Acquisition Proposals (a) Except as provided in this Section 6.2(a) and in Section 6.2(d), the Company shall not (and shall cause the Company Subsidiaries to not), and shall take such reasonable actions to cause (and shall cause the Company Subsidiaries to take such reasonable actions to cause) each Company Entity’s officers, directors, investment bankers, attorneys, accountants, financial advisors, agents, and other representatives (collectively, the “Representatives”) not to, (i) directly or indirectly initiate, solicit, knowingly encourage, or facilitate (including by way of furnishing non-public information) any inquiries with respect to, or the making or submission of, any proposal that constitutes, or would reasonably be expected to lead to, an Acquisition Proposal, or (ii) participate or engage in discussions or negotiations with, furnish any non-public information or data relating to any Company Entity or any Company Asset to, or provide access to the properties, books or records of any Company Entity to, any Person that has made an Acquisition Proposal or in contemplation of an Acquisition Proposal. Notwithstanding the immediately foregoing sentence, at any time prior to obtaining the Company Required Vote, the Company and the Company’s Board are permitted to take any actions described in clause (ii) of this Section 6.2(a) with respect to a third party if (w) the Company has received a written Acquisition Proposal from such third party (and such Acquisition Proposal did not result from a breach of this Section 6.2(a), whether by any Company Entity or any Representative (as if all Company Entities and Representatives were bound by this Section 6.2(a))), (x) the Company gives the Parent the notice required by Section 6.2(e), (y) after receiving the advice of its financial advisors, the Company’s Board determines in good faith that such proposal constitutes, or is reasonably likely to lead to, a Superior Proposal, and (z) the Company’s Board determines in good faith, after consultation with its outside legal counsel, that the failure to participate in such negotiations or discussions or to furnish such information or data to such third party is likely to be inconsistent with the Company Board’s fiduciary duties under applicable Law; except that (1) the Company shall not deliver any non-public information to such third party without first entering into a confidentiality agreement with such third party on terms no less favorable to the Company than those contained in the Confidentiality Agreement (any such confidentiality agreement with such third party, an “Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement”) and (2) subject to applicable Law, the Company shall make available to the Parent any non-public information concerning any Company Entity that is made available to any other Person or group in connection with any actual or potential Acquisition Proposal that was not previously made available to the Parent, contemporaneously with the delivery of such information to (or as promptly as practicable after such information is delivered to) such Person. Nothing contained in this Section 6.2 will prohibit the Company or the Company’s Board from taking and disclosing to the Company’s stockholders a position with respect to an Acquisition Proposal pursuant to Rule 14d-9 or 14e-2(a) promulgated under the Exchange Act or from making any similar disclosure, in either case to the extent required by applicable Law, including the Company Board’s fiduciary duties; except that compliance with such rules will not permit the Company to make an Adverse Recommendation Change other than in accordance with Section 6.2(d).
(b) Except as provided in Section 6.2(d) and in Section 6.2(g), each of the Company, the Company’s Board, and each Company Board Committee shall not (i) withdraw or withhold (or amend or modify in a manner adverse to any Buyer Entity), or publicly propose to withdraw or withhold (or amend or modify in a manner adverse to any Buyer Entity), the approval, recommendation, or declaration of advisability by the Company’s Board or any Company Board Committee of this Agreement, the Merger, or any Transactions, (ii) recommend, adopt, or approve, or propose publicly to recommend, adopt, or approve, any Acquisition Proposal (any action described in the immediately foregoing clauses (i) or (ii), an “Adverse Recommendation Change”).
(c) Except as provided in Section 6.2(d), the Company shall not (and shall cause the Company Subsidiaries to not), and shall take reasonable actions to cause (and shall cause the Company Subsidiaries to take reasonable actions to cause) each Company Entity’s Representatives not to, execute or enter into any Contract (including any merger agreement, acquisition agreement, option agreement, joint venture agreement, partnership agreement or other similar agreement), or any letter of intent, term sheet, memorandum of understanding, or agreement in principle, (i) relating to or that could reasonably be expected to lead to any Acquisition Proposal (other than an Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement in circumstances contemplated in the penultimate sentence of Section 6.2(a)), or (ii) requiring the Company to abandon, terminate, or fail to consummate the Merger or any of the Transactions.
