Terms of Use

01. Eligibility and accounts

You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract to use the Site. Some resources, such as client and vendor portals, are hosted by third parties and governed by their own terms and access controls.

02. License to use the Site

Subject to these Terms, DCLS grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and view the Site for your own informational and business-evaluation purposes. All other use requires our prior written consent.

03. Prohibited conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the Site in violation of any law or these Terms;
• Copy, scrape, frame, mirror, or create derivative works from the Site except as expressly permitted;
• Interfere with or disrupt the Site, its security, or its underlying infrastructure;
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any system or data;
• Use automated means to access the Site in a way that burdens our infrastructure; or
• Submit false, misleading, infringing, or unlawful content through any form.

04. Intellectual property

The Site and its content, including text, graphics, logos, images, and the selection and arrangement of that content, are owned by DCLS or its licensors and are protected by intellectual-property laws. "DCLS," "DCLS Global," and associated logos are marks of DCLS. You may not use them without our prior written permission.

05. Submissions and feedback

If you send us ideas, suggestions, or other feedback about the Site or our services, you grant DCLS a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license to use it for any purpose without obligation to you. Do not send us confidential information through the Site; submissions are not treated as confidential.

06. Third-party links and resources

The Site links to websites, portals, and resources operated by others. DCLS does not control and is not responsible for third-party content or practices, and links do not imply endorsement.

07. No professional advice

Content on the Site is provided for general information only and is not legal, financial, medical, or other professional advice. Do not rely on the Site as a substitute for advice from a qualified professional or from a DCLS engagement team under contract.

08. Disclaimers

The Site is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement. DCLS does not warrant that the Site will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free, or that content is accurate or current.

09. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, DCLS and its officers, employees, and agents will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, revenue, data, or goodwill, arising out of or relating to your use of the Site. DCLS's total liability for all claims relating to the Site will not exceed one hundred US dollars (US$100).

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless DCLS from any claims, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of your use of the Site or your violation of these Terms.

11. Changes to the Site and these Terms

We may modify or discontinue any part of the Site at any time. We may also update these Terms; when we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date above. Your continued use of the Site after changes take effect means you accept the revised Terms.

12. Governing law and forum

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of [State], without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules, and, with respect to the arbitration provision below, by the Federal Arbitration Act. Subject to "Binding arbitration and class action waiver," any dispute that is not resolved through arbitration must be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in [County, State], and you consent to personal jurisdiction and venue there.

13. Binding arbitration and class action waiver

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING YOUR RIGHT TO FILE A LAWSUIT IN COURT AND TO HAVE A JURY TRIAL, AND IT LIMITS YOUR ABILITY TO BRING OR PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION. YOU MAY OPT OUT AS DESCRIBED IN THE NEXT SECTION.

Informal resolution first. Before starting an arbitration, you agree to send DCLS a written notice of dispute at legal@dclsglobal.com that describes the dispute and the relief you are seeking. You and DCLS will then try in good faith to resolve the dispute for 60 days after the notice is received. If the dispute is not resolved within that period, either party may begin arbitration.

Agreement to arbitrate. You and DCLS agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Site that is not resolved informally will be settled by binding individual arbitration rather than in court, except as stated in "Exceptions" below. This includes disputes about the existence, validity, enforceability, or scope of this arbitration provision.

Rules and procedure. The arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its rules then in effect, including any rules for consumer disputes where they apply. A single arbitrator will decide the dispute. The seat of the arbitration will be [County, State], but you may elect to participate by telephone or video, or, where the amount in dispute is under US $25,000, to proceed on the basis of written submissions only. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court with jurisdiction.

Arbitration fees. Payment of filing, administration, and arbitrator fees is governed by the administrator's rules. If those fees would be prohibitively expensive for you compared with the cost of litigation, DCLS will pay the portion the arbitrator determines is necessary to keep the arbitration from being cost-prohibitive.

Class action waiver. Claims may be brought only in your individual capacity, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class, collective, consolidated, or representative proceeding. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims and may not preside over any representative or class proceeding. If this class action waiver is found unenforceable as to a particular claim or request for relief, that claim or request will be severed and heard in a court of competent jurisdiction, and all remaining claims will be arbitrated.

Exceptions. Either party may (1) bring an individual claim in small claims court if it qualifies, and (2) seek injunctive or other equitable relief in court to address the unauthorized use or abuse of the Site or the infringement of intellectual property rights. Nothing in this section prevents either party from reporting a matter to a government agency.

Survival. This arbitration provision survives termination of these Terms and your use of the Site.

14. Your right to opt out of arbitration

You may decline to be bound by the "Binding arbitration and class action waiver" section by sending DCLS written notice within 30 days of the date you first accept these Terms — or, if that section is added or materially changed later, within 30 days of the change taking effect. The notice must be sent to DCLS Global LLC, [mailing address] and must include your full name, the email address you use with the Site, and a clear statement that you do not want to resolve disputes with DCLS through arbitration.

Opting out affects only the arbitration and class action waiver provisions; the rest of these Terms, including "Governing law and forum," continue to apply. Opting out here does not affect any separate arbitration agreement between you and DCLS under a services contract.

15. Contact us

Questions about these Terms can be sent to legal@dclsglobal.com or DCLS Global LLC, [mailing address].