accessible to the public shall not be deemed Confidential Information. Executive shall use commercially reasonable efforts to safeguard Confidential Information and to protect it against disclosure, misuse, espionage, loss and theft. Executive agrees that this restriction shall continue to apply after Executive’s employment terminates, regardless of the reason for such termination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement limits, restricts or in any other way affects Executive’s communicating with any governmental agency or entity, or communicating with any official or staff person of a governmental agency or entity, concerning matters relevant to the governmental agency or entity. Executive cannot be held criminally or civilly liable under any federal or state trade secret law for disclosing a trade secret (i) in confidence to a federal, state, or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney, solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law, or (ii) in a complaint or other document filed under seal in a lawsuit or other proceeding. Notwithstanding this immunity from liability, Executive may be held liable if Executive unlawfully accesses trade secrets by unauthorized means.
Section 4 Agreement Not to Compete or Solicit. Executive acknowledges that he has become, and shall continue to be, familiar with Confidential Information concerning the Employer Group and that his services have been, and shall continue to be of special, unique and extraordinary value to the Employer Group. Therefore, without the prior written consent of Employer (which consent may be granted or withheld in its sole and absolute discretion), during the Restricted Period, Executive shall not (and shall not take any steps toward or preparations in respect of) and shall cause their respective affiliates not to, directly or indirectly, either for themselves or for any other person, develop, own. manage, control or exert any influence upon, acquire, lease, consult with, render or provide advice to, operate, affiliate with, participate in, permit their name to be used in connection with, receive any economic benefit from, or in any other manner engage in any other similar activity or have any financial interest in, or otherwise provide any services to or for the benefit of, a Restricted Business within the Restricted Territory. The term “participate” includes any direct or indirect interest in any enterprise, whether as an officer, director, manager, employee, partner, sole proprietor, agent, representative, independent contractor, seller, franchisor, franchisee, creditor, or owner; provided that the foregoing activities shall not include passive ownership of less than two percent (2%) of the stock of a publicly held corporation whose stock is traded on a national securities exchange or in the over the counter market.
During the Restricted Period, Executive shall not directly or indirectly through another person (i) call on, solicit, or service any customer of the Employer Group or prospective customer of the Employer Group, with respect to products or services that are currently being provided by Employer or which Employer is currently in the process of developing or (ii) encourage, induce or solicit, or attempt to encourage, induce or solicit, any past or present customer, vendor, supplier or other business partner or prospective customer, vendor, supplier or other business partner to cease doing, or not engage in, business with Employer; provided, however, that these restrictions shall apply (y) only with respect to those customers, vendors, suppliers or other business partners who are or have been such a business partner of Employer at any time within the immediately preceding one-year period or whose business has been solicited on behalf of Employer or any of its affiliates by any of their officers, employees or agents within such one-year period, other than by form letter, blanket mailing or published advertisement, and (z) only if Executive has performed work for such business partner during Executive’s employment with Employer or one of its
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