8. Restrictive Covenants.
(a) Acknowledgements and Agreements. Executive hereby acknowledges and agrees that in the performance of Executive’s duties to the Company during Executive’s employment, Executive shall be brought into frequent contact with existing and potential customers of the Company throughout the continental Unites States. Executive also agrees that Executive will obtain knowledge and skill relevant to the Company’s industry, methods of doing business, and marketing strategies by virtue of Executive’s employment. Executive further agrees that trade secrets and confidential information of the Company, more fully described in Section 8(i), have been developed by the Company through substantial expenditures of time, effort and money and constitute valuable and unique property of the Company with great competitive importance and commercial value to the Company. Executive further understands and agrees that the foregoing makes it necessary for the protection of the Company’s legitimate business interests that Executive comply with the restrictive covenants, as further provided in the following sections. Executive acknowledges and agrees that the terms and conditions of this Section 8 are fair, reasonable, and not unduly restrictive on Executive and are reasonably necessary to protect the legitimate business interests of the Company and to prevent irreparable harm to the Company.
(b) Competitive Activity During Employment. Executive will not compete with the Company anywhere within the United States during Executive’s employment with the Company, including, without limitation:
(i) entering into or engaging in any business which competes with the Company’s Business;
(ii) soliciting customers, business, patronage or orders for, or selling, any products or services in competition with, or for any business that competes with, the Company’s Business;
(iii) diverting, enticing or otherwise taking away any customers, business, patronage, or orders of the Company or attempting to do so;
(iv) soliciting any employee, sales representative, agent or consultant of the Company to terminate their employment, relationship or other association with the Company or attempting to do so; or
(v) promoting or assisting, financially or otherwise, any person, firm, association, partnership, corporation or other entity engaged in any business which competes with the Company’s Business.
(c) Following Termination. For a period of two years following Executive’s termination of employment with the Company, for any reason, Executive shall not, on Executive’s own account or as a partner, joint venturer, employee, agent, contractor, salesperson, consultant, officer and/or director of any firm, association, partnership, corporation or other entity:
(i) Provide services the same or substantially similar to those duties performed by Executive as President and Chief Executive Officer for the Company for any person or entity that competes with the Company’s Business (as hereinafter defined) within the Restricted Territory (as hereinafter defined);
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