Acknowledgment. The Employee has carefully read and considered the provisions of Sections 8 and 9 hereof and agrees that the restrictions set forth in such sections are fair and reasonable and are reasonably required for the protection of the interests of the Corporation, its officers, directors, shareholders, and other employees, for the protection of the business of the Corporation, and to ensure that the Employee devotes the Employee’s entire professional time, energy, and skills to the business of the Corporation. The Employee acknowledges that he is qualified to engage in businesses other than that described in Section 9. It is the belief of the parties, therefore, that the best protection that can be given to the Corporation that does not in any way infringe upon the rights of the Employee to engage in any unrelated businesses is to provide for the restrictions described in Section 9. In view of the substantial harm which would result from a breach by the Employee of Sections 8 or 9, the parties agree that the restrictions contained therein shall be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by law as more particularly set forth in Section 10(b) below. In the event that any of said restrictions shall be held unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, the parties hereto agree that it is their desire that such court shall substitute a reasonable judicially enforceable limitation in place of any limitation deemed unenforceable and that as so modified, the covenant shall be as fully enforceable as if it had been set forth herein by the parties.

Employee acknowledges that the restrictions contained in this Section 9 are reasonable and necessary to protect the legitimate interests of the Company and constitute a material inducement to the Company to enter into this Agreement and offer employment to Employee under this Agreement. In the event that any covenant contained in this Section 9 should ever be adjudicated to exceed the time, geographic, product or service, or other limitations permitted by applicable law in any jurisdiction, then any court is expressly empowered to reform such covenant, and such covenant shall be deemed reformed, in such jurisdiction to the maximum time, geographic, product or service, or other limitations permitted by applicable law. The covenants contained in this Section 9 and each provision hereof are severable and distinct covenants and provisions. The invalidity or unenforceability of any such covenant or provision as written shall not invalidate or render unenforceable the remaining covenants or provisions hereof, and any such invalidity or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such covenant or provision in any other jurisdiction.