(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing set forth in this Section 6.2, at any time prior to obtaining the Company Required Vote, and subject to the Company’s compliance at all times with the provisions of this Section 6.2 and Section 6.4(a), with respect to an Acquisition Proposal, the Company’s Board is permitted to make an Adverse Recommendation Change if (i) a written Acquisition Proposal (that did not result from a breach of Section 6.2(a), whether by any Company Entity or any Representative (as if all Company Entities and Representatives were bound by this Section 6.2(d))) is made to the Company by a third party, and such Acquisition Proposal is not withdrawn, (ii) the Company’s Board determines in good faith after consultation with its legal and financial advisors that such Acquisition Proposal constitutes a Superior Proposal, (iii) the Company’s Board determines in good faith, after consultation with its outside legal counsel, that the failure to make such an Adverse Recommendation Change is likely to be inconsistent with the Company Board’s fiduciary duties under applicable Law, (iv) subject to compliance with applicable Law, the Company provides the Parent three Business Days’ prior written notice of the Company’s intention to make an Adverse Recommendation Change because of such Acquisition Proposal (such notice, a “Notice of Acquisition Proposal”), it being understood that a Notice of Acquisition Proposal does not in itself institute an Adverse Recommendation Change for purposes hereof, which notice must include the information with respect to such Acquisition Proposal that is specified in Section 6.2(e); except that, if there are any material revisions to the Acquisition Proposal (relative to the terms of the Acquisition Proposal as set forth in the Notice of Acquisition Proposal as provided to the Parent), then the Company must provide to the Parent a new Notice of Acquisition Proposal and, if the Company has not made an Adverse Recommendation Change, and subject to compliance with applicable Law, an additional three Business Days following the provision of such new Notice of Acquisition Proposal, and (v) at the end of the three-Business Day period described in the immediately foregoing clause (iv) (including any extension of such period required thereunder), the Company Board again makes the determination in good faith after consultation with its outside legal counsel and financial advisors (and taking into account any adjustment or modification of the terms hereof that the Parent proposes) that the Acquisition Proposal constitutes a Superior Proposal and that the failure to make such Adverse Recommendation Change is likely to be inconsistent with the Company Board’s fiduciary duties under applicable Law. If the Parent proposes to the Company any adjustment or modification of the terms hereof in response to a Notice of Acquisition Proposal, and such proposed adjustment or modification, if implemented, would reverse the determination of the Company Board that the Acquisition Proposal constituted a Superior Proposal, then the Company and Parent shall negotiate in good faith with the Parent to implement such adjustment or modification to the terms hereof and, upon implementation of such adjustment or modification, the Company Board shall not make an Adverse Recommendation Change (or, if already made, will reinstate its recommendation in favor of the Merger and this Agreement, as so adjusted or modified).
(e) As promptly as practicable after receipt thereof (but in any event within 24 hours after the Company’s receipt thereof), the Company shall (i) advise Parent in writing of any request for non-public information or any Acquisition Proposal received from any Person, or any inquiry, discussions, or negotiations with respect to any Acquisition Proposal, and the material terms of such request, Acquisition Proposal, inquiry, discussions, or negotiations, and (ii) promptly provide to Parent a detailed, written summary of all of the material terms, provisions, and other information set forth in any materials (including any draft agreements) that the Company receives in connection with any Acquisition Proposal (or, at the Company’s election, a copy thereof) and the identity of the Person or group making any such request, Acquisition Proposal, or inquiry or with whom any discussions or negotiations are taking place. The Company shall keep the Parent reasonably informed of the status of any Acquisition Proposals (including disclosing to the Parent the identity of the parties, the price involved, and any material changes to any terms thereof and providing to the Parent detailed, written summaries of all of the material terms, provisions, or other information set forth in any amended or additional documents received from or provided to any Person with respect to such Acquisition Proposal). The Company shall not release any third party from, or waive any provisions of, any confidentiality or standstill agreement to which the Company is a party and shall use its reasonable efforts to enforce any such agreement at the request of or on behalf of the Parent.
