UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of 
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported):  May 11, 2015

 

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

British Columbia, Canada   001-33638   N/A
(State or Other Jurisdiction   (Commission   (IRS Employer
of Incorporation)   File Number)   Identification No.)

 

1177 West Hastings Street, Suite 2300, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada   V6E 2K3
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)   (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:  (604) 683-3332

 

 

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report.)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 


 
 

 

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

On May 11, 2015, International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (the “Company”) retained David A. Cross, 39, under contract to serve as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective May 11, 2015. Mr. Cross will remain a partner in the firm of Cross Davis & Company LLP, Certified General Accountants (“CD&C LLP”), which has also been retained to provide corporate accounting support to the Company. Mr. Cross has served as a partner of CD&C LLP since July, 2010. Mr. Cross’ past experience consists of officer, director and senior management positions, including five years at Davidson & Company LLP Chartered Accountants from September, 2005 to May, 2010 where he spent time as a Manager, a member of their Technical Accounting Committee and a member of their IFRS Committee. He is also the chief financial officer of several other junior mineral exploration companies. Mr. Cross holds a BCIT diploma in Financial Management and is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Certified General Accountant.

 

Pursuant to a Consulting Agreement, dated for reference May 11, 2015, entered into between the Company and Mr. Cross, Mr. Cross will provide services to the Company normally associated with the position of chief financial officer of a public company. Mr. Cross will receive stock options to purchase 30,000 of the Company’s common shares. Also on May 11, 2015, the Company entered into a Financial and Accounting Consulting Agreement with CD&C LLP pursuant to which the Company will pay CD&C LLP CAD 6,000 per calendar month, plus any applicable provincial sales tax and/or Canadian federal goods and services tax, for the corporate accounting services provided thereunder. The Company will also pay or reimburse Mr. Cross and CD&C LLP for all reasonable costs, expenses and disbursements incurred in providing services to the Company.

 

Copies of the Consulting Agreement and Financial and Accounting Consulting Agreement are filed herewith as Exhibits 10.1 and 10.2, respectively, and incorporated in this Item 5.02 by reference. The foregoing descriptions of the Consulting Agreement and Financial and Accounting Consulting Agreement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the Agreements.

 

Item 8.01 Other Events.

 

On May 12, 2015, the Company issued a press release regarding the appointment of Mr. Cross as Chief Financial Officer of the Company and the appointment of Debbie L. Evans as Corporate Controller of the Company, in addition to her current duties as Controller for a subsidiary of the Company. A copy of the press release is attached to this report as Exhibit 99.1.

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No.

Description

10.1 Consulting Agreement, dated for reference May 11, 2015, between the Company and David A. Cross.
10.2 Financial and Accounting Consulting Agreement, dated for reference May 11, 2015, between the Company and Cross Davis & Company LLP, Certified General Accountants.
99.1 Press Release of the Company, dated May 12, 2015.

 

 

 
 

 

 

SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

  International Tower Hill Mines Ltd.
  (Registrant)
     
     
Dated: May 12, 2015 By: /s/ Thomas Irwin
  Name: Thomas Irwin
  Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 
 

 

Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit No.

Description

10.1 Consulting Agreement, dated for reference May 11, 2015, between the Company and David A. Cross.
10.2 Financial and Accounting Consulting Agreement, dated for reference May 11, 2015, between the Company and Cross Davis & Company LLP, Certified General Accountants.
99.1 Press Release of the Company, dated May 12, 2015.

 

 

Exhibit 10.1

 

CONSULTING AGREEMENT

 

THIS CONSULTING AGREEMENT is dated for reference the 11 th day of May, 2015

 

BETWEEN:

 

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD. , a body corporate subsisting under the laws of British Columbia, having an office at Suite 2300 – 1177 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA V6E 2K3

(the “Company”)

 

AND:

 

DAVID ALLEN CROSS , Certified General Accountant, having an address at #801 – 811 Helmcken Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA V6Z 1B1

(the “Consultant”)

W H E R E A S:

 

A. The Company is a reporting (public) British Columbia company, the common shares of which are publicly traded and are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the NYSE-MKT Stock Exchange;

 

B. The Company and its subsidiaries are engaged in the exploration and development of mineral projects and, in particular, the Livengood Gold Project located approximately 112 kilometres north of Fairbanks, Alaska (the “Project”);

 

C. The Consultant is a Certified General Accountant with experience in the review, operation and testing of the financial affairs of public companies, including in connection with systems of financial reporting, internal controls on financial reporting and public disclosure requirements applicable to public companies mineral exploration in Canada and the United States; and

 

D. The Company requires the services of an individual with the necessary expertise and experience to act as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company and to provide the services normally associated with such position in a public natural resource exploration company, and the Consultant has agreed to provide such services, all on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.

 

NOW THEREFORE THIS AGREEMENT WITNESSETH that in consideration of the sum of TEN ($10.00) DOLLARS now paid by the Company to the Consultant and of the mutual covenants and agreements hereinafter contained, the parties agree as follows:

 

1. ENGAGEMENT

 

1.1 The Company hereby retains and engages the Consultant, and the Consultant hereby accepts such retainer and engagement, to perform the services set forth in section 2 on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.

 

 
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1.2 The term of this agreement will be for the period commencing on May 11, 2015 and ending on the date this agreement is terminated in accordance with the provisions of section 5 (the “Term”).

 

2. SERVICES

 

2.1 During the Term, the Consultant will provide the services normally associated with the position of the Chief Financial Officer of a public company including, without limitation, the specific services set forth and described in Schedule “A” (the “Services”).

 

2.2 For greater certainty, the Consultant and the Company confirm and agree that any one or more of the precise Services to be rendered by the Consultant may be reasonably extended, amended or curtailed by the Company upon reasonable notice in writing from time to time at its sole discretion.

 

2.3 The Consultant will:

 

(a) provide the Services hereunder:

 

(i) in a good, prudent and workmanlike manner,

 

(ii) in accordance with his professional responsibilities and obligations as a Certified General Accountant,

 

(iii) to the best of his abilities, and

 

(iv) using his best professional effort, skill and judgement; and

 

(b) in providing the Services, comply with all applicable laws, statutes, codes, rules, regulations and ordinances, the requirements of any applicable regulatory agencies or authorities and the rules and policies of all applicable stock exchanges.

 

2.4 In connection with the provision of the Services, the Consultant, as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, will report, and be directly responsible, to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (“CEO”), or such other individual(s) as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors of the Company (“Board”) and, as, if and when required by the Board, to the Board.

 

2.5 Subject to subsections 2.6 and 2.7, the Consultant will defend, indemnify and save harmless the Company and its subsidiaries (“Subsidiaries”), and their respective directors, officers and employees, from and against any and all losses, expenses, suits, actions, causes of action, liabilities, obligations, damages, and costs made or brought against or suffered, incurred, or borne by any of the Company, or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective directors, officers or employees, and arising out of or resulting from or in any way related to or caused by the failure of the Consultant to carry out, provide and render the Services in accordance with all applicable laws, statutes, codes, rules, regulations and ordinances, the requirements of any applicable regulatory agencies or authorities, the rules and policies of all applicable stock exchanges and the policies of the Company.

 

2.6 For the purposes of this agreement, the following words and phrases will have the following meanings:

 

 
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(a) “eligible penalty” means a judgment, penalty or fine awarded or imposed in, or an amount paid in settlement of, an eligible proceeding;

 

(b) “eligible proceeding” means a proceeding in which the Consultant, or any of the heirs and personal or other legal representatives of the Consultant, by reason of the Consultant being or having been an officer of the Company:

 

(i) is or may be joined as a party, or

 

(ii) is or may be liable for or in respect of a judgment, penalty or fine in, or expenses related to, the proceeding;

 

(c) “expenses” includes costs, charges and expenses, including legal and other fees, but does not include judgments, penalties, fines or amounts paid in settlement of a proceeding; and

 

(d) “proceeding” includes any legal proceeding or investigative action, whether current, threatened, pending or completed.

 

2.7 Subject to the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia), the Company will:

 

(a) indemnify the Consultant against all eligible penalties to which the Consultant is or may be liable unless:

 

(i) if, in relation to the subject matter of the eligible proceeding, the Consultant did not act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Company, or

 

(ii) in the case of an eligible proceeding other than a civil proceeding, if the Consultant did not have reasonable grounds for believing that the Consultant’s conduct in respect of which the proceeding was brought was lawful, or

 

(iii) an eligible proceeding is brought against the Consultant by or on behalf of the Company; and

 

(b) after the final disposition of an eligible proceeding, pay the expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Consultant in respect of that proceeding, provided that the Consultant:

 

(i) has not been reimbursed for those expenses, and

 

(ii) is wholly successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the outcome of the proceeding or is substantially successful on the merits in the outcome of the proceeding,

 

unless the eligible proceeding was brought against the Consultant by or on behalf of the Company.

 

3. COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES

 

3.1 As the sole consideration for the Services to be rendered by the Consultant hereunder, the Consultant will be granted, in his capacity as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company:

 

(a) incentive stock options to purchase thirty thousand (30,000) common shares, such options to be granted forthwith following May 11, 2015 and to be upon the same terms and conditions as those incentive stock options granted by the Company to management in March, 2015; and

 
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(b) such further and additional incentive stock options as the Board may from time to time in its sole discretion, determine, having regard to the Consultant’s position as a senior officer of the Company and his corresponding obligations in respect thereof, and his performance of the Services.

 

3.2 The Company will, on a monthly basis (or as otherwise agreed by the Company and the Consultant), pay or, if paid by the Consultant, will reimburse, the Consultant for all reasonable costs, expenses and disbursements incurred by the Consultant in connection with the provision of the Services, provided that the incurring and amount of all such costs, expenses, disbursements and amounts are generally approved in advance by the Company and are reported, filed and claimed in accordance with the Company’s expense reimbursement procedures as notified to the Consultant and in effect from time to time.

 

3.3 The Consultant will perform the Services primarily from his current offices in Vancouver, British Columbia, but will travel to and from and be present at and perform the Services at such other locations, including the offices of Tower Hill Mines, Inc. located in Fairbanks, Alaska, with such frequency and for such duration as the Consultant or the CEO reasonably considers necessary for the proper and timely performance of the Services. The Company will be responsible for providing appropriate working facilities as reasonably necessary for use by the Consultant in order to provide the Services at locations other than in Vancouver, British Columbia, and paying for the costs of travelling to and from any such locations. If the Consultant is required to obtain any work permits or other documents to travel to the United States to perform the Services, the Company will pay for the cost of such permits or documents.

