Document:

<PAGE>   1

                                                                   Exhibit 10.44

                                    EMPLOYEE
                      CONFIDENTIALITY, INVENTION ASSIGNMENT
                            AND NON-COMPETE AGREEMENT

         THIS EMPLOYEE CONFIDENTIALITY, INVENTION ASSIGNMENT AND NON-COMPETE
AGREEMENT ("Agreement") is made as of _________________________________________,
between deCODE genetics, Inc. (the "Company"), and _____________________________
("Employee").

         In consideration of the Employee's employment or continued employment
by the Company, with the intention that this Agreement shall apply to the entire
period of Employee's employment with Inspire (including the period prior to the
date of this Agreement), the Employee hereby agrees as follows:

1. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION DEFINED. "Confidential Information" means trade
secrets, proprietary information, and confidential knowledge and information
which includes, but is not limited to, matters of a technical nature (such as
discoveries, ideas, concepts, designs, drawings, specifications, techniques,
models, diagrams, test data, scientific methods and know-how), and matters of a
business nature (such as the identity of customers and prospective customers,
the nature of work being done for or discussed with customers or prospective
customers, suppliers, marketing techniques and materials, marketing and
development plans, pricing or pricing policies, financial information, plans for
further development, and any other information of a similar nature not available
to the public).

2. NON-DISCLOSURE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION OF THE COMPANY. Employee
acknowledges that, during the period of Employee's employment with the Company,
Employee has had or will have access to Confidential Information of the Company.
Therefore, Employee agrees that both during and after the period of Employee's
employment with the Company, Employee shall not, without the prior written
approval of the Company, directly or indirectly (a) reveal, report, publish,
disclose or transfer any Confidential Information the Company to any person or
entity, or (b) use any Confidential Information of the Company for any purpose
or for the benefit of any person or entity, except as may be necessary in the
performance of Employee's work for the Company.

3. NON-DISCLOSURE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION OF OTHERS. Employee acknowledges
that, during the period of Employee's employment with the Company, Employee may
have had or will have access to Confidential Information of third parties who
have given the Company the right to use such Confidential Information, subject
to a non-disclosure agreement between the Company and such third party.
Therefore, Employee agrees that both during and after the period of Employee's
employment with the Company, Employee shall not, without the prior written
approval of the Company, directly or indirectly (a) reveal, report, publish,
disclose or transfer any Confidential Information of such third parties to any
person or entity, or (b) use any Confidential Information of such third parties
for any purpose or for the benefit of any person or entity, except as may be

                                       1

<PAGE>   2

necessary in the performance of Employee's work for the Company.

4. PROPERTY OF THE COMPANY. Employee acknowledges and agrees that all
Confidential Information of the Company and all reports, drawings, blueprints,
data, notes, and other documents and records, whether printed, typed,
handwritten, videotaped, transmitted or transcribed on data files or on any
other type of media, made or compiled by Employee, or made available to
Employee, during the period of Employee's employment with the Company (including
the period prior to the date of this Agreement) concerning the Company's
Confidential Information are and shall remain the Company's property and shall
be delivered to the Company within five (5) business days after the termination
of such employment with the Company or at any earlier time on request of the
Company. Employee shall not retain copies of such Confidential Information,
documents and records.

5. PROPRIETARY NOTICES. Employee shall not, and shall not permit any other
person to, remove any proprietary or other legends or restrictive notices
contained in or included in any Confidential Information.

6.       INVENTIONS.

         (a) Employee shall promptly, from time to time, fully inform and
disclose to the Company in writing all inventions, copyrightable material,
designs, improvements and discoveries of any kind which Employee now has made,
conceived or developed (including prior to the date of this Agreement), or which
Employee may later make, conceive or develop, during the period of Employee's
employment with the Company, which pertain to or relate to the Company's
business or any of the work or businesses carried on by the Company
("Inventions"). This covenant applies to all such Inventions, whether or not
they are eligible for patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret or other legal
protection; and whether or not they are conceived and/or developed by Employee
alone or with others; and whether or not they are conceived and/or developed
during regular working hours; and whether or not they are conceived and/or
developed at the Company's facility or not.

         (b) All Inventions shall be the sole and exclusive property of the
Company, and shall be deemed part of the Confidential Information of the Company
for purposes of this Agreement, whether or not fixed in a tangible medium of
expression. Employee hereby assigns all Employee's rights in all Inventions and
in all related patents, copyrights and trademarks, trade secrets and other
proprietary rights therein to the Company. Without limiting the foregoing,
Employee agrees that any copyrightable material shall be deemed to be "works
made for hire" and that the Company shall be deemed the author of such works
under the United States Copyright Act, provided that in the event and to the
extent such works are determined not to constitute "works made for hire",
Employee hereby irrevocably assigns and transfers to the Company all right,
title and interest in such works.

