7. Standstill Provision. During the two (2) year period commencing on the date of this Agreement (the “Standstill Period”), Counterparty nor any of the Counterparty’s Representatives on behalf of Counterparty will, in any manner, directly or indirectly:
(a) make, effect, initiate, cause or participate in (i) any acquisition of beneficial ownership of any securities of the Company or any securities (including derivatives thereof) of any subsidiary or other controlled affiliate of the Company, (ii) any acquisition of any assets of the Company or any assets of any subsidiary, division or other controlled affiliate of the Company, except in the ordinary course of business, (iii) any tender offer, exchange offer, merger, business combination, recapitalization, restructuring, liquidation, dissolution or extraordinary transaction involving the Company or any subsidiary or other controlled affiliate of the Company or involving any securities or assets of the Company or any securities or assets of any subsidiary, division or other affiliate of the Company, or (iv) any “solicitation” of “proxies” (as those terms are used in the proxy rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission) or consents with respect to any securities of the Company;
(b) form, join or participate in a “group” (as defined in the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder) with respect to the beneficial ownership of any securities of the Company or any subsidiary or division of the Company;
(c) act, alone or in concert with others, to seek to control or influence the management, board of directors or policies of the Company;
(d) take any action that might require the Company to make a public announcement regarding any of the types of matters set forth in clause “(a)” of this sentence;
(e) agree of offer to take, or encourage or propose (publicly or otherwise) the taking of, any action referred to in clause “(a)'', “(b)'', “(c)'', or “(d)'' of this sentence;
(f) agree or offer to take , or encourage any other Person to take any action of the type referred to in clause “(a)”, “(b)”, “(c)”, “(d)” or “(e)” of this sentence;
(g) enter into any discussions, negotiations, arrangement or agreement with any other Person relating to any of the foregoing; or
(h) request or propose (either directly or indirectly) that the Company or any of the Company’s Representatives amend, waive or consider the amendment or waiver of any provision set forth in this Section 7 (including this sub-paragraph).
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, nothing in this Agreement will be deemed to prohibit Counterparty from confidentially communicating to the Company’s board of directors or senior management or external financial advisors any non-public proposals regarding a possible transaction of any kind in such a manner as would not reasonably be expected to require public disclosure thereof under applicable law or listing standards of any securities exchange. The expiration of the Standstill Period will not terminate or otherwise affect any of the other provisions of this Agreement.
8. No Obligation to Pursue Transaction. Unless the Parties enter into a Definitive Agreement, no agreement providing for the Transaction will be deemed to exist between the Parties, and neither Party will be under any obligation to negotiate or enter into any such agreement or transaction with the other Party. Except as otherwise set forth in this Agreement, each Party reserves the right, in its sole discretion: (a) to conduct any process it deems appropriate with respect to the Transaction and to modify any procedures relating to any such process without giving notice to the other Party or any other Person: (b) to reject any proposal made by the other Party or any of the other Party’s Representatives with respect to the Transaction; and (c) to terminate discussion and negotiations with the other Party at any time. Each Party recognizes that, expect as expressly provided herein or in any binding written agreement between the Parties that is executed on or after the date of this Agreement: (i) the other Party and its Representatives will be free to negotiate with, and to enter into any agreement or transaction with, any other interested party: and (ii) such Party will not have any rights or claims against the other Party or any of the other Party’s Representatives arising out of or relating to any transaction or proposed transaction involving the other Party.
9. No Waiver. No failure or delay by either Party or any of its Representatives in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Agreement will operate as a waiver thereof, and no single or partial exercise of any