 

4. RELATIONSHIP OF THE COMPANY AND THE CONSULTANT

 

4.1 The Company acknowledges that, the Consultant is both a partner in the professional accounting firm of Cross Davis & Company LLP (the “Firm”), and the Chief Financial Officer of other public natural resource companies, and that, during the term hereof, the Consultant will engage in other business activities, both through the Firm and personally, for gain, profit or other pecuniary advantage, including, without limitation, the provision of services (whether as a partner of the Firm or a consultant or officer, including as Chief Financial Officer) to other public and private companies similar or identical to those to be rendered to the Company, and that the Consultant will therefore only be required to devote such time and effort to the provision of the Services as is reasonably necessary to efficiently and competently perform and carry out such Services.

 

4.2 The Consultant will perform all Services hereunder as an independent contractor, and will not, in the performance of Services hereunder, be considered for any reason to be, nor will the Consultant hold himself out to be, an employee of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries by virtue of this agreement.

 

4.3 The parties acknowledge that the Company has entered into an agreement with the Firm for the provision by the Firm of certain financial advisory and accounting services (the “Firm Agreement”), and confirm and agree that:

 

 
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(a) with respect to the provision of the Services by the Consultant, the terms and conditions of the Firm Agreement will not apply, notwithstanding that the Consultant is a partner in the Firm, and this agreement will solely govern the Services; and

 

(b) with respect to any activities performed by the Consultant which:

 

(i) are not Services, and

 

(ii) which are performed on behalf of the Firm under the Firm Agreement,

 

the terms and conditions of the Firm Agreement will apply to any such activities and this agreement will not apply.

 

4.4 The Consultant acknowledges that the Company is a “reporting issuer” and a public company whose common shares trade on various stock exchanges, and that, as a consequence of this, the Company and its directors, officers, employees and consultants are subject to the securities laws of several Canadian provinces and the federal securities laws of the United States. The Consultant also acknowledges that, by virtue of the nature of the Services to be provided, much of the information which will be received by, or become known to, the Consultant during the course of the Consultant’s retainer hereunder (whether or not such information is also Confidential Information (as defined in subsection 7.2)) is likely to be material and non-public information with respect to the business, affairs, assets, mineral properties and/or status (financial and otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries (together, the Company and its Subsidiaries being referred to as the “ITH Group”)) and may constitute material facts or material changes (as those terms are defined in the Securities Act (B.C.)), and that the provisions of applicable securities legislation, including, without limitation, section 57.2 of the Securities Act (B.C.), prohibit:

 

(a) trading (which includes the exercise of a previously granted stock option) in securities of a reporting issuer (such as the Company) by a person who is in a special relationship with such reporting issuer and knows of a material fact or a material change with respect to that reporting issuer that has not been generally disclosed, or

 

(b) a person who is in a special relationship with a reporting issuer informing another person of a material fact or a material change with respect to that reporting issuer before the material fact or material change has been generally disclosed, unless the giving of such information is necessary in the course of business of the reporting issuer or of the person in the special relationship.

 

By virtue of the retainer of the Consultant hereunder and his position as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, the Consultant will be considered to be an insider of the Company, and therefore in a special relationship with the Company. The Consultant also acknowledges that the penalties for violation of such prohibitions are severe and that the carrying on of any such activities will materially and adversely affect the ITH Group. Accordingly, the Consultant agrees that the Consultant will take all necessary steps to fully comply with applicable legislation regarding any trading in the securities of the Company.

 

 
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4.5 The Company has adopted a “Code of Business Conduct and Ethics” (the “Code”), a copy of which is attached as Schedule “B”, as well as a number of additional policies governing the operations of the Company and its personnel, copies of which have been provided to the Consultant prior to the execution of this agreement (the “Policies”). The Consultant agrees that he is bound by the Code and the Policies in connection with the provision of the Services and the manner of the carrying out thereof, and agrees that he will become fully familiar, and comply, with the provisions of the Code and the Policies. In addition to the termination provisions specified in Section 5, a failure by the Consultant to fully comply with the provisions of the Code or a material violation of any of the Policies could result in immediate termination by the Company of this agreement for cause without any compensation whatsoever.

 

5. TERMINATION

 

5.1 Notwithstanding anything in this agreement to the contrary, the Company may forthwith terminate this agreement and the retainer of the Consultant hereunder if:

 

(a) the Consultant is guilty of conduct that would, at common law, constitute just cause for summary dismissal of the Consultant if he were an employee of the Company including, without limitation:

 

(i) the conviction of the Consultant of a criminal or summary conviction offence related to the retainer of the Consultant hereunder, or any act involving money or other property involving the Company or any Subsidiary which would constitute a crime in the jurisdiction involved,

 

(ii) any act of fraud, misappropriation, dishonesty, embezzlement or similar conduct against the Company, any Subsidiary, a supplier or service provider to the Company or any Subsidiary or a customer of the Company or of any Subsidiary,

 

(iii) the use of illegal drugs or the habitual and disabling use of alcohol or drugs which materially and adversely affects the Consultant’s ability to renders the Services hereunder,

 

(iv) any material breach of any of the terms of this Agreement by the Consultant which breach remains uncured after the expiration of fourteen (14) days following the delivery of written notice of such breach to the Consultant by the Company,

 

(v) any threatened or actual attempt by the Consultant to secure any personal profit in connection with the business of the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective corporate opportunities, or the appropriation of a maturing business opportunity of the Company or any Subsidiary,

 

(vi) any disparagement or defamation of the Company, any Subsidiary, or any of their respective directors, officers, employees or consultants, to any person or by any means,

 

(vii) a failure by the Consultant to fully comply with the provisions of the Code or a material violation by the Consultant of any of the Policies; or

 

 
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(viii) any act by the Consultant which is materially injurious to the Company or its business or that of any Subsidiary;

 

(b) the Consultant is, subject to reasonable allowances for sickness, holidays and unavoidable personal matters, unable or unwilling to provide the Services;

 

(c) the Consultant is, in the reasonable judgement of the CEO, unable to efficiently and competently perform and carry out the required Services, provided that the Consultant has been provided written notice by the Company specifying such failure and the Consultant has not corrected such failure within ten (10) days of receiving such notice; or

 

(d) the Consultant commits an act of bankruptcy, is adjudicated a bankrupt or otherwise becomes subject to the provisions of the Bankruptcy Act (Canada) or similar legislation in any province or country, or if a receiver, liquidator or receiver manager is appointed for the assets or business of the Consultant;

 

by giving written notice to the Consultant of its intention to terminate this agreement on the date specified in such notice (which date may not be prior to the date of delivery of the notice) and this agreement will thereupon terminate effective upon such specified date.

 

5.2 This agreement may be terminated, at the election of either party, upon one party giving not less than ninety (90) days’ written notice to the other party of its intention to terminate this agreement (“Termination Notice”) and this agreement will thereupon terminate upon the day with is ninety (90) days’ after the delivery of such Termination Notice, unless the parties agree upon an earlier or later termination date (“Termination Date”).

 

5.3 Upon the termination of this agreement, for whatever reason:

 

(a) all of the liabilities, obligations and rights of the Consultant and the Company hereunder will cease as of the Termination Date, save for any obligations (other than the obligation to provide the Services under this agreement) and liabilities of the Consultant to the Company in his position as a senior officer of the Company, which will continue and be and remain enforceable against the Consultant in accordance with applicable laws; and

 

(b) all incentive stock options held by the Consultant will terminate on the day which is ninety (90) days’ after the Termination Date, except in the case of a termination by the Company pursuant to subsection 5.1, in which case all such options will terminate as at the effective date of termination.

 

5.4 No compensation is payable to the Consultant by the Company, or by the Consultant to the Company, as the result of a termination, for any reason whatsoever, of this agreement.

 

6. NON-COMPETITION

 

6.1 For the purposes of this agreement:

 

(a) the phrase “Competitive Activities” means the participation of the Consultant, directly or indirectly through any corporation, partnership (including the Firm), firm or joint venture, without the prior written consent of the Company, in the management of any business operation of any enterprise, or the provision of consulting or advisory services to any business operation of any enterprise, if such operation (a “Competitive Operation”) engages in a substantial and direct competition with the Project; and

 

 
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(b) an operation by an enterprise will be considered to be in substantial and direct competition with the Project if such operation is being conducted within fifty (50) kilometres of the outer perimeter of the boundaries of the Project (as such exists as at the date of any such Competitive Activity), provided that Competitive Activity will not include:

 

(i) the ownership of securities in any publicly traded enterprise amounting to less than five (5%) percent of the then outstanding securities thereof, or

 

(ii) participation of the Consultant, directly or indirectly, through any corporation, partnership, firm or joint venture in the management of any business operation of any enterprise, or the provision of consulting or advisory services to any business operation of any enterprise, other than in connection with a Competitive Operation of such enterprise or business operation thereof.

 

6.2 During the Term and for a period of one (1) year after the termination of this agreement for any reason whatsoever, the Consultant will not engage in any Competitive Activities.

 

7. CONFIDENTIALITY

 

7.1 The Consultant will, notwithstanding any breach or alleged breach of this agreement by any party:

 

(a) hold in secrecy, as trustee or custodian for the Company and the Company’s exclusive benefit and use, all Confidential Information (as defined below), whether or not discovered, made or contributed to, in whole or in part, by the Consultant;

 

(b) except, and then only to the extent required under the specific circumstances, as reasonably necessary for the Consultant to fulfill his duties and responsibilities hereunder, not divulge any Confidential Information to any person or persons, without the previous written consent of the Company; and

 

(c) not use or attempt to use any Confidential Information that the Consultant may acquire in the course of rendering the Services for his own benefit, directly or indirectly, or for the benefit of any other person (including the Firm).

 

7.2 For the purposes of this agreement, the term “Confidential Information” means:

 

(a) any information relating to:

 

(i) the Project,

 

(ii) the assets, liabilities, business, operations, financial matters, shareholdings, products, processes or activities of the Company or of any Subsidiary,

 

including, but not limited to title, ownership, geological, mining, metallurgical, engineering and economic studies, production rates and methods, sales and marketing of products produced, arrangements with suppliers of services and equipment and purchasers of products, budgets and work programs, strategies, data, maps, plans, reports, results, drawings, interpretations, assays, forecasts, records, agreements, contracts and other information;

 

 
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(b) any information derived from a site visit or visits to the Project; and

 

(c) all summaries or extracts from and all notes, memoranda, studies, maps, records, notebooks, compilations, analyses or other documents based upon the information specified in paragraphs (a) or (b) above,

 

and that is not:

 

(d) information that is available to the public or in the public domain, being readily accessible to the public in written publications, at the time of disclosure or use, without breach of this agreement;

 

(e) the general skills and experience gained by the Consultant during the period Services are provided to the Company; or

 

(f) information the disclosure of which is required to be made by any law, regulation, governmental authority or court, provided that before disclosure is made, notice of the requirement is provided by the Consultant to the Company.