(f) Immediately after the execution and delivery hereof, the Company shall (and shall cause the Company Subsidiaries to) instruct the Representatives to cease and terminate any existing activities, discussions, or negotiations with any parties conducted heretofore with respect to any possible Acquisition Proposal. The Company shall (i) take the necessary steps to promptly inform the Representatives involved in the Transactions of the obligations undertaken in Section 6.2(a) and (ii) request each Person who has heretofore executed a confidentiality agreement in connection with such Person’s consideration of acquiring the Company or any portion thereof to return or destroy (and certify such destruction in writing by an executive officer of such Person) all confidential information heretofore furnished to such Person by or on its behalf.
(g) Nothing in this Agreement will prohibit or restrict the Company’s Board from effecting an Adverse Recommendation Change not involving or relating to an Acquisition Proposal in response to a material adverse development or change in circumstances with respect to the Parent Business occurring or arising after the Signing Date, if (i) the Company’s Board determines in good faith after consultation with its outside legal counsel that not making such Adverse Recommendation Change is likely to be inconsistent with the Company Board’s fiduciary duties under applicable Law (ii) subject to compliance with applicable Law, the Company provides the Parent three Business Days’ prior written notice of the Company’s intention to make public an Adverse Recommendation Change because of such material development or change in circumstances (such notice, a “Notice of Material Development”); and that it is considering such a recommendation change and summarizing in reasonable detail the reasons therefor; and (iii) at the end of the three-Business Day period described in the immediately foregoing clause (ii), the Company Board again makes the determination in good faith after consultation with its outside legal counsel and financial advisors (and taking into account any adjustment or modification of the terms hereof that the Parent proposes in writing) that failure to make such an Adverse Recommendation Change is likely to be inconsistent with the Company Board’s fiduciary duties under applicable Law. If the Parent proposes to the Company any adjustment or modification of the terms hereof in response to a Notice of Material Development, and such proposed adjustment or modification, if implemented, would reverse the determination of the Company Board that it make an Adverse Recommendation Change, then the Company and Parent shall negotiate in good faith (during a period not exceeding three Business days, unless otherwise mutually agreed) with respect to such adjustment or modification to the terms hereof and, upon implementation of such adjustment or modification, the Company Board shall not make an Adverse Recommendation Change (or, if already made, will reinstate its recommendation in favor of the Merger and this Agreement, as so adjusted or modified).
Acquisition Proposal “Acquisition Proposal” shall mean any offer or proposal (other than an offer or proposal made or submitted by Parent) contemplating or otherwise relating to any Acquisition Transaction.
Non-Solicitation of Company Employees Executive shall not, at any time during the Restricted Period (as defined below), without the prior written consent of the Company, engage in the following conduct (a "Solicitation"):
(i) directly or indirectly, contact, solicit, recruit or employ (whether as an employee, officer, director, agent, consultant or independent contractor) any person who was or is at any time during the previous six months an employee, representative, officer or director of the Company; or
(ii) take any action to encourage or induce any employee, representative, officer or director of the Company to cease his or her relationship with the Company for any reason. A "Solicitation" does not include any recruitment of employees for the Company.
