promises Optionee makes in this Section are designated to enforce the promises made by Optionee, including those set forth in Section 7. Optionee will continue to receive the Company’s proprietary information and will receive training of substantial value as a result of Optionee’s affiliation with the Company.
(b) Noncompetition Covenant. Optionee agrees that during Optionee’s period of Service and for a period of 24 months following Optionee’s cessation of Service, for whatever reason, Optionee shall not, directly or indirectly, as an employee, employer, contractor, consultant, agent, principal, shareholder, corporate officer, director, or in any other individual or representative capacity, engage or participate in any business or practice that is in competition in any manner whatsoever with the business of the Company. Any breach or attempted breach of this covenant or the covenants in Section 7 shall be deemed to be a termination for Misconduct under the Plan. For the purpose of this agreement, competition, competes or competing shall be defined as including without limitation, any business in the production of chicken eggs and other products that are marketed as “pastured” or “pasture-raised” or any similar term including or referencing the word “pasture”, or any term implying that specifically to the birds producing such eggs are raised on pasture where each bird has 20 square feet or more of such area at any given time.
(c) Nonsolicitation Covenant. In addition, Optionee agrees that during Optionee’s period of Service and for a period of 24 months following Optionee’s cessation of Service, for whatever reason, Optionee shall not solicit, contract, or otherwise communicate for the purpose of soliciting business with any person, company or business of the sale or distribution of chicken eggs and other products that are marketed as “pastured” or “pasture-raised” or any similar term including or referencing the word “pasture, or any term implying that the birds producing such eggs are raised on pasture where each bird has 20 square feet or more of such area at any given time that was a client, customer, supplier, vendor or prospective client, customer, supplier or vendor of the Company, whom Optionee personally solicited, contacted, communicated with or accepted business from while Optionee was an employee of the Company at any time during the 12 months preceding termination of Service.
(d) Non-Interference Covenant. Optionee covenants and agrees that, for a period of 24 months following cessation of Service, for whatever reason, that Optionee shall not recruit, hire or attempt to recruit or hire, directly or by assisting others, any other employees of the Company, nor shall Optionee contact or communicate with any other employees of the Company for the purpose of inducing other employees to terminate their employment with the Company. For purposes of this covenant, “other employees” means employees who are actively employed by the Company at the time of the attempted recruiting or hiring.
9. Remedies.
(a) The covenants contained in Sections 7 and 8 shall be construed as an agreement ancillary to the other provisions of this Agreement and the existence of any claim or cause of action of Optionee against the Company, whether predicated on this Agreement or otherwise, shall not constitute a defense to the enforcement by the Company of such covenants. Without limiting other possible remedies to the Company for breach of the covenants in Sections 7 and 8, Optionee agrees that injunctive or other equitable relief will be available to enforce such covenants, such relief to be without the necessity of posting a bond, cash, or otherwise.
(b) If Optionee violates any of the covenants of Section 8, the 24-month term of the restriction violated shall be extended by the amount of time that Optionee was in violation.
(c) The Company and Optionee further agree that if any restriction contained in Section 7 or 8 is held by any appropriate forum to be unenforceable or unreasonable, a lesser restriction will be enforced in its place and remaining restrictions contained herein will be enforced independently of each other. Optionee agrees to pay any attorneys’ fees, and expenses incurred by the Company if the Company chooses, in its sole discretion, to enforce any provision hereunder.
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