 

7.3 All documents, records, notebooks, work papers, notes, memoranda, studies, compilations, analyses and similar repositories of or containers of Confidential Information, made or compiled by the Consultant (in whatever form, including paper, photographic, electronic, digital, machine-readable or otherwise) at any time during the Term, or made available to the Consultant during the Term by the Company or any Subsidiary, including any and all copies thereof, will be the property of the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be, and belong solely to the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be, and will be held by the Consultant in trust and solely for the benefit of the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be.

 

7.4 Upon termination of this agreement, for whatever reason, the Consultant will immediately surrender to the Company:

 

(a) all Confidential Information in his possession or in the possession of any person or other entity under his control; and

 

(b) any property and other things of value in his possession or in the possession of any person or other entity under his control and which contain, relate to or are derived from or based upon, directly or indirectly, any Confidential Information,

 

whether in written, photographic, electronic or other form and howsoever stored (including on microfilm, floppy disk, compact disk, DVD or any computer hard drive or other electronic storage media), and will ensure that the Consultant does not retain any copies thereof, except that the Consultant will be entitled to retain any Confidential Information that the Consultant determines is necessary in his sole discretion to meet his professional obligations or that cannot practicably be surrendered. Any such Confidential Information that is retained by the Consultant under this subsection 7.4 will remain subject to confidentiality obligations set out in subsection 7.1. The Consultant will deliver a statutory declaration to the Company upon termination of this agreement attesting to the compliance with this subsection 7.4 by the Consultant.

 

 
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7.5 The provisions of this section 7 will be binding upon the Consultant during the Term and for a period of one (1) year after the termination of this agreement for any reason.

 

8. ARBITRATION

 

8.1 Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this agreement, or the breach, termination or invalidity of it, or any deadlock or inability of the parties to agree on a course of action to be taken hereunder, will be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration under the rules of the British Columbia International Commercial Arbitration Centre in effect as at the commencement of any such arbitration.

 

8.2 The parties agree that:

 

(a) the appointing authority will be the British Columbia International Commercial Arbitration Centre;

 

(b) the case will be administered by the British Columbia International Commercial Arbitration Centre in accordance with its “Domestic Commercial Arbitration Rules of Procedure”;

 

(c) the place of arbitration will be Vancouver, British Columbia;

 

(d) the number of arbitrators will be one; and

 

(e) the language used in the arbitral proceeding will be English.

 

8.3 The arbitrator's fees will be paid by both parties in equal parts during the course of the arbitration but upon final decision of the dispute, the defeated party will pay all costs and reimburse all arbitration costs, including the amounts paid by the prevailing party, subject to the contrary decision of the arbitrator.

 

9. THE COMPANY'S REMEDY FOR BREACH AND RIGHT TO INJUNCTION

 

9.1 The Consultant and the Company agree that damages in the event of breach of sections 6 or 7 of this agreement would be difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain, and the Consultant and the Company therefore agree that the Company, in addition to and without limiting any other right or remedy it may have on account of such breach or threatened breach, will have the right to an injunction or other available equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction, enjoining any such threatened or actual breach of this agreement by the Consultant. The existence of this right to an injunction or other available equitable relief will not preclude the Company from pursuing any other rights and remedies at law or in equity, which the Company may have, including recovery of damages.

 

10. NON WAIVER

 

10.1 No consent or waiver, express or implied, by the Company, on the one hand, or the Consultant, on the other hand, to or of any breach or default by the other of them in the performance of that other’s obligations under this agreement will be deemed or construed to be a consent or waiver to or of any other breach or default of the same or any other obligation of the other party. Failure on the part of any party to complain of any act or failure to act of the other party, or to declare the other party in default regardless of how long such failure continues, will not constitute a waiver by such party of its rights under this Agreement or of the right to then or subsequently declare a default.

 

 
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11. SEVERABILITY

 

11.1 If any portion of this agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining covenants and restrictions or portions thereof will remain in full force and effect, and if the invalidity or unenforceability is due to the unreasonableness of time, such covenants and restrictions will be effective for such period of time as may be determined to be reasonable by a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

12. ASSIGNMENT

 

12.1 The obligations and rights of the Consultant under this agreement may not be assigned or transferred in any manner.

 

12.2 The obligations and rights of the Company under this agreement may not be assigned or transferred by the Company in any manner.

 

13. NOTICES

 

13.1 Any notice or other communication to be given hereunder will be in writing and will be addressed to the party to receive the same at the address for such party set out on page one hereof. All notices will be given personally or delivered by prepaid courier delivered to the party to receive the same and will be deemed to have been given and received on the day of delivery.

 

13.2 Any party may at any time give notice in writing to the other of a change in its address for the purposes of this section 13.

 

14. AGREEMENT VOLUNTARY AND EQUITABLE

 

14.1 The Company and the Consultant acknowledge and declare that they each have carefully considered and understand the terms and conditions contained in this agreement including, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Consultant’s rights upon termination and the restrictions on the Consultant after termination, and acknowledge and agree that the terms and conditions of the retainer of the Consultant and rights and restrictions upon termination set forth herein are mutually fair and equitable. Each of the parties covenants, agrees and acknowledges that each of them was fully and plainly instructed to seek and obtain independent legal and tax advice regarding the terms and conditions and execution of this agreement and each of them has sought and obtained such legal and tax advice and acknowledges that each has executed this agreement voluntarily understanding the nature and effect of this agreement after receiving such advice.

 

15. CONFLICTING OBLIGATIONS

 

15.1 If, for any reason, the obligations or responsibilities of the Consultant to the Company in his capacity as a senior officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company are greater or more onerous than those provided for herein, then the Consultant will be required to comply with such greater or more onerous obligations notwithstanding anything in this agreement to the contrary.

 

16. GENERAL

 

16.1 The parties will each do, or cause to be done, all acts or things necessary to implement and carry into effect this agreement to the full extent contemplated hereby.

 

 
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16.2 The headings used throughout this agreement are inserted for reference purposes only and are not to be considered, or taken into account, in considering the terms or provisions of this agreement, nor to be deemed in any way to qualify, modify or explain the effect of any such terms or provisions.

 

16.3 This agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the parties hereto in relation to the subject matter hereof and replaces and supersedes all prior agreements, memoranda, correspondence, communications, negotiations and representations, whether verbal or written, expressed or implied, statutory or otherwise among the Consultant and the Company with respect to the subject matter herein.

 

16.4 This agreement may only be changed or modified by an agreement in writing signed by the parties hereto.

 

16.5 This agreement will be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the province of British Columbia (without reference to any of its conflicts of laws rules that would require the application of any other law(s)).

 

16.6 This agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, and delivered by facsimile or electronic transmission, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument, effective as of the date first above written.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the Consultant and the Company have each executed this agreement as of the day and year first above written.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

 

 

Per: (signed) Lawrence W. Talbot                   
Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

(signed) David Cross                                      
DAVID ALLEN CROSS

 

 
 

 

  Schedule “A”

 

Description of Duties and Responsibilities of Consultant

 

In his capacity as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, the Consultant will have the following specific duties and responsibilities:

 

1. Acting as the principal financial officer and principal accounting officer and primary financial advisor to the Company.

 

2. Overseeing the preparation of, and reviewing prior to submission to the Company’s Audit Committee, all financial filings required for the Company under applicable Canadian and United States securities laws including, without limitation, the financial statements, management’s disclosure and analysis and other financial components of the Company’s annual reports on Form 10-K, interim reports on Form 10-Q and any applicable periodic reports on Form 8-K concerning financial matters.

 

3. Serving as the liaison of management with the Company’s Audit Committee and external auditors of the Company and overseeing the Company’s activities with respect to annual audits by the Company’s external auditors.

 

4. Participating with the Chief Executive Officer, the Company’s General Counsel, other members of management and the Company’s outside legal counsel in the preparation of the Company’s continuous disclosure documentation with respect to the review of the financial content thereof including, without limitation, annual proxy statements, annual general meeting materials, news releases and material change reports.

 

5. Participating as a member of the Company’s Disclosure Committee.

 

6. Participating with the Chief Executive Officer and other members of management in the preparation of annual budgets for the Company and the monitoring of the Company’s financial activities with respect to adopted budgets and the analysis of and reporting on any variances in respect thereof and providing assistance as required with respect to both short-term and long-term budgeting, forecasting and planning for the Company.

 

7. Participating with the Chief Executive Officer and other members of management in managing the Company’s cash flow and determining the Company’s financial requirements.

 

8. Overseeing the development of local, state, provincial and federal income tax strategies for the Company, and overseeing preparation of required schedules and filing of applicable tax returns, for all jurisdictions in Canada and the United States in which the Company operates. For clarification, the development of local, state, provincial and federal income tax strategies for the Company, and overseeing preparation of required schedules and filing of applicable tax returns, for all jurisdictions in Canada and the United States in which the Company operates will be the responsibility of and will be performed by a qualified professional Chartered Accounting firm, or such other firm as the Company will retain to provide this service. The Company currently retains KPMG to provide this service.

 

 
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9. Initiating, preparing, and issuing standard practices for the Company and its personnel relating to accounting policies, cost and corporate governance procedures as necessary to ensure that adequate accounting records are maintained of all assets, liabilities, and transactions of the Company, and that suitable systems are used in compilation of costs.

 

10. Overseeing, in conjunction with the Chief Executive Officer, the design, testing and evaluation of the effectiveness of Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls on financial reporting, and reporting to the Company’s Audit Committee in respect thereof.

 

11. Reviewing the work produced by the Company’s internal accounting staff.

 

12. Providing such reports, analyses, compilations and reviews as to the Company’s financial matters as may be requested by the Chief Executive Officer, the Company’s Audit Committee or the Company’s Board of Directors.

 

13. Reviewing the management of the Company’s cash resources, including the monitoring of the Company’s investments, and participating with the CEO and other members of management in determining suitable investments for the Company’s cash resources in accordance with the Company’s investment policy.

 

 
 

 

Schedule “B”

 

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

 

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

 

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

 

(Adopted by the Board of Directors on September 22, 2006,
updated November 5, 2013 for contacts only))

 

INTRODUCTION

 

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (the “Company”) is committed to the highest standards of legal and ethical business conduct. This Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code”) summarizes the legal, ethical and regulatory standards that the Company must follow and is a reminder to our directors, officers and employees, of the seriousness of that commitment. Compliance with this Code and high standards of business conduct is mandatory for every director, officer and employee of the Company.

 

Our business is becoming increasingly complex, both in terms of the geographies in which we function and the laws with which we must comply. To help our directors, officers and employees understand what is expected of them and to carry out their responsibilities, we have created this Code. Additionally, we have appointed the Company’s General Counsel to serve as the Company Ethics Officer to ensure adherence to the Code.

 

This Code is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to all of our policies or to all your responsibilities under law or regulation. It provides general parameters to help you resolve the ethical and legal issues you encounter in conducting our business. Think of this Code as a guideline, or a minimum requirement, that must always be followed. If you have any questions about anything in the Code or appropriate actions in light of the Code, you may contact the Company Ethics Officer or the Chair of the Audit Committee.

