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Commitments and Contingencies | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies | Commitments and Contingencies Contractual Obligations The Company has various contractual obligations in the normal course of its operations. There have been no material changes to the Company’s contractual obligations described under “Gathering, Processing and Transportation Agreements” and “Lease Commitments” as disclosed in Note 8 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the Form 10-K. Legal Matters Securities Litigation In October 2020, a class action lawsuit styled Delaware County Emp. Ret. Sys. v. Cabot Oil and Gas Corp., et. al. (U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania), was filed against the Company, Dan O. Dinges, its then-Chief Executive Officer, and Scott C. Schroeder, its then-Chief Financial Officer, alleging that the Company made misleading statements in its periodic filings with the SEC in violation of Section 10(b) and Section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The suit was later transferred to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The plaintiffs later amended the complaint to add claims against Phillip L. Stalnaker, the Company’s then-Senior Vice President of Operations, but the claims against Mr. Stalnaker were later dismissed. The current amended complaint was filed on January 9, 2024, and alleges that the Company and the individual defendants made material misstatements and omissions regarding the Company’s 2019 production growth guidance and the status of certain environmental matters in Pennsylvania, including alleged violations of the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law and the remediation status of certain gas wells. The plaintiffs allege claims under Section 10(b) and Section 20 of the Exchange Act and seek monetary damages, interest, and attorney’s fees. The court has certified a class consisting of persons and entities who purchased the Company’s common stock between February 22, 2016, and June 12, 2020, inclusive. On April 29, 2024, the Company and plaintiffs reached a settlement in principle, with nearly all of the settlement amount to be paid by the Company’s insurance carriers. This settlement is subject to finalization and court approval. Also in October 2020, a stockholder derivative action styled Ezell v. Dinges, et. al. (U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania) was filed against Messrs. Dinges and Schroeder and the Board of Directors of the Company serving at that time. Several additional derivative complaints were also filed and have been consolidated with the Ezell suit, which was later transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The most recent consolidated amended derivative complaint asserted claims for alleged securities violations under Section 10(b) and Section 21D of the Exchange Act arising from some of the same alleged misleading statements that form the basis of the class action lawsuit described above, as well as claims based on alleged breaches of fiduciary duty and statutory contribution theories. On January 2, 2024, the Court issued an order and final judgment granting the Company’s and defendants’ motion to dismiss and dismissing the consolidated derivative case in its entirety with prejudice. The derivative plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal regarding the final judgment on February 1, 2024. The Company intends to vigorously defend any further proceedings in the derivative lawsuit. Additionally, on March 21, 2024, one of the plaintiffs in the consolidated derivative action served a demand letter on the Company’s Board of Directors. The letter requested that the Board of Directors pursue legal claims against various current and former officers and directors of the Company based on similar factual allegations as contained in the securities class action and consolidated shareholder derivative action described above. The Board of Directors has taken the demand under advisement and reserves all rights available under applicable law. Other Legal Matters The Company is a defendant in various other legal proceedings arising in the normal course of business. All known liabilities are accrued when management determines they are probable and the potential loss is estimable. While the outcome and impact of these legal proceedings on the Company cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes that the resolution of these proceedings will not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Contingency Reserves When deemed necessary, the Company establishes reserves for certain legal proceedings. The establishment of a reserve is based on an estimation process that includes the advice of legal counsel and subjective judgment of management. While management believes these reserves to be adequate, it is reasonably possible that the Company could incur additional losses with respect to those matters for which reserves have been established. The Company believes that any such amount above the amounts accrued would not be material to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Future changes in facts and circumstances not currently known or foreseeable could result in the actual liability exceeding the estimated ranges of loss and amounts accrued.

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