(c) The Company and NOV will require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company or NOV (“Successor”) to assume expressly and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company and/or NOV, as the case may be, would be required to perform it if no such succession had taken place. Employee consents to any assignment of this Agreement to any Successor and agrees that any Successor is an intended beneficiary of this Agreement. As used in this Agreement, “Company” and “NOV” shall mean the Company and NOV, respectively, as hereinbefore defined and any successor to their business and/or assets as aforesaid which assumes and agrees to perform this Agreement by operation of law, or otherwise.
9. NON-COMPETITION NON-SOLICITATION AND COOPERATION OBLIGATIONS; NON-DISPARAGEMENT.
(a) Non-Competition. As a necessary protection for the valuable Company goodwill, business relationships and confidential information provided to Executive as stated above, as part of the consideration for the compensation and benefits to be paid to Executive hereunder, and as an additional incentive for the Company and NOV to enter into this Agreement, the Company, NOV and Executive agree to the non-competition provisions of this Section 9. Executive agrees that (1) during Executive’s employment and (2) for a one-year period ending on the first (1st) anniversary date of the Date of Termination, , Executive will not, directly or indirectly for Executive or for others, in any geographic area or market where the Company, NOV or any of their subsidiaries or affiliated companies are conducting any business as of the date of termination of the employment relationship or have during the previous twelve months conducted any business:
(i) engage in any business competitive with any line of business conducted by the Company, NOV, or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates; or
(ii) render advice or services to, or otherwise assist, any other person, association, or entity who is engaged, directly or indirectly, in any business competitive with any line of business conducted by the Company, NOV, or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates.
Notwithstanding anything in this Section 9(a) to the contrary, after termination of Executive’s employment (x) these non-competition obligations shall apply only to businesses having annual revenues in excess of $10 million competitive with any line of business conducted by the Company, NOV, or any of their subsidiaries having annual revenues in excess of $10 million for the last fiscal year prior to the time of termination and (y) if the Company, NOV, or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates abandons a particular aspect of its business, that is, ceases such aspect of its business with the intention to permanently refrain from such aspect of its business, then this post-employment non-competition covenant shall not apply to such former aspect of that business. NOV and the Company may grant or decline the waiver in their sole discretion.
(b) Non-Solicitation. As part of the consideration for the compensation and benefits to be paid to Executive hereunder, and as an additional incentive for the Company and NOV to enter into this Agreement, the Company, NOV and Executive agree to the non-solicitation provision of this Section 9. Executive agrees that (1) during Executive’s employment and (2) for a one-year period ending on the first (1st) anniversary date of the Date of Termination, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, for Executive or for others:
(i) induce any officer or manager of the Company or NOV, or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates to terminate his or her employment with the Company, NOV, or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates, or hire or assist in the hiring of any such officer or manager by person, association, or entity not affiliated with the Company, NOV or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates; or
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