 

We expect each of our directors, officers and employees to read and become familiar with the ethical standards described in this Code and to affirm your agreement to adhere to these standards by signing the Compliance Certificate that appears at the end of this Code. Violations of the law, our corporate policies, or this Code may lead to disciplinary action, including dismissal.

 

our code of business conduct and ethics

 

I. We Insist on Honest and Ethical Conduct by All of Our Directors, Officers, Employees and Other Representatives

 

We place the highest value on the integrity of our directors, our officers and our employees and demand this level of integrity in all our dealings. We insist on not only ethical dealings with others, but on the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships.

 

 
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Fair Dealing

 

Directors, officers and employees are required to deal honestly and fairly with our business partners, competitors and other third parties. In our dealings with these parties, we:

 

· prohibit bribes, kickbacks and any other form of improper payment, direct or indirect, to any representative of a government, labour union, business partner or other third party in order to obtain a contract, some other commercial benefit or government action;

  

· prohibit our directors, officers and employees from accepting any bribe, kickback or improper payment from anyone;

 

· prohibit gifts or favours of more than nominal value to or from our business partners;

  

· limit marketing and entertainment expenditures to those that are necessary, prudent, job-related and consistent with our policies;

  

· require clear and precise communication in our contracts, our advertising, our literature, and our other public statements and seek to eliminate misstatement of fact or misleading impressions;

  

· protect all proprietary data provided to us by third parties as reflected in our agreements with them; and

  

· prohibit our representatives from otherwise taking unfair advantage of our business partners or other third parties, through inaccurate billing, manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information or any other unfair-dealing practice.

 

Conflicts of Interest and Corporate Opportunities

 

Our directors, officers and employees should not be involved in any activity that creates or gives the appearance of a conflict of interest between their personal interests and the interests of the Company. In particular, unless specific permission has been provided by the Company Ethics Officer or the Chair of the Audit Committee, no employee, director or officer shall:

 

· be a consultant to, or a director, officer or employee of, or otherwise operate, an outside business that:

  

Ø competes with the Company;

  

Ø supplies products or services to the Company (other than professional services such as legal, accounting, geological or financial advisory services); or

 

 
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Ø purchases products or services from the Company;

  

· have any financial interest, including significant stock ownership, in any entity with which we do business that might create or give the appearance of a conflict of interest;

 

· seek or accept any personal loan or services from any entity with which we do business, except from financial institutions or service providers offering similar loans or services to third parties under similar terms in the ordinary course of their respective businesses;

  

· be a consultant to, or a director, officer or employee of, or otherwise operate an outside business if the demands of the outside business would interfere with the director’s, officer’s or employee’s responsibilities to us (if in doubt, consult your supervisor, the Company Ethics Officer or the Chair of our Audit Committee);

 

· accept any personal loan or guarantee of obligations from the Company, except to the extent such arrangements are legally permissible; or

  

· conduct business on behalf of the Company with immediate family members, which include spouses, children, parents, siblings and persons sharing the same home whether or not legal relatives;

 

provided, however, that only the Chair of the Audit Committee (or the Board of Directors as a whole, if the potential conflict involves the Chair of the Audit Committee) shall have the authority to grant such permission to a director or officer.

 

Directors, officers, and employees must notify the Company Ethics Officer or the Chair of the Audit Committee of the existence of any actual or potential conflict of interest.

 

Confidentiality and Corporate Assets

 

Our directors, officers and employees are entrusted with our confidential information and with the confidential information of our business partners. This information may include (1) technical or scientific information about current and future projects, (2) business or marketing plans or projections, (3) earnings and other internal financial data, (4) personnel information, (5) supply and customer lists and (6) other non-public information that, if disclosed, might be of use to our competitors, or harmful to our business partners. This information is our property, or the property of our business partners, and in many cases was developed at great expense. Our directors, officers and employees shall:

 

· Not discuss confidential information with or in the presence of any unauthorized persons, including family members and friends;

  

· Use confidential information only for our legitimate business purposes and not for personal gain;

 

 
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· Not disclose confidential information to third parties; and

  

· Not use Company property or resources for any personal benefit or the personal benefit of anyone else. The property of the Company includes the Company internet, email, and voicemail services, which should be used only for business related activities, and which the Company may monitor at any time without notice.

 

II. We Provide Full, Fair, Accurate, Timely and Understandable Disclosure

 

We are committed to providing our shareholders and investors with full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in the reports that we file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and with the Canadian provincial securities regulators. To this end, our directors, officers and employees shall:

 

· not make false or misleading entries in our books and records for any reason;

  

· not condone any undisclosed or unrecorded bank accounts or assets established for any purpose;

  

· comply with generally accepted accounting principles at all times;

  

· notify our Chief Financial Officer if there is an unreported transaction;

  

· maintain a system of internal accounting controls that will provide reasonable assurances to management that all transactions are properly recorded;

 

· maintain books and records that accurately and fairly reflect our transactions;

  

· prohibit the establishment of any undisclosed or unrecorded funds or assets;

  

· maintain a system of internal controls that will provide reasonable assurances to our management that material information about the Company is made known to management, particularly during the periods in which our periodic reports are being prepared;

  

· present information in a clear and orderly manner and avoid the use of unnecessary legal and financial language in our periodic reports; and

  

· not communicate to the public any non-public information unless expressly authorized to do so.

 

Directors, officers and employees must also read and comply with any Disclosure Controls and Procedures Policy adopted by the Company.

 

 

 
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III. We Comply With all Laws, Rules and Regulations

 

We will comply with all laws and governmental regulations that are applicable to our activities, and expect all our directors, officers and employees to obey the law. Specifically, we are committed to:

 

· maintaining a safe and healthy work environment;

  

· promoting a workplace that is free from discrimination or harassment based on race, colour, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability or other factors that are unrelated to the Company’s business interests;

  

· supporting fair competition and laws prohibiting restraints of trade and other unfair trade practices;

  

· conducting our activities in full compliance with all applicable environmental laws;

  

· keeping the political activities of our directors, officers and employees separate from our business;

  

· prohibiting any illegal payments, gifts, or gratuities to any government officials or political party;

 

· prohibiting the unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of any third party’s trade secrets, copyrighted information or confidential information; and

  

· complying with all applicable securities laws.

 

Our directors, officers and employees are prohibited from trading our securities while in possession of material, non-public (“inside”) information about the Company. Our Share Trading Policy describes the nature of inside information and the related restrictions on trading.

 

REPORTING AND EFFECT OF VIOLATIONS

 

Compliance with this code of conduct is, first and foremost, the individual responsibility of every director, officer and employee. We attempt to foster a work environment in which ethical issues and concerns may be raised and discussed with supervisors or with others without the fear of retribution. It is our responsibility to provide a system of reporting and access when you wish to report a suspected violation, or to seek counselling, and the normal chain of command cannot, for whatever reason, be used.

 

Administration

 

Our Board of Directors and Audit Committee have established the standards of business conduct contained in this Code and oversee compliance with this Code. Additionally, we have appointed the Company’s General Counsel to serve as the Company Ethics Officer to ensure adherence to the Code. While serving in this capacity, the Company Ethics Officer reports directly to the Board of Directors.

 

 
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Training on this Code will be included in the orientation of new employees and provided to existing directors, officers, and employees on an on-going basis. To ensure familiarity with the Code, directors, officers, and employees will be asked to read the Code and sign a Compliance Certificate annually.

 

Reporting Violations and Questions

 

Directors, officers, and employees must report, in person or in writing, any known or suspected violations of laws, governmental regulations or this Code to either the Company Ethics Officer or the Chair of the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. Additionally, directors, officers, and employees may contact the Company Ethics Officer or the Chair of the Audit Committee with a question or concern about this Code or a business practice. Any questions or violation reports will be addressed immediately and seriously, and can be made anonymously. If you feel uncomfortable reporting suspected violations to these individuals, you may report matters to McCarthy Tétrault LLP or Hogan Lovells US LLP, our outside legal counsel. The address and telephone number of these persons are listed in the attachment to this Code.

 

We will not allow any retaliation against a director, officer or employee who acts in good faith in reporting any violation.

 

Our Company Ethics Officer will investigate any reported violations and will determine an appropriate response, including corrective action and preventative measures, involving the Chair of the Audit Committee or Chief Executive Officer when required. All reports will be treated confidentially to every extent possible.

 

Consequences of a Violation.

 

Directors, officers and employees that violate any laws, governmental regulations or this Code will face appropriate, case specific disciplinary action, which may include demotion or immediate discharge.

 

 
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Names and Addresses (as of January 1, 2013)
   
Reporting Contacts:  
Company Ethics Officer: The Chair of our Audit Committee:

Name: Lawrence W. Talbot

Address: Suite 1901 – 1177 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C., CANADA V6E 2K3

Phone: (604) 408-7488

E-mail: lawrence.talbot@talbotlaw.ca

Name: Anton J. Drescher

Address: Terminal City Club Tower, Suite 507 – 837 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C., CANADA V6C 3N6

Phone: (604) 685-1017

E-mail: ajd@harbourpacific.com

   

Additional Reporting Contacts:

 

Our Outside Counsel in Canada: Our Outside Counsel in the United States:

 

McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Attn: Robin Mahood

Pacific Centre

P.O. Box 10424,

Suite 1300, 777 Dunsmuir Street

Vancouver BC V7Y 1K2

Phone: (604) 643-5911

E-mail: rmahood@mccarthy.ca

Hogan Lovells US LLP

Attn: Paul Hilton

One Tabor Center, Suite 1500

1200 Seventeenth Street,

Denver, CO 80202

Phone: (303) 454-2414

E-mail: philton@hoganlovells.com

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.2

 

FINANCIAL AND ACCOUNTING CONSULTING AGREEMENT

 

THIS FINANCIAL AND ACCOUNTING CONSULTING AGREEMENT dated for reference the 11 th day of May, 2015.

