Non-Solicitation (a) During the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the 18-month anniversary of the Closing Date, and except as otherwise required or permitted by any Ancillary Agreement, Seller and its Affiliates (collectively, the “Restricted Entities”) shall not, directly or indirectly:
(i) Induce, solicit or encourage, or attempt to induce, solicit or encourage, any Restricted Customer to (1) use a Restricted Entity to provide any services which are offered by the Companies and the Transferred Subsidiaries as of the Closing Date (the “Restricted Services”) or (2) reduce, terminate or adversely modify the employment of the Companies or the Transferred Subsidiaries for such services, in each case other than as a consequence of a general solicitation conducted by a Restricted Entity not specifically directed at Restricted Customers; or
(ii) Solicit, hire or attempt to solicit or hire any Continuing Employee for employment or in any other capacity (including as an independent contractor or consultant) with a Restricted Entity; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not apply to any (1) individual whose employment or service was terminated by the Companies or the Transferred Subsidiaries, (2) publishing or posting of open positions in the course of normal hiring practices which are not specifically sent to, or do not specifically target, Continuing Employees or hiring as a result of such posting, (3) solicitations made by third-party search firms that have not been directed by Seller or its Affiliates to specifically solicit such individuals or hiring as a result of such solicitations, or (4) individual who approaches a Restricted Entity seeking to be hired as an employee or in another capacity (including as an independent contractor or consultant) if no Restricted Entity had previously attempted to solicit or hire such individual.
(b) Purchaser agrees that from the date hereof until the 18-month anniversary of the Closing Date it shall not, and shall cause its Affiliates (including the Companies and the Transferred Subsidiaries) not to, directly or indirectly, solicit, hire or attempt to solicit or hire any employee of Seller or any of its Affiliates who is not a Continuing Employee for employment or in any other capacity (including as an independent contractor or consultant); provided, however, that the foregoing shall not apply to any (i) individual whose employment or service was terminated by Seller or its Affiliates, (ii) publishing or posting of open positions in the course of normal hiring practices which are not specifically sent to, or do not specifically target, employees of Seller or its Affiliates or hiring as a result of such posting, or (iii) solicitations made by third-party search firms that have not been directed by Purchaser or its Affiliates (including the Companies and the Transferred Subsidiaries) to specifically solicit such individuals or hiring as a result of such solicitations.
(c) The parties acknowledge that the covenants set forth in this Section 7.7 are an essential element of this Agreement and that, but for the agreement of each party to comply with these covenants, the other party would not have entered into this Agreement. The parties acknowledge that this Section 7.7 constitutes an independent covenant that shall not be affected by performance or nonperformance of any other provision of this Agreement. The existence of any claim or cause of action against one party by the other party, whether predicated on the breach of this Agreement or otherwise, shall not constitute a defense to the enforcement of the covenants contained in this Section 7.7. The parties have independently consulted with their respective counsel and after such consultation agree that the covenants set forth in this Section 7.7 are reasonable and proper in scope, duration, geographical area and in all other respects. If any such covenant is found to be invalid, void or unenforceable in any situation in any jurisdiction by a final determination of a court or any other Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction, Seller and Purchaser agree that: (i) such determination shall not affect the validity or enforceability of (1) the offending term or provision in any other situation or in any other jurisdiction or (2) the remaining terms and provisions of this Section 7.7 in any situation in any jurisdiction; (ii) the offending term or provision shall be reformed rather than voided and the court or Governmental Authority making such determination shall have the power to reduce the scope, duration or geographical area of any invalid or unenforceable term or provision, to delete specific words or phrases, or to replace any invalid or enforceable term or provision with a term or provision that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the intention of the invalid or unenforceable provision, in order to render the restrictive covenants set forth in this Section 7.7 enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law; and (iii) the restrictive covenants set forth in this Section 7.7 shall be enforceable as so modified.
(d) The parties hereby acknowledge and agree that irreparable damage would occur if this Section 7.7 were not performed in accordance with its specific terms and that any breach of this Section 7.7 by the other party could not be adequately compensated in all cases by monetary damages alone. Accordingly, in addition to any other right or remedy to which such party may be entitled, at law or in equity or under this Agreement, such party shall be entitled to enforce this Section 7.7 by a decree of specific performance and to temporary, preliminary and permanent injunctive relief to prevent breaches or threatened breaches of this Section 7.7, without posting any bond or other undertaking.
(e) For the avoidance of doubt, none of the restrictions imposed by applicable subsections of this Section 7.7 shall apply to any Person that is an Affiliate of a party to this Agreement if such Person ceases to be an Affiliate of such party.
