“Material Adverse Effect” means, when used with respect to any Party, any fact, circumstance, condition, effect, change, event or development (“Effect”) that (a) prevents, materially delays or materially impairs the ability of such Party or its Subsidiaries to consummate the Transactions or could reasonably be expected to do so or (b) is, or could reasonably be expected to be, materially adverse to the financial condition, business, or results of operations of such Party and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; provided, however, that, in respect of clause (b) above, none of the following shall be deemed to be or constitute a “Material Adverse Effect” or shall be taken into account when determining whether a “Material Adverse Effect” has occurred or could occur: 

(i) general economic conditions (or changes in such conditions) or conditions in the U.S. or global economies generally; 

(ii) conditions (or changes in such conditions) in the securities markets, credit markets, currency markets or other financial markets, including (A) changes in interest rates and changes in exchange rates for the currencies of any countries, and (B) any suspension of trading in securities (whether equity, debt, derivative or hybrid securities) generally on any securities exchange or over-the-counter market; 

(iii) conditions (or changes in such conditions) in the oil and gas exploration, development or production industry (including changes in commodity prices, general market prices and regulatory changes affecting the industry); 

(iv) earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, mudslides, wild fires or other natural disasters, weather conditions, pandemics, epidemics, endemics or other widespread health crisis (including the existence, impact or worsening of COVID-19); 

(v) political conditions (or changes in such conditions) or acts of war, sabotage or terrorism, civil unrest, public demonstrations, cyber attacks, hacking, or the escalation or general worsening of any of the foregoing; 

(vi) changes in, or any adoption, implementation, modification, repeal, interpretation, proposal of, any Law, or changes in other legal or regulatory conditions, or the interpretation thereof, or changes in GAAP or other accounting standards (or the interpretation thereof); 

(vii) changes in such Party’s stock price or the trading volume of such Party’s stock, or any failure by such Party to meet any analysts’ estimates or expectations of such Party’s revenue, earnings or other financial performance or results of operations for any period, or any failure by such Party or any of its Subsidiaries to meet any internal or published budgets, plans or forecasts of its revenues, earnings or other financial performance or results of operations (it being understood that the facts or occurrences giving rise to or contributing to such changes or failures that are not otherwise excluded from the definition of may “Material Adverse Effect” may constitute, or be taken into account in determining whether there has been or will be, a Material Adverse Effect);   Annex A Page 7


(viii) the announcement of this Agreement or the pendency or consummation of the Transactions, including the initiation of litigation by any Person with respect to this Agreement (other than with respect to any representation or warranty that is intended to address the consequences of the execution or delivery of this Agreement or the announcement or consummation of the Transactions); or 

(ix) compliance with the terms of, or the taking of any action expressly permitted or required by, this Agreement (except for any obligation under this Agreement to operate in the ordinary course of business pursuant to Section 6.1 or 6.2, as applicable), including the taking of any actions required under this Agreement to obtain any approval or authorization under applicable Antitrust Laws for the consummation of the Transactions, or the taking of any action requested to be taken by the other Party; 

provided, however, except to the extent such effects directly or indirectly resulting from, arising out of, attributable to or related to the matters described in the foregoing clauses (i) through (vi) disproportionately adversely affect such Party and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, as compared to other similarly situated participants operating in the United States domestic onshore oil and gas exploration, development or production industry (in which case, the incremental disproportionate adverse effect (if any) shall be taken into account when determining whether a “Material Adverse Effect” has occurred or may or could occur solely to the extent they are disproportionate). (Pages 125-126)

Question: MAE Definition
Category: Material Adverse Effect
Answer: "Could" (reasonably) be expected to