 

BETWEEN:

 

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD. , a body corporate, duly incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, having an office at Suite 2300 – 1177 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA V6E 2K3

 

(the “Company”)

 

AND:

 

CROSS DAVIS & COMPANY LLP., CERTIFIED GENERAL ACCOUNTANTS , a limited liability partnership formed under the laws of the Province of British Columbia and having an office at Suite 510 – 580 Hornby Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA V6C 3B6

 

(the “Consultant”)

 

WHEREAS:

 

A. The Company is a reporting (public) British Columbia company, the common shares of which are publicly traded and are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the NYSE-MKT Stock Exchange;

 

B. The Company and its subsidiaries are engaged in the exploration and development of mineral projects and, in particular, the Livengood Gold Project located approximately 112 kilometres north of Fairbanks, Alaska (the “Project”);

 

C. As a reporting issuer in Canada, a public company whose common shares are registered under United States securities laws and a company whose common shares are listed on Canadian and United States stock exchanges, the Company is subject to continuous disclosure requirements under both Canadian and United States laws and the rules and policies of the stock exchanges on which its common shares are listed, particularly with respect to its financial affairs;

 

D. The Consultant is a firm of Certified General Accountants with expertise in advising and assisting public companies in both Canada and the United States with respect to such companies’ annual and interim financial statements, the associated managements’ discussion and analysis, and financial information contained in other continuous disclosure documents, as well as the provision of general advice and services with respect to accounting and financial reporting under US generally accepted accounting principles, and has the necessary personnel, experience and expertise to provide such services and has agreed to provide the same to the Company, and the Company wishes to retain the services of the Consultant in that regard, all on the terms and conditions set forth herein.

 

 
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NOW THEREFORE THIS AGREEMENT WITNESSETH that in consideration of the sum of TEN ($10.00) DOLLARS now paid by the Company to the Consultant and of the mutual covenants and agreements hereinafter contained, the parties agree as follows:

 

1.                   ENGAGEMENT

 

1.1 The Company hereby retains and engages the Consultant, and the Consultant hereby accepts such retainer and engagement, to perform the services set forth in section 2 hereof on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.

 

1.2 The term of this agreement will be for the period commencing on May 11, 2015 and ending on the date this agreement is terminated in accordance with the provisions of section 5 (the “Term”).

 

2.                   SERVICES

 

2.1 During the Term, the Consultant will provide the services more specifically set forth in Schedule “A” (collectively, the “Services”).

 

2.2 For greater certainty, the Consultant and the Company confirm and agree that any one or more of the precise Services to be rendered by the Consultant may be reasonably extended or curtailed by the Company as may be determined by the Company to be appropriate and consistent with its ongoing business needs from time to time at its sole discretion upon written notice to the Consultant of such changes, provided, however, that, should the Company request the Consultant to provide any services which do not naturally arise in the context of and cannot reasonably be considered as part of or related to, the Services (the “Additional Services”), then, if the Consultant agrees to render such Additional Services, prior to undertaking any such Additional Services, the Consultant and the Company will agree upon the terms and conditions of particular retainer with respect thereto, including the fee to be charged by the Consultant in respect of, and the time frame for the provision thereof, except that, unless otherwise agreed by the parties, the provisions of this agreement (other than in respect of fees) will apply in respect of any such Additional Services as if the Additional Services were Services.

 

2.3 The Consultant will retain or employ appropriately qualified and experienced personnel to perform the Services on behalf of the Consultant.

 

2.4 In connection with the provision of the Services, the Chief Financial Officer of the Company (“CFO”) will be the primary contact person to deal with the Consultant and with the specific personnel of the Consultant engaged in the provision of the Services. However, the Consultant and its personnel are authorized to receive instructions from, and act on the direction of, and provide information and advice to, any of the CFO, the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (“CEO”), the Company’s Controller and such other of the Company’s personnel as the CFO or CEO may, by way of a written notification to the Consultant identifying such other personnel, permit the Consultant to receive instructions from.

 

 
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2.5 The Consultant and its employees will:

 

(a) provide the Services:

 

(i) in a good, prudent and workman-like manner,

 

(ii) with respect to any personnel of the Consultant holding a professional designation, in accordance with their professional responsibilities and obligations as such professional,

 

(iii) to the best of their ability and using their best efforts, skill and judgement in accordance with good and prudent business practices; and

 

(b) in providing the Services, comply with all applicable laws, statutes, codes, rules, regulations and ordinances, the requirements of any applicable regulatory agencies or authorities and the rules and policies of all applicable stock exchanges.

 

2.6 Subject to subsection 2.7, the Consultant will defend, indemnify and save harmless the Company and its subsidiaries (“Subsidiaries”), and their respective directors, officers and employees, from and against any and all losses, expenses, suits, actions, causes of action, liabilities, obligations, damages, and costs made or brought against or suffered, incurred, or borne by any of the Company, or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective directors, officers or employees, and arising out of or resulting from or in any way related to or caused by the failure of the Consultant, or any of its personnel, to carry out, provide and render the Services in accordance with all applicable laws, statutes, codes, rules, regulations and ordinances, the requirements of any applicable regulatory agencies or authorities, the rules and policies of all applicable stock exchanges and the policies of the Company.

 

2.7 The total liability of the Consultant and any of its personnel for any errors, omissions or negligent acts, whether they are in contract or in tort or in breach of fiduciary duty or otherwise, arising from the performance or non-performance of any Services by the Consultant or by any of its personnel will be limited to the sum available in respect of the liability of the Consultant under the policy or policies of professional liability insurance available to indemnify the Consultant at the time any such claim is made.

 

3.                   COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES

 

3.1 As the sole consideration for the Services to be rendered by the Consultant hereunder, the Company will pay to the Consultant the sum of SIX THOUSAND (CAD 6,000) DOLLARS per calendar month for each calendar month this agreement is in effect (the “Consulting Fee”), plus any applicable provincial sales tax and/or Canadian federal Goods and Services Tax (collectively, “GST”).

 

 
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3.2 During the Term, the Company will pay the Consulting Fee (plus GST, all of which will be promptly remitted by the Consultant to the applicable taxing authority in accordance with applicable requirements) and any amounts owing under subsections 3.3 and 4.3 to the Consultant monthly, in arrears, upon presentation by the Consultant to the Company of an invoice in respect of each month’s Consulting Fee with respect to the Services rendered in such month. Invoices not paid by the Company within thirty (30) days of receipt will be subject to simple interest at the rate of ten (10%) percent per annum.

 

3.3 The Company will, on a monthly basis (or as otherwise agreed by the Company and the Consultant), pay, or, if paid by the Consultant will reimburse the Consultant for, all reasonable costs, expenses and disbursements incurred by the Consultant in connection with the provision of the Services, provided that general nature and anticipated amount of such expenses have been pre-approved by the Company and are supported by invoices or receipts with respect to all expenses and disbursements. The Consultant will submit all claims for such costs, expenses and disbursements for reimbursement on the monthly invoices for the Consulting Fees.

 

4.                   RELATIONSHIP OF THE COMPANY AND THE CONSULTANT

 

4.1 The Company acknowledges that the Consultant is a firm of Certified General Accountants carrying on the business of providing financial and accounting services and other business advice for gain, profit or other pecuniary advantage including, without limitation, the provision of services similar or identical to the Services to other public and private companies. The Consultant undertakes to have available the appropriate personnel as required to ensure that the Services are efficiently and competently performed.

 

4.2 The Consultant will perform all Services as an independent contractor, and will not, in the performance of Services, be considered for any reason to be, nor will the Consultant or any of its personnel, hold itself or themselves out to be, an agent, partner, director, officer or employee of the Company by virtue of this agreement.

 

4.3 To the extent reasonably required in connection with the provision of the Services, if requested by the Company, the Consultant’s personnel will be prepared to, and will, travel as, where and when necessary, provided that the Company has been advised of the anticipated amount of such travel expenses and has agreed to reimburse the Consultant for such expenses, subject only to receipt of invoices or receipts with respect to such travel expenses.

 

4.4 The Consultant acknowledges that the Company is a “reporting issuer” and a public company whose common shares trade on various stock exchanges, and that, as a consequence of this, the Company and its directors, officers, employees and consultants are subject to the securities laws of several Canadian provinces and the federal securities laws of the United States. The Consultant also acknowledges that, by virtue of the nature of the Services to be provided, much of the information which will be received by, or become known to, the Consultant and its personnel (whether or not such information is also Confidential Information (as defined in subsection 7.2)) is likely to be material and non-public information with respect to the business, affairs, assets, mineral properties and/or status (financial and otherwise) of the Company and its Subsidiaries (together, the Company and its Subsidiaries being referred to as the “ITH Group”)) and may constitute material facts or material changes (as those terms are defined in the Securities Act (B.C.)), and that the provisions of applicable securities legislation, including, without limitation, section 57.2 of the Securities Act (B.C.), prohibit:

 

 
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(a) trading in securities of a reporting issuer (such as the Company) by a person who is in a special relationship with such reporting issuer and knows of a material fact or a material change with respect to that reporting issuer that has not been generally disclosed, or

 

(b) a person who is in a special relationship with a reporting issuer informing another person of a material fact or a material change with respect to that reporting issuer before the material fact or material change has been generally disclosed, unless the giving of such information is necessary in the course of business of the reporting issuer or of the person in the special relationship.

 

By virtue of the retainer of the Consultant hereunder, the Consultant, and any of its personnel engaged in rendering the Services, will be considered to be in a special relationship with the Company. The Consultant also acknowledges that the penalties for violation of such prohibitions are severe and that the carrying on of any such prohibited activities will materially and adversely affect the ITH Group. Accordingly, the Consultant agrees that it will take all necessary steps to fully comply with applicable legislation regarding any trading in the securities of the Company and to ensure that its personnel who render any Services are aware of the applicable legislation regarding any trading in the securities of the Company.

 

4.5 The Company has adopted a “Code of Business Conduct and Ethics” (the “Code”), a copy of which is attached as Schedule “B”. The Consultant agrees that it is, and any of its personnel who render any of the Services on behalf of the Consultant are, bound by the Code in connection with the provision of the Services and the manner of the carrying out thereof, and agrees that it will provide each of its personnel who may render Services with a copy of the Code and have such personnel sign an acknowledgement that they have become fully familiar, and will comply, with the provisions of the Code. In addition to the termination provisions specified in Section 5, a failure by the Consultant, or any of its personnel who render Services hereunder, to fully comply with the provisions of the Code could result in immediate termination by the Company of this agreement for cause without any compensation whatsoever.

 

4.6 With respect specifically to those Services relating to the involvement of the Consultant and its personnel with the preparation of any annual and interim consolidated financial statements of the Company, the parties agree that:

 

(a) the Consultant and its personnel will assist management of the Company in preparing the “prepared by management” consolidated financial statements for such annual and interim periods from information provided by the Company to the Consultant, and will not, and will not be required to, perform an audit, review or compilation engagement on such information;

 

 
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(b) since the Consultant is accepting the engagement hereunder as accountants, not as auditors, the Company agrees that it will not record the provision of such Services as an auditing engagement in the minutes of any meetings of its directors or shareholders, and the Services will not result in the expression by the Consultant or any of its personnel of an audit opinion or any other form of assurance on such financial statements nor the fulfilling of any statutory or other audit requirement;

 

(c) the Company will, in respect of any such financial statements, provide to the Consultant accurate and complete information as necessary for the Consultant to be able to perform the Services and any Additional Services required under this agreement, including such accurate and complete information as necessary to assist in the review, and any additional preparation as may be requested by the CFO and agreed to by the Consultant, of such “prepared by management” financial statements;

 

(d) the financial statements are considered to be “prepared by management”, and the responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the representations in the financial statements remains with management and the Consultant will have no liability should such representations be determined to be inaccurate or incomplete;

 

(e) the engagement of the Consultant hereunder, and the provision of the Services by the Consultant and its personnel, cannot be relied upon to prevent or detect error and fraud and other irregularities, and the Company acknowledges that that responsibility for the prevention and detection of error and fraud and other irregularities must remain with management; and

 

(f) the Company will ensure that the Consultant and its personnel will have access to all corporate information in the custody of the Company that the Consultant and its personnel require to provide the Services, and the Services are provided on the basis that the Company has obtained any required consents for collection, use and disclosure to the Consultant and its personnel of corporate information required under applicable privacy legislation.