         (c) Employee shall assist and cooperate with the Company, both during
and after the period of Employee's employment with the Company, at the Company's
sole expense, to allow the Company to obtain, maintain and enforce patent,
copyright, trademark, trade secret and other legal protection for the
Inventions. Employee shall sign

                                       2

<PAGE>   3

such documents, and do such things necessary, to obtain such protection and to
vest the Company with full and exclusive title in all Inventions against
infringement by others. Employee hereby appoints the Secretary of the Company as
Employee's attorney-in-fact to execute documents on Employee's behalf for this
purpose.

         (d) Employee shall not be entitled to any additional compensation for
any and all Inventions made during the period of Employee's employment with the
Company.

7. COVENANT NOT TO COMPETE. Employee and the Company agree that the services
rendered by the Employee are unique and irreplaceable, and that competitive use
and knowledge of any Confidential Information would substantially and
irreparably injure the Company's business, prospects and good will. Employee and
the Company also agree that the Company's business is global in nature due to
the type of products and/or services being provided. Therefore, Employee agrees
that during the period of Employee's employment with the Company and for a
period of two (2) years thereafter, Employee shall not, directly or indirectly,
through any other person, firm, corporation or other entity (whether as an
officer, director, employee, partner, consultant, holder of equity or debt
investment, lender or in any other manner or capacity):

         (a) develop, sell, market, offer to sell products and/or services
anywhere in the world similar to that being developed, offered or sold by the
Company on the date of the termination of Employee's employment with the Company
for any reason;

         (b) solicit, induce, encourage or attempt to induce or encourage any
employee or consultant of the Company to terminate his or her employment or
consulting relationship with the Company, or to breach any other obligation to
the Company;

         (c) solicit, interfere with, disrupt, alter or attempt to disrupt or
alter the relationship, contractual or otherwise, between the Company and any
other person including, without limitation, any consultant, contractor,
customer, potential customer, or supplier of the Company; or

         (d) engage in or participate in any business conducted under any name
that shall be the same as or similar to the name of the Company or any trade
name used by the Company.

         Employee acknowledges that the foregoing geographic, activity and time
limitations contained in this Section 7 are reasonable and properly required for
the adequate protection of the Company's business. In the event that any such
geographic, activity or time limitation is deemed to be unreasonable by a court,
Employee shall submit to the reduction of either said activity or time
limitation to such activity or period as the court shall deem reasonable. In the
event that Employee is in violation of the aforementioned restrictive covenants,
then the time limitation thereof shall be extended for a period of time equal to
the pendency of such proceedings, including appeals.

                                       3

<PAGE>   4

8. REPRESENTATIONS. Employee represents that Employee has the right to enter
into this Agreement, and that Employee's performance of all the terms of this
Agreement and his duties as an employee of the Company will not breach any
confidential information agreement, non-competition agreement or other agreement
with any former employer of his services, either as an employee, consultant,
contractor or independent contractor, or with any other party. Employee
represents that Employee will not disclose to the Company any trade secrets or
confidential or proprietary information of any third party that are not
generally available to the public.

9. DISCLOSURE OF THIS AGREEMENT. Employee hereby authorizes the Company to
notify others, including but not limited to customers of the Company and any of
Employee's future employers, of the terms of this Agreement and Employee's
responsibilities under this Agreement.

10. SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE. Employee acknowledges that money damages alone would
not adequately compensate the Company in the event of a breach or threatened
breach by Employee of this Agreement, and that, in addition to all other
remedies available to the Company at law or in equity, the Company shall be
entitled to injunctive relief for the enforcement of its rights and to an
accounting of profits made during the period of such breach.

11. NO RIGHTS GRANTED. Employee understands that nothing in this Agreement shall
be deemed to constitute, by implication or otherwise, the grant by the Company
to the employee of any license or other right under any patent, patent
application or other intellectual property right or interest belonging to the
Company.

12.      SEVERABILITY.

         (a) Each of the covenants provided in this Agreement are separate and
independent covenants. If any provision of this Agreement shall be determined to
be invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be
affected thereby and any such invalid or unenforceable provision shall be
reformed so as to be valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by
law.

         (b) It is not a defense to the enforcement of any provision of this
Agreement that the Company has breached or failed to perform any obligation or
covenant hereunder or under any other agreement or understanding between
Employee and the Company.

13. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to conflict of
law rules.

14. SUPERSEDES OTHER AGREEMENTS. This Agreement contains the entire agreement of
the parties with respect to subject matter hereof and supersedes all previous
agreements and understandings between the parties with respect to its subject
matter.

                                       4

<PAGE>   5

15. AMENDMENTS. This Agreement may not be changed, modified, released,
discharged, abandoned or otherwise terminated in whole or in part except by an
instrument in writing, agreed to and signed by the Employee and a duly
authorized officer of the Company.

16. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. THE EMPLOYEE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT (i) THE EMPLOYEE HAS READ
AND FULLY UNDERSTANDS THIS AGREEMENT; (ii) THE EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN GIVEN THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS; (iii) THE EMPLOYEE HAS RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS
AGREEMENT, THE ORIGINAL OF WHICH WILL BE RETAINED IN THE EMPLOYEE'S PERSONNEL
FILE; AND (iv) THE EMPLOYEE'S OBLIGATIONS UNDER THIS AGREEMENT SURVIVE THE
TERMINATION OF THE EMPLOYEE'S EMPLOYMENT WITH THE COMPANY FOR ANY REASON.

                                      * * *

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the
date first written above.

                                      deCODE genetics, Inc.

                                      By: _____________________________________

                                      Name: ___________________________________

                                      Title: __________________________________

WITNESS OR ATTEST:                    EMPLOYEE: _______________________________

__________________________________    Name: ___________________________________

                                      Address: ________________________________

                                       5<PAGE>   1
                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.10

            THIRD AMENDMENT TO AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT

                  THIS THIRD AMENDMENT TO AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
(this "Amendment") dated as of December 20, 1999 is among: NEWFIELD EXPLORATION
COMPANY, a corporation formed under the laws of the State of Delaware (the
"Company"); each of the lenders that is a signatory hereto; and CHASE BANK OF
TEXAS, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION as agent (the "Agent") for the Banks (as defined in
the Credit Agreement, which is defined below).

                                 R E C I T A L S

         A. The Company, the Agent, and the Banks (as defined in the Credit
Agreement as defined below) have entered into that certain Amended and Restated
Credit Agreement dated as of October 9, 1997, as amended, (as so amended, the
"Credit Agreement"), pursuant to which the Banks have agreed to make certain
loans and extensions of credit to the Company upon the terms and conditions as
provided therein; and

         B. The parties hereto now desire to make certain amendments to the
Credit Agreement.

         NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and other good and
valuable consideration and the mutual benefits, covenants and agreements herein
expressed, the parties hereto now agree as follows:

         1. All capitalized terms used in this Amendment and not otherwise
defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Credit
Agreement.

         2. The definition of "Reserve Report" in Section 1.02 of the Credit
Agreement is hereby amended to read as follows:

                  "Reserve Report" shall mean a report, in form and substance
         satisfactory to the Agent, setting forth, as of the last day of each
         December (the "December 31 Reserve Report") and as of the last day of
         June (the "June 30 Reserve Report") (or such other date in the event of
         an unscheduled redetermination) the proved oil and gas reserves
         attributable to the Company's Oil and Gas properties, together with a
         projection of the rate of production and future net income, production,
         severance or similar taxes, operating expenses and capital expenditures
         with respect thereto as of such date, based upon the pricing
         assumptions consistent with SEC reporting requirements at the time.
         Furthermore, such information shall be provided for each individual
         well, unit or lease comprising the Company's Oil and Gas Properties and
         by category of the reserves contained in each well, unit or lease
         including proved producing, proved non-producing and proved
         undeveloped.

         3. Section 1.02 of the Credit Agreement is hereby supplemented by the
addition of the following definition in the appropriate alphabetical order:

                  "Third Amendment" shall mean that certain Third Amendment to
         Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of December 20, 1999,
         among the Company, the parties thereto and the Agent.
<PAGE>   2

         4. Section 8.04(a) of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended to read as
follows:

                  (a) The Company shall deliver the December 31 Reserve Report
         at least 60 days prior to the next following May 1 Scheduled
         Redetermination Date. The Company shall deliver the June 30 Reserve
         Report at least 60 days prior to the next following November 1
         Scheduled Redetermination Date. The December 31 Reserve Report shall
         include (a) a report prepared by Ryder-Scott Company, Petroleum
         Engineers, or other certified independent engineer satisfactory to the
         Agent (the "Outside Report"), which covers at least 80% of the proved
         oil and gas reserves attributable to the Company's Oil and Gas
         properties, and (b) a report prepared by or under the supervision of
         the Chief Engineer of the Company who shall certify such report to be
         true and accurate and to have been prepared in accordance with the
         procedures used in such Outside Report (the "Company Report"), which
         covers the proved oil and gas reserves attributable to the Company's
         Oil and Gas Properties which were not covered by such Outside Report.
         The June 30 Report shall include a Company Report which covers the
         proved oil and gas reserves attributable to all of the the Company's
         Oil and Gas Properties. The Company may elect to use the December 31
         Reserve Report instead of preparing the June 30 Reserve Report, in
         which case reserve run off with no replacement will be assumed.
         Further, the Company will be required to provide a review of the Oil
         and Gas Properties which shall include a comparison of actual and
         projected production volumes.

