“Company Material Adverse Effect” means any change, event, violation, inaccuracy, effect or circumstance (each, an “Effect”) that, individually or taken together with all other Effects that exist or have occurred prior to the date of determination of the occurrence of the Company Material Adverse Effect, (A) has had or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole or (B) would prevent the consummation by the Company of the Merger prior to the Termination Date. With respect to the foregoing clause (A) and (B), none of the following (by themselves or when aggregated) will be deemed to be or constitute a Company Material Adverse Effect or will be taken into account when determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred or may, would or could occur (subject to the limitations set forth below): 

(i)    changes in general economic conditions in the United States or any other country or region in the world, or changes in conditions in the global economy generally (except to the extent that such Effect has had a materially disproportionate adverse effect on the Company relative to other companies of a similar size operating in the industries in which the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct business, in which case only the incremental disproportionate adverse impact may be taken into account in determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred); 

(ii)    changes in conditions in the financial markets, credit markets or capital markets in the United States or any other country or region in the world, including (A) changes in interest rates or credit ratings in the United States or any other country; (B) changes in exchange rates for the currencies of any country; or (C) any suspension of trading in securities (whether equity, debt, derivative or hybrid securities) generally on any securities exchange or   -5-


over-the-counter market operating in the United States or any other country or region in the world (except, in each case, to the extent that such Effect has had a materially disproportionate adverse effect on the Company relative to other companies of a similar size operating in the industries in which the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct business, in which case only the incremental disproportionate adverse impact may be taken into account in determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred); 

(iii)    changes in conditions in the industries in which the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct business (except to the extent that such Effect has had a materially disproportionate adverse effect on the Company relative to other companies of a similar size operating in the industries in which the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct business, in which case only the incremental disproportionate adverse impact may be taken into account in determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred); 

(iv)    changes in regulatory, legislative or political conditions (including the imposition or adjustment of tariffs) in the United States or any other country or region in the world (except to the extent that such Effect has had a materially disproportionate adverse effect on the Company relative to other companies of similar size operating in the industries in which the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct business, in which case only the incremental disproportionate adverse impact may be taken into account in determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred); 

(v)    any geopolitical conditions, outbreak of hostilities, civil unrest, civil disobedience, acts of war, sabotage, cyberattack, cybercrime, terrorism or military actions (including any escalation or worsening of any of the foregoing) in the United States or any other country or region in the world, including an outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or any other Governmental Authority or the declaration by the United States or any other Governmental Authority of a national emergency or war (except to the extent that such Effect has had a materially disproportionate adverse effect on the Company relative to other companies of similar size operating in the industries in which the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct business, in which case only the incremental disproportionate adverse impact may be taken into account in determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred); 

(vi)    earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, mudslides, wildfires or other natural disasters, weather conditions, or other force majeure events in the United States or any other country or region in the world (or escalation or worsening of any such events or occurrences, including, in each case, the response of Governmental Authorities) (except to the extent that such Effect has had a materially disproportionate adverse effect on the Company relative to other companies of similar size operating in the industries in which the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct business, in which case only the incremental disproportionate adverse impact may be taken into account in determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred); 

(vii)    pandemics (including the COVID-19 pandemic), epidemics, contagious disease outbreaks or other comparable events (or escalation or worsening of any such events or occurrences, including, in each case, the response of Governmental Authorities (including COVID-19 Measures));   -6-


(viii)    any Effect with respect to COVID-19 or any COVID-19 Measures; 

(ix)    any Effect resulting from the public announcement of this Agreement or the pendency of the Merger, including the impact thereof on the relationships, contractual or otherwise, of the Company and its Subsidiaries with employees, suppliers, customers, partners, vendors, Governmental Authorities or any other third Person; 

(x)    the compliance by any Party with the terms of this Agreement, including any action taken or refrained from being taken pursuant to or in accordance with this Agreement; 

(xi)    any action taken or refrained from being taken, in each case to which Parent has expressly approved, consented to or requested in writing (including by email) following the date of this Agreement; 

(xii)    changes or proposed changes in GAAP or other accounting standards or Law (or the enforcement or interpretation of any of the foregoing), changes in the regulatory accounting requirements applicable to any industry in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate, or any action taken for the purpose of complying with GAAP or any Law (including any action taken or not taken as required by any Law, Governmental Authority or otherwise to respond to the impact, presence, outbreak or spread of any pandemic (including COVID-19), epidemic, contagious disease outbreaks or other comparable event); 

(xiii)    changes in the price or trading volume of the Company Common Stock or Indebtedness of the Company, in each case in and of itself (it being understood that the cause of such change may be deemed to constitute, in and of itself, a Company Material Adverse Effect and may be taken into consideration when determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred); 

(xiv)    any failure, in and of itself, by the Company and its Subsidiaries to meet (A) any public estimates or expectations of the Company’s revenue, earnings or other financial performance or results of operations for any period; or (B) any internal budgets, plans, projections or forecasts of its revenues, earnings or other financial performance or results of operations (it being understood that the cause of any such failure may be deemed to constitute, in and of itself, a Company Material Adverse Effect and may be taken into consideration when determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred); 

(xv)    the availability or cost of equity, debt or other financing to Parent or Merger Sub; 

(xvi)    any Transaction Litigation or other Legal Proceeding threatened, made or brought by any of the current or former Company Stockholders (on their own behalf or on behalf of the Company) against the Company, any of its executive officers or other employees or any member of the Company Board arising out of the Merger; or 

(xvii)    the identity of, or any facts or circumstances relating to, Parent or Merger Sub or their respective Affiliates or the respective financing sources of or investors in any of the foregoing. (Pages 9-11)

Question: MAE Definition
Category: Material Adverse Effect
Answer: business and operation of Target, ability to consummate transaction