 

5.                   TERMINATION

 

5.1 The Term will terminate upon any one or more of the following events:

 

(a) immediately upon written notice to the Consultant from the Company upon the occurrence of any of the following events:

 

(i) the Consultant commits an act of bankruptcy, is adjudicated a bankrupt or otherwise becomes subject to the provisions of the Bankruptcy Act (Canada) or similar legislation, or if a receiver, liquidator or receiver manager is appointed for the assets or business of the Consultant,

 

 
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(ii) the Consultant, or any of its personnel, in the reasonable opinion of the Company, performs any of the Services in a manner, or otherwise takes any actions, which violate, or could reasonably be considered to violate, any applicable laws and regulations, the rules, policies and national and multilateral instruments of applicable securities commissions, the rules and policies of applicable stock exchanges or the policies of the Company,

 

(iii) the Consultant is, in the reasonable judgement of the CEO, unable to efficiently and competently perform and carry out the Services in a timely manner, provided that the Consultant has been provided by the Company with written notice specifying such failure and the Consultant has not corrected such failure within ten (10) days of receiving such notice, or

 

(iv) there is a complete or substantially complete refusal by the Consultant to render the required Services hereunder; or

 

(b) at the election of either party, upon one party giving not less than ninety (90) days’ written notice to the other party of its intention to terminate this agreement (“Termination Notice”) and this agreement will thereupon terminate upon the day which is ninety (90) days’ after the delivery of such Termination Notice, unless the parties agree upon an earlier or later termination date (“Termination Date”).

 

5.2 Upon the termination of this agreement, for whatever reason, all of the liabilities, obligations (other than the obligation to provide the Services under this agreement) and rights of the Consultant and the Company will continue in full force and effect for so long as it necessary ensure that any matters arising out of this agreement, the performance of the Services, and any disputes or disagreements between the parties with respect thereto are fully and completely dealt with and resolved and, in any case, for a period of three (3) years following the Termination Date.

 

5.3 No compensation is payable to the Consultant by the Company, or by the Consultant to the Company, as the result of a termination, for any reason whatsoever, of this agreement, except that, if this agreement is terminated by either party pursuant to paragraph 5.1(b):

 

(a) the Company will continue to pay the Consulting Fee, plus applicable GST, and any other expenses payable to the Consultant under subsections 3.3 and 4.3 until the Termination Date; and

 

(b) unless otherwise directed by the Company, the Consultant will continue to provide the Services until the Termination Date.

 

6.                   NON-COMPETITION

 

6.1 For the purposes of this agreement:

 

(a) the phrase “Competitive Activities” means the participation of the Consultant or any of the partners thereof, directly or indirectly through any corporation, partnership, firm or joint venture, without the prior written consent of the Company, in the management of any business operation of any enterprise, or the provision of consulting or advisory services to any business operation of any enterprise, if such operation (a “Competitive Operation”) engages in a substantial and direct competition with the Project; and

 

 
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(b) an operation by an enterprise will be considered to be in substantial and direct competition with the Project if such operation is being conducted within fifty (50) kilometres of the outer perimeter of the boundaries of the Project (as such exists as at the date of any such Competitive Activity), provided that Competitive Activity will not include:

 

(i) the ownership of securities in any publicly traded enterprise amounting to less than five (5%) percent of the then outstanding securities thereof, or

 

(ii) participation of the Consultant or any of the partners thereof, directly or indirectly through any corporation, partnership, firm or joint venture in the management of any enterprise or business operation of any enterprise, or the provision of consulting or advisory services to any business operation of any enterprise, other than in connection with a Competitive Operation.

 

6.2 During the Term and for a period of one (1) year after the termination of this agreement for any reason whatsoever, neither the Consultant, nor any of the partners of the Consultant, will engage in any Competitive Activities.

 

7.                   CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

 

7.1 The Consultant will, and will ensure that all of its personnel engaged in the provision of any Services will, notwithstanding any breach or alleged breach of this agreement by any party:

 

(a) hold in secrecy, as trustee or custodian for the Company and for the Company’s exclusive benefit and use, all Confidential Information (as defined below), whether or not discovered, made or contributed to, in whole or in part, by the Consultant or any partner, employee or agent thereof;

 

(b) except, and then only to the extent required under the specific circumstances, as reasonably necessary for the Consultant or any of the Consultant’s personnel to provide the Services, not divulge any Confidential Information to any person or persons, without the previous written consent of the Company; and

 

(c) not use or attempt to use any Confidential Information, which it, or any of its partners, employees or agents, may acquire in the course of providing the Services for its or their own benefit, directly or indirectly, or for the benefit of any other person.

 

7.2 For the purposes of this agreement, the term “Confidential Information” means:

 

(a) any information relating to:

 

 
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(i) the Project,

 

(ii) the assets, liabilities, business, operations, financial matters, shareholdings, products, processes or activities of the Company or of any Subsidiary,

 

including, but not limited to title, ownership, geological, mining, metallurgical, engineering and economic studies, production rates and methods, sales and marketing of products produced, arrangements with suppliers of services and equipment and purchasers of products, budgets and work programs, strategies, data, maps, plans, reports, results, drawings, interpretations, assays, forecasts, records, agreements, contracts and other information;

 

(b) any information derived from a site visit or visits to the Project; and

 

(c) all summaries or extracts from and all notes, memoranda, studies, maps, records, notebooks, compilations, analyses or other documents based upon the information specified in paragraphs (a) or (b) above,

 

and that is not:

 

(d) information that is available to the public or in the public domain, being readily accessible to the public in written publications, at the time of disclosure or use, without breach of this agreement;

 

(e) the general skills and experience gained by the Consultant during the period Services are provided to the Company; or

 

(f) information the disclosure of which is required to be made by any law, regulation, governmental authority or court, provided that before disclosure is made, notice of the requirement is provided by the Consultant to the Company.

 

7.3 All documents, records, notebooks, work papers, notes, memoranda, studies, compilations, analyses and similar repositories of or containers of Confidential Information, made or compiled by the Consultant or any of its personnel (in whatever form, including paper, photographic, electronic, digital, machine-readable or otherwise) at any time during the Term, or made available to the Consultant or any of its personnel during the Term by the Company or any Subsidiary, including any and all copies thereof, will be the property of the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be, and belong solely to the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be, and will be held by the Consultant and its personnel in trust and solely for the benefit of the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be.

 

7.4 Upon termination of this agreement, for whatever reason, the Consultant will, and will cause all of its personnel to, immediately surrender to the Company:

 

(a) all Confidential Information in the possession of the Consultant or in the possession of any of the Consultant’s personnel; and

 

 
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(b) any property and other things of value in the possession of the Consultant or in the possession of any of the Consultant’s personnel and which contain, relate to or are derived from or based upon, directly or indirectly, any Confidential Information,

 

whether in written, photographic, electronic or other form and howsoever stored (including on microfilm, floppy disk, compact disk, DVD or any computer hard drive or other electronic storage media), and will ensure that the Consultant does not retain any copies thereof, except that the Consultant will be entitled to retain any Confidential Information that it determines is necessary, in its sole discretion, to meet its professional obligations or that cannot practicably be surrendered. Any such Confidential Information that is retained by the Consultant under this subsection 7.4 will remain subject to the confidentiality obligations set out in subsection 7.1. The Consultant will deliver a statutory declaration to the Company upon termination of this agreement attesting to the compliance with this subsection 7.4 by the Consultant.

 

7.5 The provisions of this section 7 will be binding upon the Consultant during the Term and for a period of one (1) year after the termination of this agreement for any reason.

 

8.                   ARBITRATION

 

8.1 Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this agreement, or the breach, termination or invalidity of it, or any deadlock or inability of the parties to agree on a course of action to be taken hereunder, will be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration under the rules of the British Columbia International Commercial Arbitration Centre in effect as at the commencement of any such arbitration.

 

8.2 The parties agree that:

 

(a) the appointing authority will be the British Columbia International Commercial Arbitration Centre;

 

(b) the case will be administered by the British Columbia International Commercial Arbitration Centre in accordance with its “Domestic Commercial Arbitration Rules of Procedure”;

 

(c) the place of arbitration will be Vancouver, British Columbia;

 

(d) the number of arbitrators will be one; and

 

(e) the language used in the arbitral proceeding will be English.

 

8.3 The arbitrators’ fees will be paid by both parties in equal parts during the course of the arbitration but upon final decision of the dispute, the defeated party will pay all costs and reimburse all arbitration costs, including the amounts paid by the prevailing party, subject to the contrary decision of the arbitrator.

 

 
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9.                   THE COMPANY’S REMEDY FOR BREACH AND RIGHT TO INJUNCTION

 

9.1 The Consultant and the Company agree that damages in the event of breach of sections 6 or 7 of this agreement would be difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain, and the Consultant and the Company therefore agree that the Company, in addition to and without limiting any other right or remedy it may have on account of such breach or threatened breach, will have the right to an injunction or other available equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction, enjoining any such threatened or actual breach of this agreement by the Consultant. The existence of this right to an injunction or other available equitable relief will not preclude the Company from pursuing any other rights and remedies at law or in equity, which the Company may have, including recovery of damages.

 

10.               NON WAIVER

 

10.1 No consent or waiver, express or implied, by the Company, on the one hand, or the Consultant on the other hand, to or of any breach or default by the other of them in the performance of that other’s obligations under this agreement will be deemed or construed to be a consent or waiver to or of any other breach or default of the same or any other obligation of the other party. Failure on the part of any party to complain of any act or failure to act of the other party, or to declare the other party in default regardless of how long such failure continues, will not constitute a waiver by such party of its rights under this Agreement or of the right to then or subsequently declare a default.

 

11.               SEVERABILITY

 

11.1 If any portion of this agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining covenants and restrictions or portions thereof will remain in full force and effect, and if the invalidity or unenforceability is due to the unreasonableness of time, such covenants and restrictions will be effective for such period of time as may be determined to be reasonable by a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

12.               ASSIGNMENT

 

12.1 The obligations and rights of the Consultant under this agreement may not be assigned or transferred in any manner without the prior written consent of the Company.

