ARTICLE IX
COMPETITION AND CORPORATE OPPORTUNITIES
A. In recognition and anticipation that certain directors, principals, officers, employees and/or other representatives of Snow Phipps and/or TOBI may serve as directors, officers or agents of the Corporation:
(i) each of Snow Phipps and TOBI may (a) now engage and may continue to engage, directly or indirectly, in the same or similar Business or lines of Business as those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage and/or other business activities that overlap with or compete with those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage, (b) develop or market any products or services that compete, directly or indirectly, with the products or services of the Corporation, (c) invest or own an interest in, or develop a business relationship with, any person or entity that (x) is engaged in the same or similar Business or lines of Business as those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage and/or, (y) otherwise competes, directly or indirectly, with the Corporation, and (d) conduct business with any of the clients or customers of the Corporation (each, a “Competitive Opportunity”); and
(ii) the provisions of this Article IX are set forth to regulate and define the conduct of certain affairs of the Corporation with respect to certain classes or categories of opportunities as they may involve any of Snow Phipps, TOBI and their respective Affiliates and the powers, rights, duties and liabilities of the Corporation and its directors, officers and stockholders in connection therewith.
For purposes hereof, the “Business” of the Corporation is the business of originating or acquiring United States domiciled commercial, multifamily rental ormixed-use commercial/residential real estate loans and acquiring United States domiciled commercial, multifamily rental ormixed-use commercial/residential real estate owned assets related to such loans.
B. None of (i) Snow Phipps and any directors, principals, officers, employees and/or other representatives of Snow Phipps that may serve as directors, officers or agents of the Corporation, and each of their Affiliates, or (ii) TOBI and any directors, principals, officers, employees and/or other representatives of TOBI that may serve as directors, officers or agents of the Corporation, and each of their Affiliates (the Persons (as defined below) identified in clauses (i) and (ii) above being referred to, collectively, as “Identified Persons” and, individually, as an “Identified Person”) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, have any duty to refrain from directly or indirectly (a) engaging in any Competitive Opportunity or (b) otherwise competing with the Corporation or any of its controlled Affiliates, and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, no Identified Person shall be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders or to any controlled Affiliate of the Corporation for breach of any fiduciary duty solely by reason of the fact that such Identified Person engages in any such activities. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Corporation hereby renounces any interest or expectancy in, or right to be offered an opportunity to participate in, any Competitive Opportunity or other corporate or business opportunity that may be a Competitive Opportunity for an Identified Person and the Corporation or any of its controlled Affiliates. In the event that any Identified Person acquires knowledge of a Competitive Opportunity or other corporate or business opportunity that may be a Competitive
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