(B) take any action to invest in, own, manage, operate, control, participate in, be employed or engaged by or be connected in any manner with any partnership, corporation or other business or entity engaging in a business similar to or otherwise competitive with that of the Bank or Employer anywhere within the Market Area. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Employee is permitted hereunder to own, directly or indirectly, up to one percent (1%) of the issued and outstanding securities of any publicly traded financial institution conducting business in the Market Area;
| (2) | Non-Solicitation Obligations |
(A) call on, solicit, service, or attempt to do any of the foregoing with respect to, customers or prospective customers of the Bank or Employer if, within the twelve (12) months before the termination of Employee’s employment with the Bank or Employer, Employee had material contact with the customer or prospective customer, or had obtained material information about the customer or prospective customer; or
(B) hire, retain, call on, solicit for hire or induce to leave employment, any individual who is or was an employee of the Bank or the Employer on the date of, or within the three (3) month period before the date of, such hire, retention, solicitation or inducement, provided that such individual is an individual whom Employee had contact with, knowledge of, or association with in the course of Employee’s employment with the Bank or Employer, and Employee will not assist any other person or entity in such activities.
Notwithstanding anything else provided herein, if Employee is a licensed attorney, securities broker or real estate broker or agent, or certified public accountant, Employee shall not be prohibited from representing or serving as an agent for any insured depository institution or holding company thereof or other individual or entity in such capacity.
5.4Restricted Period. Thenon-competition obligations set forth in Section 5.3(b)(1) shall apply from the Effective Time through the end of the Term, regardless of whether Employee’s employment terminates prior to the end of the Term, and thenon-solicitation obligations set forth in Section 5.3(b)(2) shall apply from the Effective Time through the later of (a) the end of the Term, regardless of whether Employee’s employment terminates prior to the end of the Term or (b) one (1) year following the date of Employee’s termination of employment with the Bank, Employer or their affiliated entities (any transfer of employment between the Bank, the Employer, and any affiliated entities does not constitute termination of employment) (the restricted time period in the case ofnon-competition ornon-solicitation, as applicable, is the “Restricted Period”). However, if the Merger Agreement is terminated for any reason before the Effective Time occurs, the Restrictive Covenants will not apply, all of the provisions of this Agreement will terminate, and there will be no liability of any kind under this Agreement.
5.5Restrictive Covenants Reasonable. The parties to this Agreement hereby agree that the Restrictive Covenants set forth in this Article V are ancillary to this Agreement, which is an otherwise enforceable agreement. Employee agrees that his promises in this Article V are reasonable and reasonably necessary to protect the legitimate business interest of the Bank, the Employer, and their affiliated entities.
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