 

12.2 The obligations and rights of the Company under this agreement may not be assigned or transferred by the Company in any manner without the prior written consent of the Consultant.

 

13.               NOTICES

 

13.1 Any notice or other communication to be given hereunder will be in writing and will be addressed to the party to receive the same at the address for such party set out on page one hereof. All notices will be given personally or delivered by prepaid courier delivered to the party to receive the same and will be deemed to have been given and received on the day of delivery.

 

 
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13.2 Any party may at any time give notice in writing to the other of a change in its address for the purposes of this section 13.

 

14.               AGREEMENT VOLUNTARY AND EQUITABLE

 

14.1 The Company and the Consultant acknowledge and declare that they each have carefully considered and understand the terms and conditions contained in this agreement including, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Consultant’s rights upon termination and the restrictions on the Consultant after termination, and acknowledge and agree that the terms and conditions of the retainer of the Consultant and rights and restrictions upon termination set forth herein are mutually fair and equitable. Each of the parties covenants, agrees and acknowledges that each of them was fully and plainly instructed to seek and obtain independent legal and tax advice regarding the terms and conditions and execution of this agreement and each of them has sought and obtained such legal and tax advice and acknowledges that each has executed this agreement voluntarily understanding the nature and effect of this agreement after receiving such advice.

 

15.               GENERAL

 

15.1 The parties will each do, or cause to be done, all acts or things necessary to implement and carry into effect this agreement to the full extent contemplated hereby.

 

15.2 The headings used throughout this agreement are inserted for reference purposes only and are not to be considered, or taken into account, in considering the terms or provisions of this agreement, nor to be deemed in any way to qualify, modify or explain the effect of any such terms or provisions.

 

15.3 This agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the parties hereto in relation to the subject matter hereof and replaces and supersedes all prior agreements, memoranda, correspondence, communications, negotiations and representations, whether verbal or written, expressed or implied, statutory or otherwise among the Consultant and the Company with respect to the subject matter herein.

 

15.4 This agreement may only be changed or modified by an agreement in writing signed by the parties hereto.

 

15.5 This agreement has been made in, and will be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of, the province of British Columbia.

 

15.6 This agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, and delivered by facsimile or electronic transmission, each of which will be deemed an original and all of which

 

[Rest of page left blank intentionally.]

 
- 13 -

 

together will constitute one and the same instrument, effective as of the date first above written.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the Consultant and the Company have each executed this agreement as of the day and year first above written.

 

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

 

 

Per: (signed) Lawrence W. Talbot                                      
Authorized Signatory

 

 

CROSS DAVIS & COMPANY LLP

 

 

Per: (signed) David Cross                                                     
Authorized Signatory

 

 

 
 

 

Schedule “A”

 

Services to be Provided

 

The Consultant will provide the following specific services:

 

1. Assist management of the Company in the review of, and, as may reasonably be requested by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, the additional preparation of, the Company’s annual and interim financial statements and related management’s discussion and analysis to be prepared in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and as required to be filed with the applicable securities commissions and stock exchanges in the United States and Canada, including the review and examination of journals, ledgers and working papers as required and the provision of advice regarding compliance with applicable financial reporting standards.

 

2. As requested by the Chief Financial Officer, participate in the review and preparation of, the financial portions of the Company’s continuous disclosure documentation (particularly with respect to the review of the financial content thereof) including, without limitation, annual reports on Form 10-K, interim reports on Form 10-Q, annual proxy statements, annual general meeting materials, news releases and material change reports.

 

3. Provide assistance to the Company’s Chief Financial Officer in overseeing the development of local, state, provincial and federal income tax strategies for the Company, and overseeing preparation of required schedules and filing of applicable tax returns, for all jurisdictions in Canada and the United States in which the Company operates. For clarification, the actual development of local, state, provincial and federal income tax strategies for the Company, and overseeing preparation of required schedules and filing of applicable tax returns, for all jurisdictions in Canada and the United States in which the Company operates will be the responsibility of and will be performed by a qualified professional Chartered Accounting firm, or such other firm as the Company will retain to provide this service. The Company currently retains KPMG to provide this service.

 

4. Provide assistance to the Company’s Chief Financial Officer in preparing standard practices relating to accounting policies, cost and corporate governance procedures as necessary to ensure that adequate accounting records are maintained of all assets, liabilities, and transactions of the Company, and that suitable systems are used in compilation of costs.

 

5. Advise the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, on an ongoing basis, as to changes which the Consultant determines to be relevant to the Company, with respect to financial reporting regulatory requirements for public companies in the United States and Canada including, without limitation, SOX requirements, changes in US GAAP and financial reporting standards.

 

 
 

Schedule “B”

 

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

 

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

 

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

 

(Adopted by the Board of Directors on September 22, 2006,
updated November 5, 2013 for contacts only))

 

INTRODUCTION

 

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (the “Company”) is committed to the highest standards of legal and ethical business conduct. This Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code”) summarizes the legal, ethical and regulatory standards that the Company must follow and is a reminder to our directors, officers and employees, of the seriousness of that commitment. Compliance with this Code and high standards of business conduct is mandatory for every director, officer and employee of the Company.

 

Our business is becoming increasingly complex, both in terms of the geographies in which we function and the laws with which we must comply. To help our directors, officers and employees understand what is expected of them and to carry out their responsibilities, we have created this Code. Additionally, we have appointed the Company’s General Counsel to serve as the Company Ethics Officer to ensure adherence to the Code.

 

This Code is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to all of our policies or to all your responsibilities under law or regulation. It provides general parameters to help you resolve the ethical and legal issues you encounter in conducting our business. Think of this Code as a guideline, or a minimum requirement, that must always be followed. If you have any questions about anything in the Code or appropriate actions in light of the Code, you may contact the Company Ethics Officer or the Chair of the Audit Committee.

 

We expect each of our directors, officers and employees to read and become familiar with the ethical standards described in this Code and to affirm your agreement to adhere to these standards by signing the Compliance Certificate that appears at the end of this Code. Violations of the law, our corporate policies, or this Code may lead to disciplinary action, including dismissal.

 

our code of business conduct and ethics

 

I. We Insist on Honest and Ethical Conduct by All of Our Directors, Officers, Employees and Other Representatives

 

We place the highest value on the integrity of our directors, our officers and our employees and demand this level of integrity in all our dealings. We insist on not only ethical dealings with others, but on the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships.

 

 
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Fair Dealing

 

Directors, officers and employees are required to deal honestly and fairly with our business partners, competitors and other third parties. In our dealings with these parties, we:

 

· prohibit bribes, kickbacks and any other form of improper payment, direct or indirect, to any representative of a government, labour union, business partner or other third party in order to obtain a contract, some other commercial benefit or government action;

  

· prohibit our directors, officers and employees from accepting any bribe, kickback or improper payment from anyone;

 

6.        

 

· prohibit gifts or favours of more than nominal value to or from our business partners;

  

· limit marketing and entertainment expenditures to those that are necessary, prudent, job-related and consistent with our policies;

  

· require clear and precise communication in our contracts, our advertising, our literature, and our other public statements and seek to eliminate misstatement of fact or misleading impressions;

 

7.

 

· protect all proprietary data provided to us by third parties as reflected in our agreements with them; and

  

· prohibit our representatives from otherwise taking unfair advantage of our business partners or other third parties, through inaccurate billing, manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information or any other unfair-dealing practice.

 

Conflicts of Interest and Corporate Opportunities

 

Our directors, officers and employees should not be involved in any activity that creates or gives the appearance of a conflict of interest between their personal interests and the interests of the Company. In particular, unless specific permission has been provided by the Company Ethics Officer or the Chair of the Audit Committee, no employee, director or officer shall:

 

· be a consultant to, or a director, officer or employee of, or otherwise operate, an outside business that:

  

Ø competes with the Company;

 

Ø supplies products or services to the Company (other than professional services such as legal, accounting, geological or financial advisory services); or

 

 
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Ø purchases products or services from the Company;

  

· have any financial interest, including significant stock ownership, in any entity with which we do business that might create or give the appearance of a conflict of interest;

  

· seek or accept any personal loan or services from any entity with which we do business, except from financial institutions or service providers offering similar loans or services to third parties under similar terms in the ordinary course of their respective businesses;

  

· be a consultant to, or a director, officer or employee of, or otherwise operate an outside business if the demands of the outside business would interfere with the director’s, officer’s or employee’s responsibilities to us (if in doubt, consult your supervisor, the Company Ethics Officer or the Chair of our Audit Committee);

  

· accept any personal loan or guarantee of obligations from the Company, except to the extent such arrangements are legally permissible; or

  

· conduct business on behalf of the Company with immediate family members, which include spouses, children, parents, siblings and persons sharing the same home whether or not legal relatives;

  

provided, however, that only the Chair of the Audit Committee (or the Board of Directors as a whole, if the potential conflict involves the Chair of the Audit Committee) shall have the authority to grant such permission to a director or officer.

 

Directors, officers, and employees must notify the Company Ethics Officer or the Chair of the Audit Committee of the existence of any actual or potential conflict of interest.

 

Confidentiality and Corporate Assets

 

Our directors, officers and employees are entrusted with our confidential information and with the confidential information of our business partners. This information may include (1) technical or scientific information about current and future projects, (2) business or marketing plans or projections, (3) earnings and other internal financial data, (4) personnel information, (5) supply and customer lists and (6) other non-public information that, if disclosed, might be of use to our competitors, or harmful to our business partners. This information is our property, or the property of our business partners, and in many cases was developed at great expense. Our directors, officers and employees shall:

 

· Not discuss confidential information with or in the presence of any unauthorized persons, including family members and friends;

  

· Use confidential information only for our legitimate business purposes and not for personal gain;

 

 
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· Not disclose confidential information to third parties; and

  

· Not use Company property or resources for any personal benefit or the personal benefit of anyone else. The property of the Company includes the Company internet, email, and voicemail services, which should be used only for business related activities, and which the Company may monitor at any time without notice.

  

II. We Provide Full, Fair, Accurate, Timely and Understandable Disclosure

 

We are committed to providing our shareholders and investors with full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in the reports that we file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and with the Canadian provincial securities regulators. To this end, our directors, officers and employees shall:

 

· not make false or misleading entries in our books and records for any reason;

  

· not condone any undisclosed or unrecorded bank accounts or assets established for any purpose;

  

· comply with generally accepted accounting principles at all times;

  

· notify our Chief Financial Officer if there is an unreported transaction;

  

· maintain a system of internal accounting controls that will provide reasonable assurances to management that all transactions are properly recorded;

  

· maintain books and records that accurately and fairly reflect our transactions;

  

· prohibit the establishment of any undisclosed or unrecorded funds or assets;

  

· maintain a system of internal controls that will provide reasonable assurances to our management that material information about the Company is made known to management, particularly during the periods in which our periodic reports are being prepared;

  

· present information in a clear and orderly manner and avoid the use of unnecessary legal and financial language in our periodic reports; and

  

· not communicate to the public any non-public information unless expressly authorized to do so.

