“Material Adverse Effect” means any event, development, change, effect or occurrence that, individually or in the aggregate with all other events, developments, changes, effects or occurrences that (x) prevents or materially impairs the ability of the parties hereto to consummate the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement in accordance -78- 

 


  with the terms of this Agreement or (y) has had or could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on or with respect to the assets, business, results of operation or financial condition of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, provided that, solely in the case of clause (y), no events, developments, changes, effects or occurrences relating to, arising out of or in connection with or resulting from any of the following shall be deemed, either alone or in combination with any of the following, to constitute or contribute to a Material Adverse Effect or be taken into account in determining whether a Material Adverse Effect has occurred or could reasonably be expected to occur: (i) general changes or developments in the economy or the financial, debt, capital, credit or securities markets or political, business or regulatory conditions in the United States or elsewhere in the world, including as a result of changes in geopolitical conditions, (ii) general changes or developments in the industries in which the Company or its subsidiaries operate or where the Company’s products or services are sold, (iii) changes or prospective changes in any applicable Laws or regulations or applicable accounting regulations or principles or interpretation or enforcement thereof, (iv) any epidemic, pandemic or other outbreak of illness or disease or public health event (including COVID-19) or any COVID-19 Measures or any changes, after the date hereof, in such COVID-19 Measures or changes, after the date hereof, in the interpretation, implementation or enforcement thereof, (v) the public announcement or pendency of the Merger or other transactions contemplated hereby, including any impact thereof on relationships, contractual or otherwise, with customers, lessors, suppliers, vendors, investors, lenders, partners, distributors, financing sources, contractors or employees of the Company and its subsidiaries, or the performance of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including compliance with the covenants set forth herein and any action taken or omitted to be taken by the Company at the written request of or with the written consent of Parent or Merger Sub, (vi) any actions expressly required under this Agreement, including to obtain any approval or authorization under applicable antitrust or competition or other Laws for the consummation of the Merger, (vii) any hurricane, cyclone, tornado, earthquake, flood, tsunami, natural disaster, act of God or other comparable events or outbreak or escalation of hostilities or war (whether or not declared), military actions or any act of sabotage or terrorism, or national or international political or social conditions, (viii) any decline in the market price or trading volume of the Shares or the credit rating of the Company (provided that the exception in this clause (ix) shall not prevent or otherwise affect a determination that any effect underlying such change has resulted in, or contributed to, a Material Adverse Effect (if not otherwise falling within any of the exceptions in clauses (i) through (viii) and (x)), or (x) any failure by the Company to meet any published analyst estimates or expectations of the Company’s revenue, earnings or other financial performance or results of operations for any period, in and of itself, or any failure by the Company to meet its internal or published projections, budgets, plans or forecasts of its revenues, earnings or other financial performance or results of operations, in and of itself (provided that the exception in this clause (x) shall not prevent or otherwise affect a determination that any effect underlying such failure has resulted in, or contributed to, a Material Adverse Effect (if not otherwise falling within any of the exceptions in clauses (i) through (ix)); except in the cases of clauses (i) through (iv) and (viii), to the extent that the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, are adversely and disproportionately affected thereby as compared with similarly situated Persons in the industries in which the Company and its subsidiaries operate (in which case solely the incremental materially disproportionate impact or impacts may be taken into account in determining whether there has been or could reasonably be expected to be a Material Adverse Effect).  (Pages 87-88)

Question: FLS (MAE) Standard-Answer
Subquestion: <NONE>
Answer: "Could" (reasonably) be expected to