Terms and Conditions

1.1 Legal Responsibilities

You represent and warrant that you have the legal capacity to enter into these terms and that you will use our services in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. You are responsible for ensuring that your use of our services does not violate any laws in your jurisdiction.

You must be at least eighteen years of age to use our services. If you are accessing our website or services on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have the authority to bind that organization to these terms.

1.2 Conduct Requirements

You agree to conduct yourself professionally and respectfully when interacting with our services and staff. Harassment, abusive behavior, or threatening communications will not be tolerated and may result in immediate termination of services.

You must provide accurate and truthful information when using our services. Deliberately providing false or misleading information may affect the quality of our analysis and could constitute fraud.

1.3 Prohibited Activities and Behaviors

The following activities are strictly prohibited when using our website and services:

• • Attempting to gain unauthorized access to our systems, networks, or user accounts
• • Using automated tools, bots, or scripts to access or interact with our website without permission
• • Transmitting viruses, malware, or any other malicious code
• • Attempting to reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any aspect of our services
• • Using our services to engage in fraudulent activities or money laundering
• • Reproducing, distributing, or publicly displaying our proprietary content without authorization

1.4 Content Guidelines and Restrictions

When providing information to us or interacting with our services, you must not submit content that is unlawful, defamatory, obscene, threatening, invasive of privacy, infringing of intellectual property rights, or otherwise objectionable.

You retain ownership of information you provide to us, but you grant us the right to use that information as necessary to provide our services and fulfill our contractual obligations to you.

1.5 Age Restrictions and Requirements

Our services are intended for adults and are not directed toward individuals under the age of eighteen. We do not knowingly collect information from minors. If we learn that we have collected information from someone under eighteen, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

2.1 Compliance with Laws and Regulations

You are solely responsible for ensuring that your use of our services complies with all applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards in your jurisdiction. This includes but is not limited to tax laws, securities regulations, and financial reporting requirements.

We provide analytical services, not legal or tax advice. You should consult with appropriate licensed professionals to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations.

2.2 Indemnification Obligations

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Meridian Slate, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your use of our services, your violation of these terms, or your violation of any rights of third parties.

This indemnification obligation survives the termination of your use of our services and continues for any claims that may arise from your past use of our services.

2.3 Privacy and Data Protection

You acknowledge that you have read and understood our Privacy Policy, which explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information. By using our services, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in that policy.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information you provide to us and for ensuring that you have the right to share any information you disclose during our engagement.

2.4 Third-Party Interactions

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or reference third-party services. We are not responsible for the content, accuracy, or practices of these third parties. Your interactions with third-party websites are governed by their own terms and privacy policies.

3.1 Disclaimer of Warranties

Our services and website are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not warrant that our services will be uninterrupted, error-free, or completely secure, or that any defects will be corrected.

We make no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of information provided through our services. While we strive to provide high-quality analysis, we cannot guarantee specific outcomes or results.

3.2 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Meridian Slate shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses resulting from:

• • Your access to or use of (or inability to access or use) our services
• • Any conduct or content of third parties on our website
• • Any content obtained from our services
• • Unauthorized access, use, or alteration of your transmissions or content

Our total liability to you for all claims arising from or related to our services shall not exceed the amount you have paid us for services in the twelve months preceding the claim.

3.3 Consequential Damages Exclusion

We are not liable for any financial losses you may experience as a result of decisions made based on our analysis. Our services provide analytical perspectives and frameworks for thinking about financial questions, but the final decisions and their consequences remain your responsibility.

This exclusion applies even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages and regardless of the form of action, whether in contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or otherwise.

3.4 Force Majeure Provisions

We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations under these terms due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, labor disputes, government actions, or failures of third-party services or infrastructure.

4.1 Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of New South Wales, Australia, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any legal proceedings arising from or related to these terms shall be brought exclusively in the courts of New South Wales.

You consent to the personal jurisdiction of these courts and waive any objection to venue in these courts on the grounds of inconvenient forum or otherwise.

4.2 Dispute Resolution Procedures

Before initiating any legal proceedings, we encourage you to contact us to discuss your concerns. Many disputes can be resolved through direct communication. If we cannot resolve a dispute through discussion, either party may pursue formal dispute resolution.

For disputes involving amounts below ten thousand Australian dollars, both parties agree to first attempt resolution through mediation before pursuing litigation. The costs of mediation shall be shared equally between the parties.

4.3 Severability Clause

If any provision of these Terms and Conditions is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable. If such modification is not possible, the provision shall be severed from these terms, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

4.4 Terms Modification Policy

We reserve the right to modify these Terms and Conditions at any time. Material changes will be communicated through email or prominent notice on our website. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when these terms were most recently revised.

Your continued use of our services following the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of such changes. If you do not agree to the modified terms, you must discontinue use of our services.

5.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms and Conditions, together with our Privacy Policy and any engagement agreements you enter into with us, constitute the entire agreement between you and Meridian Slate regarding your use of our services and supersede all prior agreements, understandings, and communications, whether written or oral.

5.2 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any provision of these terms shall not constitute a waiver of that provision or of our right to enforce it in the future. Any waiver must be in writing and signed by an authorized representative of Meridian Slate.

5.3 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these terms without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations under these terms to any successor entity in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

5.4 Survival

Provisions of these terms that by their nature should survive termination shall survive, including but not limited to ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnification obligations, and limitations of liability.