6. Non-Competition; Non-Solicitation. Executive acknowledges and recognizes the highly competitive nature of the businesses of the Company Group and further acknowledges and recognizes that Executive has received, and will receive, Confidential Information (as defined below) and other trade secrets of the Company Group, and accordingly agrees as follows:
(a) Non-Competition.
(i) During the Employment Term and until the later of (i) the third anniversary of the Effective Date (the “Post-Closing Restricted Period”) and (ii) the second anniversary of Executive’s termination of employment with the Company Group (such actual period of restriction, whether such period ends upon or after the expiration of the Post-Closing Restricted Period, the “Restricted Period”), Executive will not, whether on Executive’s own behalf or on behalf of or in conjunction with any person, firm, partnership, joint venture, association, corporation or other business organization, entity or enterprise whatsoever (“Person”), directly or indirectly solicit or assist in soliciting in competition with the Company Group the business of any then current or prospective client or customer with whom Executive (or Executive’s direct reports) had personal contact or dealings on behalf of the Company during the one-year period preceding Executive’s termination of employment.
(ii) During the Restricted Period, Executive will not directly or indirectly:
(A) engage in any business activities involving any Competing Business, individually or through an entity, as an employee, director, officer, owner, investor, partner, member, consultant, contractor, agent, joint venturer or otherwise, in any geographical area where any member of the Company Group engages in its business;
(B) acquire a financial interest in, or otherwise become actively involved with, any Competing Business, directly or indirectly, as an individual, partner, shareholder, officer, director, principal, agent, trustee or consultant; or
(C) interfere with, or attempt to interfere with, business relationships (whether formed before, on or after the date of this Agreement) between the members of the Company Group and any of their clients, customers, suppliers, partners, members or investors.
(iii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, (A) Executive may, directly or indirectly, own, solely as an investment, securities of any Competing Business which are publicly traded on a national or regional stock exchange or on the over-the-counter market if Executive does not, directly or indirectly, own 5% or more of any class of securities of such Person; and (B) this Section 6 shall not restrict (x) Executive’s participation in the activities set forth on Schedule I or (y) Executive’s activities with respect to female empowerment and entrepreneurialism and social justice.
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