Section 8(a)(i)(1) shall not be violated by (A) general advertising or solicitation not specifically targeted at Company-related persons or entities, (B) the Executive serving solely as a reference, upon request, for any customer or client of the Restricted Group, or (C) actions taken by any person or entity with which the Executive is associated if the Executive is not directly or indirectly involved in the matter and has not directly or indirectly identified such Company-related person or entity for soliciting or hiring.
(2) During the Restricted Period, the Executive will not directly or indirectly, as an individual, partner, shareholder, officer, director, principal, agent, trustee or consultant:
a. engage in, or acquire a financial interest in or otherwise become actively involved with any Person engaged in, the Covered Business within any country where the Restricted Group engages, or plans to engage, in the Covered Business as of the Executive’s Termination Date; or
b. intentionally and adversely interfere with, or intentionally attempt to adversely interfere with, business relationships between the members of the Restricted Group and any of their clients, customers, suppliers, partners, members or investors.
(3) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 8, the Executive may, directly or indirectly own, solely as an investment, securities of any Person engaged in the Covered Business that are publicly traded on a national or regional stock exchange or on the over-the-counter market if the Executive (A) is not a controlling person of, or a member of a group which controls, such person and (B) does not, directly or indirectly, own 2% or more of any class of securities of such Person.
(4) During the Restricted Period, the Executive will not, whether on the Executive’s own behalf or on behalf of or in conjunction with any Person, directly or indirectly:
a. solicit or encourage any employee of the Restricted Group to leave the employment of the Restricted Group;
b. hire any executive-level employee (i.e., vice president level and above or equivalent title) who was employed by the Restricted Group as of the Executive’s Termination Date or who left the employment of the Restricted Group coincident with, or within one (1) year prior to, or after, the Executive’s Termination Date, excluding an executive-level employee whose employment with the Restricted Group ceased at least twelve (12) months prior to the date of such hiring; or
c. encourage any consultant of the Restricted Group to cease working with the Restricted Group.
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