Non-Solicitation The Participant covenants and agrees that during his or her employment with the Company or its Affiliates and for a period of twelve (12) months subsequent to the Participant’s Termination of Employment for any reason, whether involuntary or voluntary, the Participant shall not directly or indirectly, as an owner, stockholder, director, employee, partner, agent, broker, or consultant recruit, hire or attempt to recruit or hire other employees of the Company or its Affiliates, nor shall the Participant contact or communicate with any other employees of the Company or its Affiliates for the purpose of inducing other employees to terminate their employment with the Company or its Affiliates. For purposes of this Section 5, “other employees” shall refer to employees who are still actively employed by or doing business with the Company or its Affiliates at the time of the attempted recruiting or hiring. In addition, Participant agrees not to hire or employ, either directly or indirectly, or aid in the hire or employ of any former employee of the Company or its Affiliates within 60 days of that former employee's separation date from the Company or its Affiliates. Participant acknowledges and agrees that the damage to Company and its Affiliates if Participant breaches this Section 5 or the non-solicitation provisions contained in any written agreement by and between the Participant and the Company will be extremely difficult to determine. Therefore, Participant agrees that if Participant violates this Section 5 or the non-solicitation provisions contained in any written agreement by and between the Participant and the Company, Participant will pay to the Company the value of the RSUs received and all costs incurred by Company, including its reasonable attorneys' fees, in any claim against Participant or to defend against any claim made by Participant related to the subject-matter herein. To the extent applicable, all Awarded Units shall immediately cease to vest as of the date of such breach, and any Vested RSUs that had not been converted into Shares prior to the date of such breach and any Unvested RSUs shall be immediately forfeited and this Agreement (other than the provisions of this Section 5) will be terminated on the date of such breach.
Non-Solicitation/Non-Compete Executive hereby covenants and agrees that, for a period of one (1) year following his termination of employment with the Bank (other than a termination of employment following a Change in Control), Executive shall not, without the written consent of the Bank, either directly or indirectly:
(i) solicit, offer employment to, or take any other action intended (or that a reasonable person acting in like circumstances would expect) to have the effect of causing any officer or employee of the Bank, or any of its respective subsidiaries or affiliates, to terminate his employment and accept employment or become affiliated with, or provide services for compensation in any capacity whatsoever to, any business whatsoever that competes with the business of the Bank, or any of their direct or indirect subsidiaries or affiliates, that has headquarters or offices within 25 miles of any location(s) in which the Bank has business offices or has filed an application for regulatory approval to establish an office (the “Restricted Territory”);
(ii) become an officer, employee, consultant, director, independent contractor, agent, joint venturer, partner or trustee of any savings bank, savings and loan association, savings and loan holding company, credit union, bank or bank holding company, insurance company or agency, any mortgage or loan broker or any other entity that competes with the business of the Bank or any of their direct or indirect subsidiaries or affiliates, that: (i) has a headquarters within the Restricted Territory or (ii) has one or more offices, but is not headquartered, within the Restricted Territory, but in the latter case, only if Executive would be employed, conduct business or have other responsibilities or duties within the Restricted Territory; or
(iii) solicit, provide any information, advice or recommendation or take any other action intended (or that a reasonable person acting in like circumstances would expect) to have the effect of causing any customer of the Bank to terminate an existing business or commercial relationship with the Bank.
Employee Non-Solicitation During the term of Executive's employment with the Company and for one (1) year thereafter, Executive shall not directly or indirectly encourage any Company employee to terminate his employment with the Company unless Executive does so in the course of performing his duties for the Company and such encouragement is in the Company's best interests. For purposes of this Article VII, the term “Company” means Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. and its parent companies, subsidiaries and other affiliates.
Non-Solicitation of Clients During the Restricted Period, the Executive agrees not to solicit, directly or indirectly, on his own behalf or on behalf of any other person(s), any client of the Company to whom the Company had provided services at any time during the Executive’s employment with the Company in any line of business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment or that the Company is actively soliciting, for the purpose of marketing or providing any service competitive with any service then offered by the Company.
Non-Competition/Solicitation To the Company’s knowledge, no Respondent is subject to any non-competition agreement or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or prior employer which could materially affect such Respondent’s ability to be and act in the capacity of a director or officer of the Company, as applicable.
