to report the unethical
acts of another. When faced with this uncertainty, the
employee should carefully analyze the situation and
make use of the resources of the Company when determining
the proper course of action. The Company also encourages
employees to talk to their supervisors, when in doubt
about the best course of action. The following items
should be considered:
- Gather all the facts.
Do not take any action that may violate the Code until
you have gathered all the facts that are required
to make a well-informed decision and, if necessary,
you have consulted with your supervisor, the Ethics
Officer or the General Counsel of the Company.
- Is the proposed action
illegal or contrary to policy? If the proposed action
is illegal or contrary to the provision of this Code,
you should not carry out the act. If you believe that
the Code has been violated by an employee, an officer
or a director, you must promptly report the violation
in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section
11.
- Discuss the problem with
your supervisor. It is your supervisor’s duty to assist
employees in complying with this Code. Feel free to
discuss a situation that raises ethical issues with
your supervisor if you have any questions. You will
suffer no retaliation for seeking such guidance. If
you are not comfortable raising an ethical issue or
discussing a possible or actual violation with your
supervisor, or you have done so and the supervisor
has not responded to your problem, you must seek assistance
elsewhere within the Company.
- Additional resources.
Your supervisor is available to speak with you about
problematic situations. The General Counsel of the
Company is also available to assist you in complying
with those aspects of the Code that involve more complex
issues, such as insider trading and conflicts of interest.
11. Reporting Procedures
All employees have a duty to report any violations of
this Code, as well as violations of any laws, rules
or regulations. The Company does not permit retaliation
of any kind against employees for good faith reports
of ethical violations.
If you believe that the Code
has been violated by an employee you must promptly report
the violation to his or her direct supervisor or the
Ethics Officer. If a report is made to a supervisor,
the supervisor must in turn report the violation to
the Ethics Officer. All violations by an officer or
director of the Company must be reported directly to
the Ethics Officer. Every employee also has a right
to submit reports of questionable accounting or auditing
practices to the Audit Committee.
Reports may be made in person,
by telephone by calling (973) 290-0027, or in writing
by sending a description of the violation and the names
of the parties involved to the appropriate personnel
mentioned in the preceding paragraph. Reports to the
Ethics Officer may be sent to the following address:
55 Madison Avenue, Suite 300 Morristown, NJ 07960. Reports
to the Audit Committee may be sent to the following
address: 55 Madison Avenue, Suite 300 Morristown, NJ
07960.
12. Disciplinary Action
The Company has implemented the following disciplinary
policies to ensure that prompt and consistent actions
are taken in response to Code violations:
- Range of Penalties. All
violations of this Code will be treated seriously
and will result in the prompt imposition of penalties
which may include (1) an oral or written warning,
(2) a reprimand, (3) suspension, (4) termination and/or
(5) restitution.
- Disciplinary Process.
The penalty for a particular violation will be decided
on a case-by-case basis and will depend on the nature
and severity of the violation as well as the employee’s
history of non-compliance and cooperation in the disciplinary
process. Significant penalties will be imposed for
violations resulting from intentional or reckless
behavior. Penalties may also be imposed when an employee
fails to report a violation due to the employee’s
indifference, deliberate ignorance or reckless conduct.
Where there is credible evidence of a violation, the
Ethics Officer will determine the appropriate sanction
with the assistance of the Board.
- Consistent Enforcement.
All employees will be treated equally with respect
to the imposition of disciplinary measures. Pursuant
to this policy, all levels of employees will be subject
to the same disciplinary action for the commission
of a similar offense.
13. Whistleblower Policy
The Company's Code of Business
Conduct and Ethics (“Code”) requires directors, officers
and employees to observe high standards of business
and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and
responsibilities. As employees and representatives of
the Company, we must practice honesty and integrity
in fulfilling our responsibilities and comply with all
applicable laws and regulations.
- Reporting
Responsibility: It is the responsibility of all directors,
officers and employees to comply with the Code and
to report violations or suspected violations in accordance
with this Whistleblower Policy.
- No Retaliation: No director,
officer or employee who in good faith reports a violation
of the Code shall suffer harassment, retaliation or
adverse employment consequence. An employee who retaliates
against someone who has reported a violation in good
faith is subject to discipline up to and including
termination of employment. This Whistleblower Policy
is intended to encourage and enable employees and
others to raise serious concerns within the Company
prior to seeking resolution outside the Company.
- Reporting Violations: The Code
addresses the Company’s open door policy and suggests
that employees share their questions, concerns, suggestions
or complaints with someone who can address them properly.
In most cases, an employee’s supervisor is in the
best position to address an area of concern. However,
if you are not comfortable speaking with your supervisor
or you are not satisfied with your supervisor’s response,
you are encouraged to speak with someone in Human
Resources Department or anyone in management whom
you are comfortable in approaching. Supervisors and
managers are required to report suspected violations
of the Code of Conduct to the Company’s Compliance
Officer, who has specific and exclusive responsibility
to investigate all reported violations. For suspected
fraud, or when you are not satisfied or uncomfortable
with following the Company’s open door policy, individuals
should contact the Company’s Compliance Officer directly.
- Compliance Officer: The Company’s
Compliance Officer is responsible for investigating
and resolving all reported complaints and allegations
concerning violations of the Code and, at his discretion,
shall advise the Chief Executive Officer and/or the
Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.
The Compliance Officer has direct access to the Chairman
of the Audit Committee and is required to report to
the Chairman of the Audit Committee at least annually
on compliance activity. The Company’s Compliance Officer
is the General Counsel. If the General Counsel is
unavailable, unresponsive or potentially involved
with the subject matter of the complaint, you should
contact the Chairman of the Audit Committee.
- Accounting and Auditing Matters:
The Audit Committee shall address all reported concerns
or complaints regarding corporate accounting practices,
internal controls or auditing. The Compliance Officer
shall immediately notify the Chairman of the Audit
Committee of any such complaint and work with the
Audit Committee until the matter is resolved.
- Acting in Good Faith: Anyone
filing a complaint concerning a violation or suspected
violation of the Code must be acting in good faith
and have reasonable grounds for believing the information
disclosed indicates a violation of the Code. Any allegations
that prove not to be substantiated and which prove
to have been made maliciously or knowingly to be false
will be viewed as a serious disciplinary offense.
- Confidentiality: Violations
or suspected violations may be submitted on a confidential
basis by the complainant or may be submitted anonymously.
Reports of violations or suspected violations will
be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent
with the need to conduct an adequate investigation.
- Handling of Reported Violations:
The Compliance Officer will notify the sender and
acknowledge receipt of the reported violation or suspected
violation within five business days. All reports will
be promptly investigated and appropriate corrective
action will be taken if warranted by the investigation.
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