  

Directors, officers and employees must also read and comply with any Disclosure Controls and Procedures Policy adopted by the Company.

 
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III. We Comply With all Laws, Rules and Regulations

 

We will comply with all laws and governmental regulations that are applicable to our activities, and expect all our directors, officers and employees to obey the law. Specifically, we are committed to:

 

· maintaining a safe and healthy work environment;

  

· promoting a workplace that is free from discrimination or harassment based on race, colour, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability or other factors that are unrelated to the Company’s business interests;

 

· supporting fair competition and laws prohibiting restraints of trade and other unfair trade practices;

  

· conducting our activities in full compliance with all applicable environmental laws;

  

· keeping the political activities of our directors, officers and employees separate from our business;

  

· prohibiting any illegal payments, gifts, or gratuities to any government officials or political party;

  

· prohibiting the unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of any third party’s trade secrets, copyrighted information or confidential information; and

  

· complying with all applicable securities laws.

  

Our directors, officers and employees are prohibited from trading our securities while in possession of material, non-public (“inside”) information about the Company. Our Share Trading Policy describes the nature of inside information and the related restrictions on trading.

 

REPORTING AND EFFECT OF VIOLATIONS

 

Compliance with this code of conduct is, first and foremost, the individual responsibility of every director, officer and employee. We attempt to foster a work environment in which ethical issues and concerns may be raised and discussed with supervisors or with others without the fear of retribution. It is our responsibility to provide a system of reporting and access when you wish to report a suspected violation, or to seek counselling, and the normal chain of command cannot, for whatever reason, be used.

 

Administration

 

Our Board of Directors and Audit Committee have established the standards of business conduct contained in this Code and oversee compliance with this Code. Additionally, we have appointed the Company’s General Counsel to serve as the Company Ethics Officer to ensure adherence to the Code. While serving in this capacity, the Company Ethics Officer reports directly to the Board of Directors.

 

 
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Training on this Code will be included in the orientation of new employees and provided to existing directors, officers, and employees on an on-going basis. To ensure familiarity with the Code, directors, officers, and employees will be asked to read the Code and sign a Compliance Certificate annually.

 

Reporting Violations and Questions

 

Directors, officers, and employees must report, in person or in writing, any known or suspected violations of laws, governmental regulations or this Code to either the Company Ethics Officer or the Chair of the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. Additionally, directors, officers, and employees may contact the Company Ethics Officer or the Chair of the Audit Committee with a question or concern about this Code or a business practice. Any questions or violation reports will be addressed immediately and seriously, and can be made anonymously. If you feel uncomfortable reporting suspected violations to these individuals, you may report matters to McCarthy Tétrault LLP or Hogan Lovells US LLP, our outside legal counsel. The address and telephone number of these persons are listed in the attachment to this Code.

 

We will not allow any retaliation against a director, officer or employee who acts in good faith in reporting any violation.

 

Our Company Ethics Officer will investigate any reported violations and will determine an appropriate response, including corrective action and preventative measures, involving the Chair of the Audit Committee or Chief Executive Officer when required. All reports will be treated confidentially to every extent possible.

 

Consequences of a Violation.

 

Directors, officers and employees that violate any laws, governmental regulations or this Code will face appropriate, case specific disciplinary action, which may include demotion or immediate discharge.

 

 
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Names and Addresses (as of January 1, 2013)
   
Reporting Contacts:  
Company Ethics Officer: The Chair of our Audit Committee:

Name: Lawrence W. Talbot

Address: Suite 1901 – 1177 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C., CANADA V6E 2K3

Phone: (604) 408-7488

E-mail: lawrence.talbot@talbotlaw.ca

Name: Anton J. Drescher

Address: Terminal City Club Tower, Suite 507 – 837 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C., CANADA V6C 3N6

Phone: (604) 685-1017

E-mail: ajd@harbourpacific.com

  

Additional Reporting Contacts:

 

Our Outside Counsel in Canada: Our Outside Counsel in the United States:

 

McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Attn: Robin Mahood

Pacific Centre

P.O. Box 10424,

Suite 1300, 777 Dunsmuir Street

Vancouver BC V7Y 1K2

Phone: (604) 643-5911

E-mail: rmahood@mccarthy.ca

Hogan Lovells US LLP

Attn: Paul Hilton

One Tabor Center, Suite 1500

1200 Seventeenth Street,

Denver, CO 80202

Phone: (303) 454-2414

E-mail: philton@hoganlovells.com

 

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

1177 West Hastings Street
Suite 2300
Vancouver, BC
Canada  V6E 2K3

Tel: 604.683.6332
Fax: 604.408.7499
www.ithmines.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NR15-05 May 12, 2015

 

International Tower Hill Mines Appoints David Cross

as Chief Financial Officer

 

Vancouver, British Columbia, May 12, 2015 – International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (“ITH” or the “Company”) - (TSX: ITH) (NYSE-MKT: THM) is pleased to announce that Mr. David A. Cross, CPA, CGA, has been retained under contract to serve as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Company, effective May 11, 2015. Mr. Cross will remain a partner in the firm of Cross Davis & Company LLP, Certified General Accountants, which has also been retained to provide corporate accounting support to the Company.

 

Tom Irwin, CEO, said “David worked on our corporate file several years ago and comes with a strong background of relevant experience and skills which are well suited to this stage of the Company’s business. I look forward to working with him to continue to advance the Livengood Gold Project.”

 

Mr. Cross’ past experience consists of officer, director and senior management positions, including five years at Davidson & Company LLP Chartered Accountants where he spent time as a Manager, a member of their Technical Accounting Committee and a member of their IFRS Committee. He is also the CFO of several other junior mineral exploration companies. Mr. Cross holds a BCIT diploma in Financial Management and is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Certified General Accountant.

 

Cross Davis & Company LLP, Certified General Accountants focuses on providing accounting, management services and guidance related to accounting policies, corporate governance and financial regulatory requirements for publicly listed companies reporting under both IFRS and US GAAP.

 

ITH is also pleased to announce that it has expanded Ms. Debbie L. Evans’ responsibilities and title to include Corporate Controller for ITH as well her current position as Controller for Tower Hill Mines, Inc. the U.S. operating subsidiary of the Company in Alaska, with responsibility for accounting, budgeting and human resource functions.

 

Tom Irwin, CEO, said “Debbie is already a key member of the Livengood Gold Project Team and with her accounting experience at successful Alaska mines she will continue to add value to the Company’s financial reporting and compliance functions. We are fortunate to have her as part of the team.”

 

Ms. Evans has 20 years of experience in the mine controller and mine accounting positions. Prior to joining the Company in January, 2011, Ms. Evans was the Controller for the Kensington Mine operated by Coeur Alaska Inc., and prior to that, Ms. Evans was the Controller at the Fort Knox Mine and Chief Accountant for the East Boulder Mine in Big Timber, Montana. Prior to that, she held senior accounting positions at the Stillwater, Round Mountain and ASARCO Mines.

 

Ms. Evans has a B.Sc. Business Management Degree from Lewis Clark State College, Lewiston, Idaho.

 

 
 

  

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. - 2 - May 12, 2015
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About International Tower Hill Mines Ltd.

 

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. controls 100% of the Livengood Gold Project that contains 15.7 M oz. of gold (807 MT at 0.61 g/t) measured & indicated and 4.4 M oz. (266 MT at 0.52 g/t) inferred, all at a 0.30 g/t gold cutoff, located along the paved Elliott Highway, 70 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska.

 

On behalf of
International Tower Hill Mines Ltd.

 

(signed) Thomas E. Irwin

Chief Executive Officer

 

Contact Information: Rick Solie, Manager - Investor Relations

E-mail: rsolie@ithmines.com

Direct line: 907-328-2825 Toll-Free: 1-855-428-2825

 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian and US securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including statements with respect to the ability of the Company to advance the Livengood Project, the potential development of any mine at Livengood, business and financing plans and business trends are forward-looking statements. Information concerning mineral reserve/resource estimates and the economic analysis thereof contained in the September 2013 feasibility study also may be deemed to be forward-looking statements in that it reflects a prediction of the mineralization that would be encountered, and the results of mining it, if a mineral deposit were developed and mined. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate, proposed, planned, potential and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities, the inability of the Company to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and certain Canadian Securities Commissions, and other information released by the Company and filed with the appropriate regulatory agencies. All of the Company’s Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and its United States public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sec.gov, and readers are urged to review these materials, including the latest technical report filed with respect to the Company’s Livengood property.

 

Cautionary Note Regarding References to Resources and Reserves

 

National Instrument 43 101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”) is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource and reserve estimates contained in or incorporated by reference in this news release have been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and the guidelines set out in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the “CIM”) Standards on Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council on November 27, 2010 (the “CIM Standards”) as they may be amended from time to time by the CIM.

 
 

 

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. - 3 - May 12, 2015
NR15-05 Continued    

  

United States shareholders are cautioned that the requirements and terminology of NI 43-101 and the CIM Standards differ significantly from the requirements and terminology of the SEC set forth in the SEC’s Industry Guide 7 (“SEC Industry Guide 7”). Accordingly, the Company’s disclosures regarding mineralization may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by companies subject to SEC Industry Guide 7. Without limiting the foregoing, while the terms “mineral resources”, “inferred mineral resources”, “indicated mineral resources” and “measured mineral resources” are recognized and required by NI 43-101 and the CIM Standards, they are not recognized by the SEC and are not permitted to be used in documents filed with the SEC by companies subject to SEC Industry Guide 7.

 

Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability, and investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a mineral resource will ever be converted into reserves. The preliminary assessments on the Livengood Project are preliminary in nature and include “inferred mineral resources” that have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that such inferred mineral resources at the Livengood Project will ever be realized. Further, it cannot be assumed that all or any part of the inferred resources will ever be upgraded to a higher resource category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of a feasibility study or prefeasibility study, except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists or is economically or legally mineable.

 

The SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant “reserves” as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit amounts. The term “contained ounces” is not permitted under the rules of SEC Industry Guide 7. In addition, the NI 43-101 and CIM Standards definition of a “reserve” differs from the definition in SEC Industry Guide 7. In SEC Industry Guide 7, a mineral reserve is defined as a part of a mineral deposit which could be economically and legally extracted or produced at the time the mineral reserve determination is made, and a “final” or “bankable” feasibility study is required to report reserves, the three-year historical price is used in any reserve or cash flow analysis of designated reserves and the primary environmental analysis or report must be filed with the appropriate governmental authority.

 

This news release is not, and is not to be construed in any way as, an offer to buy or sell securities in the United States.

 

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