Non-Solicitation; Non-Competition (a) In further consideration of the compensation to be paid to Executive hereunder, Executive acknowledges that in the course of his employment with the Company Group, he has and will continue to become familiar with the Company Group’s trade secrets and with other Confidential Information concerning the Company Group and that his services shall be of special, unique and extraordinary value to the Company Group. Therefore, Executive agrees that while an employee of the Company Group, Executive will not directly or indirectly compete against any member of the Company Group or directly or indirectly divert or attempt to divert any business from any member of the Company Group anywhere such company is doing business.
(b) Executive agrees that for the twelve (12) months following the termination of his employment, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, solicit for the purpose of providing, or otherwise provide, any products or services competitive with the products or services offered by (or planned to be offered by, assuming Executive was aware of those plans while employed by Company) the Company Group to any customer of the Company Group with whom/which Executive had contact on behalf of the Company Group during the twenty-four (24) months preceding the end of Executive’s employment with the Company.
(c) Executive agrees that for the twelve (12) months following the termination of his employment, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, solicit for the purpose of providing, or otherwise provide, any products or services competitive with the products or services offered by (or planned to be offered by, assuming Executive was aware of those plans while employed by Company) the Company Group to any customer of the Company Group about whom/which Executive acquired non-public information during the twenty-four (24) months preceding the end of Executive’s employment with the Company.
(d) Executive agrees that for the twelve (12) months following the termination of his employment, Executive will not request or advise any customer, supplier, licensee, licensor, landlord or other business relation of the Company Group with whom/which Executive had contact on behalf of the Company Group during the twenty-four (24) months preceding the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company to withdraw, curtail or cancel its business dealings with such member of the Company Group.
(e) Executive agrees that for the twelve (12) months following the termination of his employment, Executive will not directly or indirectly recruit or solicit any employee of the Company Group for employment or encourage any employee of the Company Group to leave such member of the Company Group’s employ. An employee shall be deemed covered by this clause (e) while employed by the Company Group and for a period of twelve (12) months thereafter.
(f) In addition, Executive agrees that for the twelve (12) months following the termination of his employment, Executive will not provide, in any capacity, Restricted Services to any business located in the United States or Germany which provides services or products competitive with those sold or provided by any member of the Company Group during the twenty-four (24) months preceding the end of Executive’s employment with the Company. The term “Restricted Services” shall mean services similar to those which Executive provided any member of the Company Group during the twenty-four (24) months preceding Executive’s termination of employment, for whatever reason, and which would involve use or disclosure of the Company’s Confidential Information.
Superior Proposals Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Section 5.3, from the date hereof until the Company’s receipt of the Requisite Stockholder Approval, the Company and the Special Committee may, directly or indirectly through one or more of their Representatives (including the Advisor), contact the Person or group of Persons making such Acquisition Proposal to clarify the terms and conditions thereof so as to determine whether such Acquisition Proposal constitutes, or could reasonably be expected to result in, a Superior Proposal, participate or engage in discussions or negotiations with, furnish any non-public information relating to the Company Group to, or afford access to the business, properties, assets, books, records or other non-public information, or to any personnel, of the Company Group pursuant to an Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement to any Person or its Representatives that has made or delivered to the Company an Acquisition Proposal after the date hereof, in each case with respect to an Acquisition Proposal that did not result from any material breach of Section 5.3(a); provided, however, that prior thereto, the Special Committee has determined in good faith (after consultation with its financial advisor and outside legal counsel) that (i) such Acquisition Proposal either constitutes a Superior Proposal or is reasonably expected to lead to a Superior Proposal, and (ii) the failure to take the actions contemplated by this Section 5.3(b) would be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties pursuant to applicable law; and provided further, however, that the Company will promptly (and in any event within 24 hours) make available to Parent any non-public information concerning the Company Group that is provided to any such Person or its Representatives that was not previously made available to Parent; and provided further, however, that if any such Person or its Representatives is a competitor of the Company Group, the Company Group shall not provide any information that in the good faith determination of the Company constitutes commercially sensitive non-public information to such Person in connection with any actions permitted by this Section 5.3(b) other than in accordance with “clean room” or other similar procedures designed to limit any potential adverse effect on the Company from sharing such information.