         5. This Amendment shall become binding on the Banks when, and only
when, the Agent shall have received an original or facsimile executed signature
page to this Agreement from the Company and the Majority Banks.

         6. The parties hereto hereby acknowledge and agree that, except as
specifically supplemented and amended, changed or modified hereby, the Loan
Documents shall remain in full force and effect in accordance with its terms.

         7. The Company hereby reaffirms that as of the date of this Amendment,
the representations and warranties contained in Article VII of the Credit
Agreement are true and correct on the date hereof as though made on and as of
the date of this Amendment, except as such representations and warranties are
expressly limited to an earlier date.

         8. THIS AMENDMENT (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE VALIDITY AND
ENFORCEABILITY HEREOF) SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH,
THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

         9. This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts, and it
shall not be necessary that the signatures of all parties hereto be contained on
any one counterpart hereof; each counterpart shall be deemed an original, but
all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of
an executed signature page of this Amendment by facsimile transmission shall be
effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart hereof.

                          [SIGNATURES BEGIN NEXT PAGE]

<PAGE>   3

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be
executed as of date first above written.

                                             NEWFIELD EXPLORATION COMPANY

                                             By:    /s/ TERRY W. RATHERT
                                                 ------------------------------
                                             Name:  Terry W. Rathert
                                                   ----------------------------
                                             Title: Vice-President - Planning
                                                    and Administration
                                                    ---------------------------

                                             CHASE BANK OF TEXAS, NATIONAL
                                             ASSOCIATION, individually and as
                                             Agent

                                             By:    /s/ ROBERT C. MERTENSOTTO
                                                 ------------------------------
                                             Name:  Robert C. Mertensotto
                                                   ----------------------------
                                             Title: Managing Director
                                                    ---------------------------

                                             BANK OF MONTREAL

                                             By:    /s/ MELISSA A. BAUMAN
                                                 ------------------------------
                                             Name:  Melissa A. Bauman
                                                   ----------------------------
                                             Title: Director, U.S. Corporate
                                                    Banking
                                                    ---------------------------

                                             CREDIT LYONNAIS NEW YORK BRANCH

                                             By:    /s/ PHILIPPE SOUSTRA
                                                 ------------------------------
                                             Name:  Philippe Soustra
                                                   ----------------------------
                                             Title: Senior Vice President
                                                    ---------------------------

                                      S-1

<PAGE>   4

                                             FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK

                                             By:  /s/ ROBERT R. WETTEROFF
                                                 ------------------------------
                                             Name:  Robert R. Wetteroff
                                                   ----------------------------
                                             Title:  Senior Vice President
                                                    ---------------------------

                                             BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., formerly
                                             NationsBank, N.A.

                                             By:  /s/ JAMES V. DUCOTE
                                                 ------------------------------
                                             Name:  James V. Ducote
                                                   ----------------------------
                                             Title:  Vice President
                                                    ---------------------------

                                             SOCIETE GENERALE
                                             SOUTHWEST AGENCY

                                             By:  /s/ RICHARD A. GOULD
                                                 ------------------------------
                                             Name:  Richard A. Gould
                                                   ----------------------------
                                             Title:  Director
                                                    ---------------------------

                                             BANKBOSTON, N.A.

                                             By:  /s/ TERRENCE RONAN
                                                 ------------------------------
                                             Name:  Terrence Ronan
                                                   ----------------------------
                                             Title:  Director
                                                    ---------------------------

                                      S-2

<PAGE>   5

                                             BANK ONE, TEXAS, NA

                                             By:  /s/ CHRISTINE M. MACAN
                                                 ------------------------------
                                             Name:  Christine M. Macan
                                                   ----------------------------
                                             Title:  Vice President
                                                    ---------------------------

                                             HIBERNIA NATIONAL BANK

                                             By:  /s/ DAVID R. REID
                                                 ------------------------------
                                             Name:  David R. Reid
                                                   ----------------------------
                                             Title:  Senior Vice President
                                                    ---------------------------

                                      S-3

Source: [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00002-of-00352.parquet"}, [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00002-of-00352.parquet"}]]