5.5Severability. In the event that any one or more of the provisions, subdivisions, words, clauses, phrases or sentences contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect for any reason, the validity, legality and enforceability of any such provision, subdivision, word, clause, phrase or sentence in every other respect and of the remaining provisions, subdivisions, words, clauses, phrases or sentences hereof shall not in any way be impaired, it being intended that all rights, powers and privileges of the Company and Participants shall be enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law. In addition, if any provision in this Plan or any Award Agreement is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction not to be enforceable in the manner set forth in this Plan or Award Agreement, such provision shall be enforceable to the maximum extent possible under applicable law.
5.6Governing Law. The provisions of the Plan and any Award Agreements and all claims or disputes arising out of or based upon the Plan, any Award Agreement and any Award under the Plan or relating to the subject matter hereof or thereof shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the domestic substantive laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflict of laws thereof; provided, however, that any section of an Award Agreement containing non-competition, non-solicitation, confidential information and/or non-disparagement restrictions shall be governed by the law set forth in such section of the applicable Award Agreement, if any.
5.7Venue. The parties hereto hereby agree and consent to be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York sitting in New York County and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in any suit, action or proceeding seeking to enforce any provision of, or based on any matter arising out of or in connection with, this Plan, any Award Agreement or any Award under the Plan. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (a) any objection that it may now or hereafter have to laying venue of any suit, action or proceeding brought in such courts; and (b) any claim that any suit, action or proceeding brought in such courts has been brought in an inconvenient forum. Notwithstanding the foregoing (i) the Company and its Affiliates may seek to enforce the restrictive covenants set forth in any Award Agreement in any court of competent jurisdiction and (ii) except with respect to clause (i) of this sentence, this Section 5.7 shall not apply to any Participant who has signed an effective and enforceable arbitration agreement with the Company or any of its subsidiaries (in which case, any dispute (other than those relating to the restrictive covenants set forth in any Award Agreement) relating to the Plan, any Award or any Award Agreement shall be resolved in accordance with such arbitration agreement).
5.8WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. BY ACCEPTING AN AWARD UNDER THE PLAN, EACH PARTICIPANT WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM CONCERNING ANY RIGHTS UNDER THE PLAN AND/OR ANY AWARD AGREEMENT, OR UNDER ANY AMENDMENT, WAIVER, CONSENT, INSTRUMENT, DOCUMENT OR OTHER AGREEMENT DELIVERED OR WHICH IN THE FUTURE MAY BE DELIVERED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, AND AGREES THAT ANY SUCH ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM SHALL NOT BE TRIED BEFORE A JURY. BY ACCEPTING AN AWARD UNDER THE PLAN, EACH PARTICIPANT CERTIFIES THAT NO OFFICER, REPRESENTATIVE, OR ATTORNEY OF THE COMPANY OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT THE COMPANY OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVERS.