EDUCATION REALTY TRUST, INC. Shares of Common Stock (par value $0.01 per share) EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
Exhibit
1.1
$25,000,000
Shares of
Common Stock
(par
value $0.01 per share)
June 2,
2010
KeyBanc
Capital Markets Inc.
000
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxx 00000
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
Education
Realty Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), and Education
Realty Operating Partnership, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”),
confirm their agreement (this “Agreement”) with KeyBanc
Capital Markets Inc. (the “Manager”) as
follows:
SECTION
1. Description of
Shares. The Company may, from time to time during the term of
this Agreement, issue and sell through or to the Manager, as sales agent and/or
principal, shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the
“Common Stock”), having
an aggregate offering price of up to $25,000,000 (the “Shares”) on the terms set
forth in Section 3 hereof. The Company agrees that, whenever it
determines to sell the Shares directly to the Manager as principal, it will
enter into a separate agreement (each, a “Terms Agreement”), in form and
substance mutually satisfactory to the Company and the Manager, relating to such
sale in accordance with Section 3 hereof.
The
Company has also entered into a separate equity distribution agreement, dated as
of even date herewith (the “Alternative Distribution
Agreement”), pursuant to which it may, from time to time during the term
of such Alternative Distribution Agreement, issue and sell through or to UBS
Securities, LLC (the “Alternative Manager”), as
sales agent and/or principal, shares of Common Stock having an aggregate
offering price of up to $25,000,000 for an aggregate offering price of up to
$50,000,000 (the “Maximum
Amount”). The aggregate offering price of the Shares that may
be sold pursuant to this Agreement and the Alternative Distribution Agreement
shall not exceed the Maximum Amount.
The Company has filed, in accordance
with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and
regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Act”), with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration
statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-161493), including a Basic Prospectus (as
defined below), which relates to certain securities, including the Shares which
may be issued from time to time by the Company, and which incorporates by
reference documents that the Company has filed or will file in accordance with
the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules
and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”). The
Company has prepared a Prospectus Supplement (as defined below) to the Basic
Prospectus which specifically relates to the Shares. Except where the
context otherwise requires, “Registration Statement,” as
used herein, means the registration statement, as amended at the time of such
registration statement’s effectiveness or deemed effectiveness for purposes of
Section 11 of the Act, as such section applies to the Manager, including (1) all
documents filed as a part thereof or incorporated or deemed to be incorporated
by reference therein, (2) any information contained or incorporated by reference
in a prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act,
to the extent such information is deemed, pursuant to Rule 430B or
Rule 430C under the Act, to be part of the registration statement at the time of
such registration statement’s effectiveness or deemed effectiveness for purposes
of Section 11 of the Act, as such section applies to the Manager, and (3) any
registration statement filed to register the offer and sale of Shares pursuant
to Rule 462(b) under the Act. Except where the context otherwise
requires, “Basic
Prospectus,” as used herein, means the prospectus filed as part of each
Registration Statement, together with any amendments or supplements thereto as
of the date of this Agreement. Except where the context otherwise
requires, “Prospectus
Supplement,” as used herein, means the final prospectus supplement
relating to the Shares, filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to
Rule 424(b) under the Act in connection with the offering of the
Shares. Except where the context otherwise requires, “Prospectus,” as used herein,
means the Prospectus Supplement together with the Basic Prospectus attached to
or used with the Prospectus Supplement. “Permitted Free Writing
Prospectuses,” as used herein, means the documents listed on Schedule A
attached hereto. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement,
the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Permitted
Free Writing Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents,
if any, incorporated by reference, or deemed to be incorporated by reference,
therein (the “Incorporated
Documents”) including, unless the context otherwise requires, the
documents, if any, filed as exhibits to such Incorporated
Documents. Any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to
the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the
Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to
and include the filing after the execution of this Agreement of any document
with the Commission deemed to be incorporated by reference
therein. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement thereto
shall be deemed to include any copy filed with the Commission pursuant to either
the Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval System or Interactive Data
Electronic Applications (collectively, “IDEA”).
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SECTION
2. Representations and
Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants
to and agrees with the Manager that:
(a)
The Company satisfies the conditions for the use of Form S-3 in
connection with the offer and sale of the Shares as contemplated
hereby; the Registration Statement meets, and the offer and sale of
the Shares as contemplated hereby complies with, the requirements of Rule 415
under the Act (including, without limitation, Rule 415(a)(5)); the Registration
Statement was declared effective on September 10, 2009; the Commission has not
issued an order preventing or suspending the use of the Basic Prospectus, the
Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus,
or the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and no proceeding for that
purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act has been instituted or, to the
Company’s knowledge, threatened in writing by the Commission; the Registration
Statement complied in all material respects when it became effective, complies
in all material respects as of the date hereof and, as amended or supplemented,
will comply in all material respects at each deemed effective date with respect
to the Manager pursuant to Rule 430(B)(f)(2) of the Act with the requirements of
the Act, and the Registration Statement did not and will not, at such times,
contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading; the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto complied or
will comply in all material respects at the time the Prospectus and any
amendments or supplements thereto were or will be filed with the Commission,
complies in all material respects as of the date hereof (if filed with the
Commission on or prior to the date hereof) and will comply in all material
respects as of the time of each sale of Shares pursuant to this Agreement (each,
a “Time of Sale”) and at
each Settlement Date with the requirements of the Act, and the Prospectus did
not and will not, at such times, contain an untrue statement of a material fact
or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading; any such Permitted Free Writing
Prospectus, as of its date of issue and as of each Time of Sale and Settlement
Date and at all times during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be
delivered (whether physically, deemed to be delivered pursuant to Rule 153 or
through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule) in
connection with any sale of Shares, did not or will not, at such times, contain
an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;
provided, however, that the Company
makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statement contained in
the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the
Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Manager
expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the
Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus,
as the case may be; each Incorporated Document, at the time such document was
filed with the Commission, complied, in all material respects, with the
requirements of the Exchange Act and did not include an untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading.
(b) (Intentionally
omitted)
(c) Prior
to the execution of this Agreement, the Company has not, directly or indirectly,
offered or sold any Shares by means of any “prospectus” (within the
meaning of the Act) or used any “prospectus” (within the
meaning of the Act) in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares; the
Company has not, directly or indirectly, prepared, used or referred to any
Permitted Free Writing Prospectus except in compliance with Rules 164 and 433
under the Act; the conditions set forth in one or more of subclauses (i) through
(iv), inclusive, of Rule 433(b)(1) under the Act are satisfied, and the
registration statement relating to the offer of the Shares contemplated hereby,
as initially filed with the Commission, includes a prospectus that, other than
by reason of Rule 433 or Rule 431 under the Act, satisfies the requirements of
Section 10 of the Act in all material respects; the Company has treated and
agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer
free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will
comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free
Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required,
legending and record keeping; and the Company is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined
in Rule 405 under the Act) as of the eligibility determination date for purposes
of Rules 164 and 433 under the Act with respect to the offering of the Shares
contemplated by the Registration Statement.
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(d) The
Company is a corporation duly formed and validly existing and in good standing
under the laws of the State of Maryland, with full corporate power and authority
to own or lease, as the case may be, its properties and to operate its
properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement,
the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, and to enter into and
perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified
to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each
jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the operation of its
properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except
where the failure to so qualify would not have, individually or in the
aggregate, a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise),
business, earnings, properties or assets of the Company, the Operating
Partnership and the Subsidiaries (as defined in Section 2(f) hereof), taken as a
whole (“Material Adverse
Effect”).
(e) The
Operating Partnership has been duly formed and is validly existing as a limited
partnership in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, is duly
qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign limited
partnership in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or
the operation of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such
qualification, except where the failure to so qualify would not have a Material
Adverse Effect, and has full power and authority necessary to own or lease, as
the case may be, its properties and to operate its properties and conduct its
business as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any
Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, and to enter into and perform its obligations
under this Agreement. Additionally, the Company will contribute the net proceeds
from the sale of the Shares, if any, to the Operating Partnership in exchange
for a number of common units of limited partnership in the Operating Partnership
(“OP Units”) equal to
the number of Shares, if any.
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(f) Each
direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company, other than the Operating
Partnership, as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (each, a “Subsidiary” and collectively,
the “Subsidiaries”), has been duly formed and
is validly existing as a corporation, limited partnership or limited liability
company, as the case may be, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction
of its organization, with full power and authority (corporate and other) to own,
lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus, except where the failure to be in good
standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect, and is duly qualified to do
business as a foreign corporation, limited partnership or limited liability
company in good standing in each jurisdiction in which its ownership, lease or
operation of property or the conduct of its business requires such
qualification, except where the failure to so qualify would not have a Material
Adverse Effect; all of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other
ownership interests of each Subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly
issued and are fully paid and nonassessable and were offered in compliance with
all applicable laws (including, without limitation, federal and state securities
laws) in all material respects; the Company is the sole owner of Education
Realty OP GP, Inc., which is the sole general partner of the Operating
Partnership, and the Company, Education Realty OP GP, Inc., Education Realty
Limited Partner, LLC, Education Realty OP Limited Partner Trust, Xxxxx &
X’Xxxx, Inc., Place Properties, L.P., and certain officers and directors of the
Company and their affiliates collectively own a percentage interest in the
Operating Partnership and the Company is the sole owner of University Towers OP
GP, LLC, which is the sole general partner of the University Towers Partnership,
and the Operating Partnership, certain officers and directors of the Company and
their affiliates and another unaffiliated individual collectively own a
percentage interest in the University Towers Partnership; except as described in
the preceding proviso, each Subsidiary’s capital stock or other ownership
interests are currently owned and will continue to be owned by the Company,
directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interests,
liens, mortgages, encumbrances, pledges, claims or other defects of any kind
(collectively, “Liens”),
except where such Liens would not have a Material Adverse
Effect. None of such equity interests were issued in violation of the
preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of such
Subsidiary. Except as described in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus, there are no outstanding options, rights (preemptive or otherwise)
or warrants to purchase or subscribe for equity interests or other securities of
any Subsidiary. Each of the following Subsidiaries is a “significant subsidiary” of the
Company (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Act)
(each, a “Significant
Subsidiary” and collectively, the “Significant
Subsidiaries”): Xxxxx & O’Hara Development Company, LLC,
Xxxxx & X’Xxxx Education Services, Inc., Education Realty OP Limited
Partnership Trust and the Operating Partnership; the aforementioned subsidiaries
are the only Significant Subsidiaries of the Company.
(g) As
of the date of this Agreement, the Company has an authorized and outstanding
capitalization as is set forth in the consolidated balance sheet as of March 31,
2010 or as of the Company’s then most recently completed quarter or fiscal year,
contained in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or the Company’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K, as applicable, at the indicated date, and there has been no
material change in such information since March 31, 2010 or the Company’s then
most recently completed quarter or fiscal year (subject, in each case, to the
issuance of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of stock options and
warrants, or the exercise, vesting, conversion or redemption of any other
equity-based compensatory awards, disclosed as outstanding in the Registration
Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto) and the Prospectus, the issuance of
Common Stock issuable upon the redemption of outstanding OP Units in accordance
with the Operating Partnership Agreement (as defined below), and the grant of
options and other equity-based awards under existing stock option and other
equity-based compensatory plans described in the Registration Statement
(excluding the exhibits thereto) and the Prospectus; the capital stock of the
Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained
in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing
Prospectus, under the caption “Description of Capital Stock;”
the outstanding shares of Common Stock are duly listed and admitted and
authorized for trading on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (the “NYSE”), and the Shares will
have been approved for listing on the NYSE, subject to official notice of
issuance; and, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the
Prospectus, the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the
Operating Partnership, as the same has been or may be amended and/or restated
from time to time (the “Operating Partnership
Agreement”), and the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited
Partnership of University Towers Operating Partnership, L.P., no options,
warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue,
or rights to convert any obligations into or exchange any securities for, shares
of capital stock of or ownership interests in the Company are
outstanding.
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(h) The
Shares and all other outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company,
including any restricted shares of Common Stock, have been duly and validly
authorized; all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are, and,
when the Shares to be issued and sold by the Company have been issued and
delivered and paid for in accordance with this Agreement, such Shares will have
been, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, will have been, or will be,
offered and sold in compliance with all applicable laws (including, without
limitation, federal and state Shares laws) in all material respects, will
conform, in all material respects, to the description thereof contained in the
Registration Statement, Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus; and
the stockholders of the Company have no preemptive or other similar rights with
respect to the Shares to be issued and sold by the Company. Upon
payment of the purchase price and issuance and delivery of the Shares to be
issued and sold by the Company in accordance herewith, the purchaser thereof
will receive good, valid and marketable title to such Shares, free and clear of
all Liens. The certificates, if any, to be used to evidence the Shares will be
in substantially the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and
will be in proper form and will comply in all material respects with all
applicable legal requirements, the requirements of the charter and by-laws of
the Company and the requirements of the NYSE. The Company has full corporate
power and authority to authorize, issue and sell the Shares as contemplated by
this Agreement.
(i) The
outstanding OP Units have been duly authorized for issuance by the Operating
Partnership and are validly issued. The OP Units have been offered,
issued and sold in compliance with all applicable laws (including, without
limitation, federal and state securities laws) in all material
respects. None of the OP Units were issued in violation of the
preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Operating
Partnership. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus, there are no outstanding options, rights (preemptive or otherwise)
or warrants to purchase or subscribe for OP Units or other securities of the
Operating Partnership.
(j) The
OP Units to be issued by the Operating Partnership in connection with the
Company’s contribution of the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares to the
Operating Partnership have been duly authorized for issuance by the Operating
Partnership to the Company, will be validly issued and fully paid. Such OP Units
will be exempt from registration or qualification under the Act and applicable
state securities laws. None of the OP Units will be issued in violation of the
preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Operating
Partnership.
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(k) Except
as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, there are no
contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company or the Operating
Partnership and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the
Company, the Operating Partnership or the Manager for a brokerage commission,
finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with this
Agreement.
(l) Except
as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, there are no
contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person
granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration
statement under the Act with respect to any securities or to require the Company
to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to the
Registration Statement.
(m) None
of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries (i) is in
violation of its charter, declaration of trust, by-laws, certificate of
formation, operating agreement or partnership agreement or similar
organizational or governing documents, (ii) is in default (whether with or
without the giving of notice or passage of time or both) in the performance or
observance of any obligation, agreement, term, covenant or condition contained
in a contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement,
note, lease, ground lease, development agreement, reciprocal easement agreement,
deed restriction, utility agreement, management agreement or other agreement or
instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound, or to which any of
the Properties (as hereinafter defined) or any of its other property or assets
is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”),
or (iii) is in violation of any statute, law, ordinance, rule, regulation,
judgment, order or decree of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency,
governmental body, arbitrator or other authority to which it or the Properties
or assets is subject, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), for such
defaults or violations that would not have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(n) No
consent, approval, authorization, filing with or order of any court or
governmental agency or body is required to be made or obtained by the Company,
the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such consents, approvals,
authorizations, filings or orders as have already been obtained or will be
obtained under the Act or as required under state securities laws or the rules
of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).
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(o) The
execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company and the
Operating Partnership and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby
do not and will not (whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of
time or both) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the
terms and provisions of, or constitute a default (or give rise to any right of
termination, acceleration, cancellation, repurchase or redemption) or Repayment
Event (as hereinafter defined) under, or result in the creation or imposition of
a Lien (other than those described in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or
any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus) upon any of the Properties or assets of
any of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries pursuant to,
(i) any statute, law, rule, ordinance, regulation, judgment, order or decree of
any court, domestic or foreign, regulatory body, administrative agency,
governmental body, arbitrator or other authority, domestic or foreign, having
jurisdiction over any of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the
Subsidiaries or any of their Properties or assets, (ii) any term, condition or
provision of any Agreements and Instruments, or (iii) the charter, declaration
of trust, by-laws, certificate of formation, operating agreement or partnership
agreement or similar organizational or governing documents, as applicable, of
any of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries, except, in
the case of clauses (i) and (ii), for such conflicts, breaches, defaults,
violations, rights, Repayment Events or Liens that are disclosed in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or as would not have a Material
Adverse Effect. As used herein, “Repayment Event” means any
event or condition which, without regard to compliance with any notice or other
procedural requirements, gives the holder of any note, debenture or other
evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the
right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of
such indebtedness by any of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the
Subsidiaries.
(p) This
Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company and the Operating Partnership, and the Operating Partnership Agreement
has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and
the Operating Partnership and, to the knowledge of the Company and the Operating
Partnership, by each of the other parties thereto; and each of this Agreement
and the Operating Partnership Agreement, assuming the due authorization,
execution and delivery of the parties thereto other than the Company and the
Operating Partnership, is a valid and binding agreement of each of the Company
and the Operating Partnership enforceable against the Company and the Operating
Partnership in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that such
enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, or other similar laws relating to creditors’ rights and general
principles of equity and except as rights to indemnify and contribution
thereunder may be limited by applicable law or policies underlying such
law.
(q) The
Company, the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiaries possess all
certificates, licenses, consents, approvals, permits and other authorizations
(“Licenses”) issued by
appropriate governmental agencies or bodies or third parties necessary to
conduct the business now operated by them or proposed to be operated by them (as
described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus) and have not received
any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such
Licenses except where the failure to possess any such License or to comply with
any of its terms and conditions, or an adverse determination in any proceeding,
would not individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse
Effect.
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(r) The
consolidated financial statements of the Company included or incorporated or
deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly in all
material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company at the
dates indicated and the consolidated statements of operations, changes in
stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company for the periods specified;
and said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S.
generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent
basis throughout the periods involved (except as may be indicated in the notes
thereto and subject to normal year-end adjustments in the case of any unaudited
interim financial statements) and have been prepared in all material respects on
a consistent basis with the books and records of the Company. The
supporting schedules included or incorporated or deemed incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, present
fairly in all material respects in accordance with GAAP the information required
to be stated therein as of the dates indicated. The historical
summaries of revenue and certain operating expenses of properties included or
incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement
or the Prospectus, present fairly in all material respects the revenues and
operating expenses included in such summaries for the periods specified in
conformity with GAAP. The selected financial data and the summary
financial information included or incorporated or deemed incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement or the, Prospectus, present fairly in
all material respects the information shown therein and have been compiled on a
basis consistent with that of the financial statements included or incorporated
or deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus. No other historical or pro forma financial statements (or
schedules) are required by the Act and the Exchange Act to be included or
incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement
or the Prospectus. All disclosures contained in the Registration
Statement, Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus of any “non-GAAP financial measures”
(as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply
in all material respects with Regulation G under the Exchange Act and Item 10 of
Regulation S-K under the Act and Exchange Act, to the extent
applicable.
(s) Deloitte
& Touche LLP, the accounting firm that certified the financial statements,
and supporting schedules and historical summaries of revenues and certain
operating expenses for the properties related thereto included or incorporated
or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus, is an independent registered certified public accounting firm as
required by the Act, the Exchange Act and by the rules of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board.
(t) The
Company, beginning with its taxable year ended December 31, 2006 and through its
taxable year ended December 31, 2009, has been organized and operated in
conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a real estate
investment trust (a “REIT”) under the Internal
Revenue Code 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and the current and
proposed method of operation of the Company, as described in the Registration
Statement, Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, will permit the
Company to continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a
REIT under the Code for so long as the Board of Directors of the Company deems
it to be in the best interests of the Company’s stockholders to remain so
qualified for taxation as a REIT under the Code.
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(u) Each
of the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiaries has filed all
foreign, federal, state and local tax returns that are required to be filed or
has requested extensions thereof, in each case, to the extent material (“Returns”), except in any case
in which the failure so to file would not have a Material Adverse Effect and
except as described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, and has
paid all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or
penalty levied against it, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and
payable, except for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being
contested in good faith or as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, except
as described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus. No audits or other
administrative proceedings or court proceedings are presently pending against
any of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries with regard to
any Returns, and no taxing authority has notified any of the Company, the
Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries in writing that it intends to
investigate its tax affairs, except where any such audit or investigation, would
not have, or would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(v) Each
of the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiaries has complied in
all material respects with the provisions of the Code relating to the payment
and withholding of taxes, including, without limitation, the withholding and
reporting requirements under Sections 1441 through 1446, 3401 through 3406, and
6041 and 6049 of the Code, as well as similar provisions under any other laws,
and has, within the time and in the manner prescribed by law, withheld and paid
over to the proper governmental authorities all material amounts required in
connection with amounts paid or owing to any employee, independent contractor,
creditor, stockholder, or other third party, except in any case in which the
failure so to comply would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(w) None
of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries has distributed
and, prior to the later of the last Time of Sale and the completion of the
distribution of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement, will distribute any
offering material in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares other than
the Registration Statement, Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus,
and any other written materials permitted by the Act.
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(x)
(i) Each of the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiaries has fee
simple title or a valid leasehold interest to all of the properties and other
assets described in the Prospectus as owned or leased by the Company, the
Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries (the “Properties”), in each case,
free and clear of all Liens, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement
or the Prospectus, or such as would not have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) all
Liens on or affecting the Properties that are required to be disclosed in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus, are disclosed therein and none of the
Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries is in default under any
such Lien except for such defaults that would not have a Material Adverse
Effect; (iii) all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the
Company, the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and
under which the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of the Subsidiaries
holds properties described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, are
in full force and effect, and none of the Company, the Operating Partnership or
any Subsidiary has received any written notice of any material claim of any sort
that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of any of the Company,
the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary under any of such leases or
subleases, or affecting or questioning the rights of any of the Company, the
Operating Partnership or such Subsidiary to the continued possession of the
leases or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease; (iv) none of the
Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries is in violation of any
municipal, state or federal law, rule or regulation concerning the Properties or
any part thereof which violation would have a Material Adverse Effect; (v) each
of the Properties complies with all applicable zoning laws, laws, ordinances,
regulations, development agreements, reciprocal easement agreements, ground or
airspace leases and deed restrictions or other covenants, except where the
failure to comply would not have, singly or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse
Effect; and (vi) none of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the
Subsidiaries has received from any Governmental Authority any written notice of
any condemnation of or zoning change materially affecting the Properties or any
part thereof, and none of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the
Subsidiaries knows of any such condemnation or zoning change which is threatened
in writing and which if consummated would have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(y) Each
of the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiaries is insured by
insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks
and in such amounts as are reasonably believed to be adequate in respect of the
businesses in which they are or will be engaged as described in the Registration
Statement, Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus; each such
insurance policy is, to the knowledge of the Company, in full force and effect,
and each of the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiaries is in
compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material
respects.
(z)
Except as set forth in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus,
the mortgages and deeds of trust encumbering the Properties are not convertible
into equity interests in the Property nor will the Company, the Operating
Partnership, the Subsidiaries, or any person affiliated therewith hold a
participating interest therein, and such mortgages and deeds of trust are not
cross-defaulted or cross-collateralized to any property not owned directly or
indirectly by the Company.
(aa) The
Operating Partnership or a Subsidiary has title insurance on the fee interests
and/or leasehold interests in each of the Properties covering such risks and in
such amounts as are commercially reasonable for the assets owned or leased by
them and that are reasonably believed to be consistent with the types and
amounts of insurance typically maintained by owners and operators of similar
properties, and such title insurance is, to the knowledge of the Company, in
full force and effect.
11
(bb) Except
as (x) otherwise described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or
(y) would not have a Material Adverse Effect: (i) the Company, the
Operating Partnership and the Subsidiaries and the Properties have been and are
in compliance with, and none of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the
Subsidiaries has any liability under, applicable Environmental Laws (as
hereinafter defined), (ii) none of the Company, the Operating Partnership, the
Subsidiaries has at any time released (as such term is defined in Section
101(22) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability
Act of 1980, as amended, 42 U.S.C. §§ 9601-9675 (“CERCLA”)) or otherwise
disposed of or dealt with, Hazardous Materials (as hereinafter defined) on, to
or from the Properties or other assets owned by the Company, the Operating
Partnership or the Subsidiaries, except for such releases or dispositions as
would not cause the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries to
incur liability and that would not require disclosure pursuant to Environmental
Laws, (iii) the Company does not intend to use the Properties or other assets
owned by any of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries or
any subsequently acquired properties, other than in compliance with applicable
Environmental Laws, (iv) the Company does not know of any seepage, leak,
discharge, release, emission, spill, or dumping of Hazardous Materials into
waters (including, but not limited to, groundwater and surface water) on,
beneath or adjacent to the Properties, or onto lands or other assets owned by
the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries from which Hazardous
Materials might seep, flow or drain into such waters except for such as would
not cause the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries to incur
liability, (v) the Company has not received any notice of, or has any knowledge
of any occurrence or circumstance which, with notice or passage of time or both,
would give rise to a claim under or pursuant to any Environmental Law or common
law by any governmental or quasi-governmental body or any third party with
respect to the Properties or other assets described in the Registration
Statement, Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, or arising out
of the conduct of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries,
except for such claims that would not cause the Company to incur liability and
that would not require disclosure pursuant to Environmental Laws and (vi)
neither the Properties nor any other assets currently owned by any of the
Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries is included or, to the
knowledge of the Company, proposed for inclusion on the National Priorities List
issued pursuant to CERCLA by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
(the “EPA”) or, to the
knowledge of the Company, proposed for inclusion on any similar list or
inventory issued pursuant to any other applicable Environmental Law or issued by
any other Governmental Authority. To the knowledge of the Company, there have
been no and are no (i) aboveground or underground storage tanks,
(ii) polychlorinated biphenyls (“PCBs”) or PCB-containing
equipment, (iii) asbestos or asbestos containing materials, (iv) lead-based
paints, (v) dry-cleaning facilities, or (vi) wet lands, in each case in,
on, under, or adjacent to any Property or other assets owned by the Company, the
Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries the existence of which has had a
Material Adverse Effect.
As used
herein, “Hazardous
Material” shall include, without limitation, any flammable explosives,
radioactive materials, hazardous materials, hazardous wastes, toxic substances,
or related materials, asbestos or any hazardous material as defined or regulated
by any applicable federal, state or local environmental law, ordinance, statute,
rule or regulation including, without limitation, CERCLA, the Hazardous
Materials Transportation Act, as amended, 49 U.S.C. §§5101-5128, the Solid Waste
Disposal Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. §§ 6901-6992k, the Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, 42 U.S.C. §§ 11001-11050, the Toxic
Substances Control Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 2601-2692, the Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, 7 U.S.C. §§ 136-136y, the Clean Air Act, 42
U.S.C. §§ 7401-7671q, the Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act),
33 U.S.C. §§ 1251-1387, the Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 300f-300j-26,
and the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 29 U.S.C. §§ 651-678, as any of the
above statutes may be amended from time to time, and in the regulations
promulgated pursuant to any of the foregoing (including environmental statutes
not specifically defined herein) (individually, an “Environmental Law” and
collectively, “Environmental
Laws”) having or claiming jurisdiction over the Properties and other
assets described in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or any Permitted Free
Writing Prospectus, (a “Governmental
Authority”).
12
(cc) No
labor problem or dispute with the employees of the Company, the Operating
Partnership or the Subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is
threatened in writing or imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing
or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of the Company, the
Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries and the principal suppliers,
contractors or customers of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the
Subsidiaries, which, in either case, would have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(dd) Except
as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company, the Operating
Partnership and the Subsidiaries own and have full right, title and interest in
and to, or has valid licenses to use, each trade name, trademark, service xxxx,
patent, copyright, approval, trade secret and other similar rights (collectively
“Intellectual Property”)
necessary for the conduct of the Company’s business as now conducted or as
proposed in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing
Prospectus, to be conducted. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement
or the Prospectus, and except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, the
Company has not received notice of and is not aware of any pending claim against
the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries with respect to any
Intellectual Property or of any pending claim that the use of any Intellectual
Property by the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries in the
conduct of their business infringes upon or conflicts with the rights of any
third party.
(ee) Except
as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, there is not
pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing, any action,
suit or proceeding against or affecting any of the Company and the Operating
Partnership, the Subsidiaries or any of the Properties or other assets that, if
determined adversely to any of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the
Subsidiaries, would have a Material Adverse Effect, or would materially and
adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under
this Agreement.
(ff) Except
as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, since the date of
the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated or deemed
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (i)
there has been no Material Adverse Effect, (ii) there have been no transactions
entered into by any of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the
Subsidiaries which are material with respect to the Company, the Operating
Partnership and their Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iii) none of the Company,
the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries has incurred any obligation or
liability, direct, contingent or otherwise, that is or would be material to the
Company, the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole and
(iv) except for quarterly dividends paid on the Common Stock and OP Units in the
ordinary course of business, there has been no dividend or distribution of any
kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock or
by the Operating Partnership or any of its subsidiaries with respect to its OP
Units.
13
(gg) None
of the Company, the Operating Partnership nor any Subsidiary is or, after giving
effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the
proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus, will be required to register as
an “Investment Company”
within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended.
(hh) There
are no contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the
Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement that are
not described, filed or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement
and the Prospectus as required by the Act.
(ii)
The Company maintains internal accounting controls which provide reasonable
assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s
authorization, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation
of its financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain
accountability for its assets, (iii) access to its assets is permitted only in
accordance with management’s authorization and (iv) the reported accountability
for its assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and
appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Since
the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (A) no
material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting
(whether or not remediated) and (B) no change in the Company’s internal control
over financial reporting that has materially affected the Company’s internal
control over financial reporting.
(jj) The
Company employs disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure
that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it
files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and
reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms,
and is accumulated and communicated to management, including the principal
executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as
appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.
(kk) There
is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s
directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material
respects with any provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 and the rules and
regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”),
including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to
certifications, in each case, to the extent the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act applies to
the Company.
14
(ll)
The operations of the Company, the Operating Partnership and the
Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all
material respects with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting
requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as
amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and
regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or
guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency
(collectively, the “Money
Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any
court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving any
of the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries with respect to
the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company,
threatened in writing.
(mm) The
Company is not and, to the knowledge of the Company, no director, officer,
agent, employee or affiliate of any of the Company or the Operating Partnership
or any of the Subsidiaries, is aware of or has taken any action, directly or
indirectly, that would result in a material violation by such persons of the
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations
thereunder (the “FCPA”),
including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or
instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer,
payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other
property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of
value to any “foreign
official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political
party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in
contravention of the FCPA, and the Company, the Operating Partnership, the
Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, their affiliates have
conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA in all material
respects.
(nn) None
of the Company, the Operating Partnership, the Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge
of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of any of
the Company, the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries is currently subject
to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of
the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will
not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares, or
lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to the Operating
Partnership, any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity,
for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to
any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
(oo) None
of the Company, the Operating Partnership, the Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge
of the Company, their respective officers, directors, members or controlling
persons has taken, or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to
or that might reasonably be expected to result in a violation of Regulation M
under the Exchange Act or cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of
the price of the Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the
Shares.
(pp) Except
as disclosed in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto) or
the Prospectus, none of the Operating Partnership or the Subsidiaries are
currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any distributions to
the Company to the extent permitted by applicable law, from making any other
distribution on the OP Units, or from repaying to the Company any loans or
advances made by the Company to the Operating Partnership or any such
Subsidiary, other than restrictions that would not have, individually or in the
aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
15
(qq) The
Common Stock is an “actively-traded security”
excepted from the requirements of Rule 101 of Regulation M under the Exchange
Act by subsection (c)(1) of such rule.
(rr)
To the Company’s knowledge, there are no affiliations or associations between
(i) any member of FINRA and (ii) the Company or any of the Company’s directors
or officers, except as disclosed to the Manager or in the Registration Statement
(excluding the exhibits thereto) and the Prospectus.
In
addition, any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries and delivered to the Manager or counsel for the Manager in
connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to be a
representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to
the Manager.
SECTION
3. Sale and Delivery of
Shares. (a) On the basis of the representations, warranties
and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein
set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell through the Manager, as sales
agent, as and when it provides instructions, in its discretion, for the sale of
Shares, and the Manager agrees to use its commercially reasonable efforts to
sell, as sales agent for the Company, the Shares on the following
terms.
(i) The
Shares are to be sold on a daily basis or otherwise as shall be mutually agreed
upon by the Company and the Manager on any day that (A) is a trading day for the
NYSE (other than a day on which the NYSE is scheduled to close prior to its
regular weekday closing time), (B) the Company, through any of the individuals
listed as authorized representatives of the Company on Schedule B hereto (the
“Authorized Company
Representatives”), has instructed the Manager by telephone (confirmed
promptly by electronic mail) to make such sales and (C) the Company has
satisfied its obligations under Section 6 hereof. The Company will
designate the maximum amount of the Shares to be sold by the Manager daily as
agreed to by the Manager (in any event not in excess of the amount available for
issuance under the currently effective Registration Statement or in an amount in
excess of the amount of Shares authorized from time to time to be issued and
sold under this Agreement by the Company’s Board of Directors, or a duly
authorized committee thereof, and notified to the Manager by electronic mail
substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 3(a)(i)), any
minimum price below which sales of Shares may not be effected and any other
limitations specified by the Company and mutually agreed by the
Manager. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Section 3(a),
the Manager may sell Shares by any method permitted by law deemed to be an At
the Market Offering (as defined below), including, without limitation, sales
made by means of ordinary brokers’ transactions on the NYSE, to or through a
market maker at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related
to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. Subject to the
terms and conditions of this Section 3(a), the Manager shall use its
commercially reasonable efforts to offer and sell all of the Shares designated;
provided, however, that the Manager shall have no obligation to offer or sell
any Shares, and the Company acknowledges and agrees that the Manager shall have
no such obligation, in the event that an offer or sale of the Shares on behalf
of the Company may in the reasonable judgment of the Manager constitute the sale
of a “block” under Rule
10b-18(a)(5) under the Exchange Act or a “distribution” within the
meaning of Rule 100 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act or the Manager
reasonably believes that it may be deemed to be an “underwriter” under the Act in
a transaction that is other than by means of ordinary brokers’ transactions
between members of the NYSE that qualify for delivery of a Prospectus to the
NYSE in accordance with Rule 153 under the Act (such transactions are
hereinafter referred to as “At
the Market Offerings”).
16
(ii) Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Company, through any of the Authorized Company
Representatives, may instruct the Manager by telephone (confirmed promptly by
electronic mail) not to sell the Shares if such sales cannot be effected at or
above the price designated by the Company in any such instruction. In
addition, the Company or Manager may, upon notice to the other party hereto by
telephone (confirmed promptly by electronic mail), suspend the offering of the
Shares for a specified period (a “Suspension Period”); provided, however, that such Suspension
Period shall not affect or impair the parties’ respective obligations with
respect to the Shares sold hereunder prior to the giving of such notice and
provided, further, that there shall be
no obligations under Sections 4(n), 4(o), 4(p) and 4(q) with respect to the
delivery of certificates, opinions, or comfort letters to the Manager during a
Suspension Period and that such obligations shall recommence on the termination
of the Suspension Period.
(iii) The
Manager hereby covenants and agrees not to make any sales of the Shares on
behalf of the Company, pursuant to this Section 3(a), other than (A) by means of
At the Market Offerings and (B) such other sales of the Shares on behalf of the
Company in its capacity as agent of the Company as shall be mutually agreed upon
by the Company and the Manager.
(iv) The
compensation to the Manager, as an agent of the Company, for sales of the Shares
shall be at a mutually agreed rate, not to exceed 2.0% of the gross sales price
of the Shares sold pursuant to this Section 3(a). The remaining
proceeds, after further deduction for any transaction fees imposed by any
governmental or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales, shall
constitute the net proceeds to the Company for such Shares (the “Net Proceeds”).
(v) The
Manager shall provide written confirmation to the Company as soon as is
reasonably practicable following the close of trading on the NYSE each day in
which the Shares are sold pursuant to this Section 3(a) setting forth the amount
of the Shares sold on such day, the Net Proceeds to the Company, and the
compensation payable by the Company to the Manager with respect to such
sales.
17
(vi) Settlement
for sales of the Shares pursuant to this Section 3(a) will occur on the third
business day following the date on which such sales are made (each such date, a
“Settlement
Date”). On each Settlement Date, the Shares sold through the
Manager for settlement on such date shall be issued and delivered by the Company
to the Manager against payment of the Net Proceeds for the sale of such
Shares. Settlement for all such Shares shall be effected by free
delivery of the Shares by the Company or its transfer agent to the Manager’s
account, or to the account of the Manager’s designee, at The Depository Trust
Company through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System (“DWAC”) or by such other means
of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto, which in all
cases shall be freely tradable, transferable, registered shares in good
deliverable form, in return for payments in same day funds delivered to the
account designated by the Company. If the Company, or its transfer
agent (if applicable), shall default upon its obligation to deliver the Shares
on any Settlement Date, the Company shall (A) indemnify and hold the Manager
harmless against any loss, claim or damage arising from or as a result of such
default by the Company and (B) pay the Manager any commission to which it would
otherwise be entitled absent such default. The Authorized Company
Representatives shall be the contact persons for the Company for all matters
related to the settlement of the transfer of the Shares through DWAC for
purposes of this Section 3(a)(vi).
(vii) At
each Time of Sale, Settlement Date and Representation Date (as defined in
Section 4(n) hereof, the Company shall be deemed to have affirmed each
representation and warranty contained in this Agreement. Any
obligation of the Manager to use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell the
Shares on behalf of the Company shall be subject to the continuing accuracy of
the representations and warranties of the Company herein, to the performance by
the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the continuing satisfaction of
the additional conditions specified in Section 6 hereof.
(b) (i) If
the Company wishes to issue and sell the Shares other than as set forth in
Section 3(a) hereof (each, a “Placement”), it will notify
the Manager of the proposed terms of such Placement. If the Manager,
acting as principal, wishes to accept such proposed terms (which it may decline
to do for any reason in its sole discretion) or, following discussions with the
Company, wishes to accept amended terms, the Company and the Manager will enter
into a Terms Agreement setting forth the terms of such Placement. In
the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of any
Terms Agreement, the terms of such Terms Agreement will control.
(c) (i) Under
no circumstances shall the aggregate gross sales proceeds of the Shares sold
pursuant to this Agreement exceed the lesser of (A) the amount set forth in
Section 1 hereof and (B) the amount available for offer and sale under the
currently effective Registration Statement nor shall the aggregate amount of
Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement exceed the amount of Shares authorized to
be issued and sold from time to time under this Agreement by the Company’s Board
of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, and notified to the
Manager in writing.
18
(ii) If
either party has reason to believe that the exemptive provisions set forth in
Rule 101(c)(1) of Regulation M under the Exchange Act are not satisfied with
respect to the Shares, it shall promptly notify the other party, and sales of
the Shares under this Agreement shall be suspended until that or other exemptive
provisions have been satisfied in the judgment of each party.
(d) Each
sale of the Shares through or to the Manager shall be made in accordance with
the terms of this Agreement or, if applicable, a Terms Agreement.
(e) Subject
to the limitations set forth herein and as may be mutually agreed upon by the
Company and the Manager, sales effected pursuant to this Agreement may not be
requested by the Company and need not be made by the Manager except during the
period that begins after the filing of a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or an
Annual Report on Form 10-K as of and within the period required by the Exchange
Act (each such date, a “Filing
Date”) and ends, for all periods, on the earlier of (i) the date that
directors and officers are no longer permitted to effect transactions in
securities of the Company pursuant to the Company’s policy on xxxxxxx xxxxxxx as
in effect from time to time and (ii) the end of the quarter in which the
applicable Filing Date occurs. Notwithstanding the foregoing, without
the prior written consent of each of the Company and the Manager, no sales of
Shares shall take place, and the Company shall not request the sale of any
Shares that would be sold, and the Manager shall not be obligated to sell,
during any period in which the Company is or could be deemed to be, in
possession of material non-public information.
(f) The
Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) there can be no assurance that the
Manager will be successful in selling the Shares, (ii) the Manager will incur no
liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does
not sell Shares for any reason other than a failure by the Manager to use its
commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales
practices and applicable law and regulations to sell such Shares in accordance
with the terms of this Agreement, and (iii) the Manager shall be under no
obligation to purchase Shares on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement
unless a Terms Agreement, in form and substance mutually satisfactory to the
Company and Manager, shall have been executed by the Company and the
Manager.
(g) The
Company agrees
that any offer to sell, any solicitation of an offer to buy, or any sales of
Shares shall only be effected by or through only one of the Manager or the
Alternative Manager on any single given day, but in no event by both, and the
Company shall in no event request that the Manager and the Alternative Manager
sell Shares on the same day.
19
SECTION
4. Covenants of the
Company. The Company agrees with the Manager:
(a) During
the period in which a prospectus relating to the Shares is required to be
delivered under the Act (whether physically, deemed to be delivered pursuant to
Rule 153 or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule),
to notify the Manager promptly of the time when any subsequent amendment to the
Registration Statement has become effective or any subsequent supplement to the
Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus has
been filed; to prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon the Manager’s
request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Basic
Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus that, in the
Manager’s reasonable opinion, may be necessary or advisable in connection with
the offer of the Shares by the Manager; and to cause each amendment or
supplement to the Basic Prospectus or the Prospectus to be filed with the
Commission as required pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) of
the Act or, in the case of any Incorporated Document, to be filed with the
Commission as required pursuant to the Exchange Act, within the time period
prescribed.
(b) To
promptly advise the Manager, confirming such advice in writing, of any
suspension of the Manager’s obligations under Rule 15c2-8 under the Exchange Act
or any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the
Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted
Free Writing Prospectus or for additional information with respect thereto, or
of notice of examination, institution of proceedings for, or the entry of a stop
order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and, if the
Commission should enter a stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement, to use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the
lifting or removal of such order as soon as possible; to promptly advise the
Manager of any proposal to amend or supplement the Registration Statement, the
Basic Prospectus or the Prospectus, and to provide the Manager and its counsel
copies of any such documents (excluding any documents incorporated or deemed
incorporated therein by reference) for review and comment in a reasonable amount
of time prior to any proposed filing and to file no such amendment or supplement
(other than any prospectus supplement relating to the offering of other
securities (including, without limitation, the Common Stock)) to which the
Manager shall have objected in writing.
(c) To
make available to the Manager, as soon as practicable after this Agreement
becomes effective, and thereafter from time to time to furnish to the Manager,
as many copies of the Prospectus (or of the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented if the Company shall have made any amendments or supplements
thereto after the effective date of the Registration Statement) as the Manager
may reasonably request for the purposes contemplated by the Act; in case the
Manager is required to deliver (whether physically, deemed to be delivered
pursuant to Rule 153 or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any
similar rule), in connection with the sale of the Shares, a prospectus after the
nine-month period referred to in Section 10(a)(3) of the Act, or after the time
a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement is required pursuant to
Item 512(a) of Regulation S-K under the Act, the Company will prepare, at its
expense, such amendment or amendments to the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus as may be necessary to permit compliance with the requirements of
Section 10(a)(3) of the Act or Item 512(a) of Regulation S-K under the Act, as
the case may be.
20
(d) Subject
to Section 4(b) hereof, to file promptly all reports and documents and any
preliminary or definitive proxy or information statement required to be filed by
the Company with the Commission in order to comply with the Exchange Act for so
long as a prospectus relating to the Shares is required by the Act to be
delivered (whether physically, deemed to be delivered pursuant to Rule 153 or
through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule) in
connection with any sale of Shares and to provide the Manager with a copy of
such reports and statements and other documents to be filed by the Company
pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during such period a
reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing.
(e) [Intentionally
omitted].
(f) To
promptly notify the Manager of the happening of any event that could require the
making of any change in the Prospectus then being used so that the Prospectus
would not include an untrue statement of material fact or omit to state a
material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of
the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading, and, during any
period during which a prospectus is required to be delivered (whether
physically, deemed to be delivered pursuant to Rule 153 or through compliance
with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule) in connection with any sale of
Shares, to prepare and furnish, at the Company’s expense, to the Manager
promptly such amendments or supplements to such Prospectus as may be necessary
to reflect any such change in such quantities as the Manager may reasonably
request.
(g) To
furnish such information as may be required and otherwise to use its
commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate in qualifying the Shares for offer
and sale under the securities laws of such foreign jurisdictions as the Manager
may reasonably designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long
as required for the distribution of the Shares; provided, however, that the Company
shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to consent to the
service of process under the laws of any such jurisdiction (except service of
process with respect to the offering and sale of the Shares); and to promptly
advise the Manager of the receipt by the Company of any notification with
respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer or sale
in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening in writing of any
proceeding for such purpose.
(h) To
make generally available to its security holders, and to deliver to the Manager,
an earnings statement of the Company (which will satisfy the provisions of
Section 11(a) of the Act) covering a period of twelve months beginning after the
effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) of the
Act) as soon as is reasonably practicable after the termination of such
twelve-month period but not later than eighteen months after the effective date
of the Registration Statement (as such date is defined in Rule 158(c) under the
Act).
(i) To
apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares in the manner set forth under
the caption “Use of
Proceeds” in the Prospectus Supplement.
21
(j) At
any time that the Company has instructed the Manager to sell Shares pursuant to
Section 3(a)(i) but such instructions have not been fulfilled, settled or
cancelled, not to sell, offer to sell, contract or agree to sell, hypothecate,
pledge, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of or agree to dispose of,
directly or indirectly, any shares of the Common Stock or securities convertible
into or exchangeable or exercisable for the Common Stock or warrants or other
rights to purchase the Common Stock or any other securities of the Company that
are substantially similar to the Common Stock or permit the registration under
the Act of any shares of the Common Stock, in each case without giving the
Manager at least three business days’ prior written notice specifying the nature
of the proposed sale and the date of such proposed
sale. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may, without written
notice to the Manager, (i) register the offer and sale of the Shares through the
Manager pursuant to this Agreement and through the Alternative Manager pursuant
to the Alternative Distribution Agreement; (ii) file a registration statement on
Form S-8 relating to Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to equity plans
described in the Company’s reports filed with the Commission’ (iii) issue
securities under the Company’s equity compensation plans described in the
Company’s reports filed with the Commission under the Exchange Act; (iv) issue
shares upon the exercise of outstanding options, or other outstanding
securities, as described in the Company’s reports filed with the Commission
under the Exchange Act; (v) issue Common Stock upon the redemption of
outstanding Units, including profits interests units, in accordance with the
Operating Partnership Agreement, or (vi) issue or sale Common Stock pursuant to
the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan. In the event that notice of
a proposed sale is provided by the Company pursuant to this Section 4(l), the
Manager may suspend activity under this program for such period of time as may
be requested by the Company or as may be deemed appropriate by the
Manager.
(k) The
Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or which
will constitute, or has constituted, or might reasonably be expected to result
in a violation of Regulation M under the Exchange Act or to cause or result in
the stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Stock to facilitate
the sale or resale of the Shares.
(l) To
use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Common Stock to maintain
its listing on the NYSE.
(m) To
advise the Manager promptly after it shall have received notice or obtain
knowledge thereof, of any information or fact that would materially alter or
affect any opinion, certificate, letter and other document provided to the
Manager pursuant to Section 6 hereof.
(n) Upon
commencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement (and upon
recommencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement following a
Suspension Period), and each time that (i) the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented (other than pursuant to subclause
(ii) below and other than a prospectus supplement filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)
under the Act relating solely to the offering of securities other than the
Shares), (ii) there is filed with the Commission any document incorporated by
reference into the Prospectus (other than a Current Report on Form 8-K, unless
the Manager shall otherwise reasonably request), or (iii) otherwise as the
Manager may reasonably request (the date of commencement of the offering of the
Shares under this Agreement and each date referred to in subclauses (i), (ii)
and (iii) above, each a “Representation Date”), to
furnish or cause to be furnished to the Manager forthwith a certificate dated
and delivered the Representation Date, in form satisfactory to the Manager to
the effect that the statements contained in the certificate referred to in
Section 6(i) of this Agreement which were last furnished to the Manager are true
and correct as of such Representation Date, as though made at and as of such
date (except that such statements shall be deemed to relate to the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to such date) or, in
lieu of such certificate, a certificate of the same tenor as the certificate
referred to in said Section 6(f), modified as necessary to relate to the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the
time of delivery of such certificate; provided that the obligation of the
Company under this subsection (n) shall be deferred during any Suspension Period
and shall recommence upon the termination of such Suspension
Period.
22
(o) At
each Representation Date (and upon recommencement of the offering of the Shares
under this Agreement following a Suspension Period), to furnish or cause to be
furnished forthwith to the Manager (i) a written opinion of Bass, Xxxxx &
Xxxx PLC, counsel to the Company (“Company Counsel”), or other counsel
satisfactory to the Manager, dated and delivered as of such Representation Date,
in form and substance satisfactory to the Manager, of the same tenor as the
opinion referred to in Section 6(c) of this Agreement, but modified as necessary
to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and
supplemented to the time of delivery of such opinion and (ii) a written opinion
of Xxxxxxx LLP, special Maryland counsel to the Company (“Maryland Counsel”), or other
counsel satisfactory to the Manager, dated and delivered as of such
Representation Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Manager, of the
same tenor as the opinion referred to in Section 6(d) hereof,
but, modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement
and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such
opinion; provided, however, that in lieu of such opinions for subsequent
Representation Dates, Company Counsel and Maryland Counsel may furnish the
Manager with a letter (a “Reliance Letter”) to the
effect that the Manager may rely on a prior opinion delivered under this Section
4(o) to the same extent as if it were dated the date of such letter (except that
statements in such prior opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented at such Representation
Date); provided that the obligation of the Company under this subsection (o)
shall be deferred during any Suspension Period and shall recommence upon the
termination of such Suspension Period
(p) At
Representation Date (and upon recommencement of the offering of the Shares under
this Agreement following a Suspension Period), DLA Piper LLP (US), counsel to
the Manager, shall deliver a written opinion, dated and delivered as of such
Representation Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Manager; provided
that the obligation under this subsection (p) shall be deferred during any
Suspension Period and shall recommence upon the termination of such Suspension
Period
23
(q) Upon
commencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement (and upon
recommencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement following a
Suspension Period), and each time that (i) the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented to include additional or amended
financial information, (ii) the Company shall file an annual report on Form 10-K
or a quarterly report on Form 10-Q, (iii) upon request by the Manager to the
Company, there is filed with the Commission any document (other than an annual
report on Form 10-K or a quarterly report on Form 10-Q) incorporated by
reference into the Prospectus which contains financial information, to cause the
Accountants, or other independent accountants satisfactory to the Manager,
forthwith to furnish the Manager a letter, dated the date of the commencement of
the offering, the date of effectiveness of such amendment, the date of filing of
such supplement or other document with the Commission, as the case may be, in
form and substance satisfactory to the Manager, of the same tenor as the letter
referred to in Section 6(e) of this Agreement but modified to relate to the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the
date of such letter or (iv) as the Manager may reasonably request; provided that
the obligation of the Company under this subsection (q) shall be deferred during
any Suspension Period and shall recommence upon the termination of such
Suspension Period
(r) That
the Company acknowledges that the Manager may trade in Common Stock for the
Manager’s own account and for the account of its clients at the same time as
sales of the Shares occur pursuant to this Agreement.
(s) If,
to the knowledge of the Company, any condition set forth in Section 6(a) or 6(i)
hereof shall not have been satisfied on the applicable Settlement Date, to offer
to any person who has agreed to purchase the Shares from the Company as the
result of an offer to purchase solicited by the Manager the right to refuse to
purchase and pay for such Shares.
(t) To
disclose in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and in its annual report on Form
10-K the number of the Shares sold through or to the Manager under this
Agreement, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation paid by the
Company with respect to sales of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement during
the relevant quarter.
(u) At
each Representation Date, to conduct a due diligence session, in form and
substance, satisfactory to the Manager, which shall include representatives of
the management and the accountants of the Company.
(v) To
ensure that prior to instructing the Manager to sell Shares the Company shall
have obtained all necessary corporate authority for the offer and sale of such
Shares.
(w) That
each acceptance by the Company of an offer to purchase the Shares hereunder
shall be deemed to be an affirmation to the Manager that the representations and
warranties of the Company contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement are
true and correct as of the date of such acceptance as though made at and as of
such date, and an undertaking that such representations and warranties will be
true and correct as of the Settlement Date for the Shares relating to such
acceptance, as though made at and as of such date (except that such
representations and warranties shall be deemed to relate to the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented relating to such
Shares).
24
SECTION
5. Payment of
Expenses. Except as otherwise agreed in writing among the
Company, the Manager and the Alternative Manager, the Company agrees with the
Manager that whether or not the transactions contemplated hereunder are
consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay all of its expenses incident
to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including, but not limited to,
such costs, expenses, fees and taxes in connection with (i) the preparation and
filing of the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus
Supplement, the Prospectus, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and any
amendments or supplements thereto, and the printing and furnishing of copies of
each thereof to the Manager (including costs of mailing and shipment), (ii) the
registration, issue, sale and delivery of the Shares including any stock or
transfer taxes and stamp or similar duties payable upon the sale, issuance or
delivery of the Shares, (iii) the producing, word processing and/or printing of
this Agreement, any Powers of Attorney and any closing documents (including
compilations thereof) and the reproduction and/or printing and furnishing of
copies of each thereof to the Manager (including costs of mailing and shipment),
(iv) the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state laws and
the determination of their eligibility for investment under state or foreign law
as aforesaid and the printing and furnishing of copies of any blue sky surveys
to the Manager, (v) the listing of the Shares on any securities exchange or
qualification of the Shares for quotation on the NYSE and any registration
thereof under the Exchange Act, (vi) any filing for review of the public
offering of the Shares by FINRA, including the reasonable legal fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Manager relating to FINRA matters and (vii) the
reasonable fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel and of the Company’s
accountants. The Manager will pay all of its other own out-of-pocket
costs and expenses incurred in connection with entering into this Agreement and
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including, without limitation,
travel, reproduction, printing and similar expenses.
SECTION
6. Conditions of Manager’s
Obligations. The obligations of the Manager hereunder are
subject to (i) the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of
the Company on the date hereof, any Representation Date, any Time of Sale and as
of each Settlement Date, (ii) the performance by the Company of its obligations
hereunder and (iii) to the following additional conditions
precedent.
(a) (i) No
stop order with respect to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall
have been issued under the Act or proceedings initiated under Section 8(d) or
8(e) of the Act, and no order directed at or in relation to any document
incorporated by reference therein and no order preventing or suspending the use
of the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and no suspension of the
qualification of the Shares for offer or sale in any jurisdiction, or to the
knowledge of the Company or the Manager of the initiation or threatening in
writing of any proceedings for any of such purposes, has occurred; (ii) the
Registration Statement and all amendments thereto shall not contain an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (iii)
none of the Basic Prospectus or the Prospectus, and no amendment or supplement
thereto, shall include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of
the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading; (iv) no Prospectus,
together with any combination of one or more of the Permitted Free Writing
Prospectuses, if any, and no amendment or supplement thereto, shall include an
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which they are made, not misleading; and (v) none of the Permitted Free Writing
Prospectuses, if any, shall include an untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not
misleading.
25
(b) Subsequent
to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing
Prospectuses, if any, there shall not have been any Material Adverse Effect, in
the judgment of the Manager.
(c) The
Manager shall have received an opinion of Company Counsel, in form satisfactory
to the Manager, in the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto required to be
delivered pursuant Section 4(o) hereof on or before the date on which such
delivery of such opinion is required pursuant to Section 4(o)
hereof.
(d) The
Manager shall have received an opinion of Maryland Counsel, in form satisfactory
to the Manager, in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto required to be
delivered pursuant Section 4(o) hereof on or before the date on which such
delivery of such opinion is required pursuant to Section 4(o)
hereof.
(e) The
Manager shall have received from the Accountants the Comfort Letter, in form and
substance satisfactory to the Manager, required to be delivered pursuant Section
4(q) hereof on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinion is
required pursuant to Section 4(q) hereof.
(f) The
Manager shall have received the certificate required to be delivered pursuant to
Section 4(n) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is
required pursuant to Section 4(n) to the effect that (i) the representations and
warranties of the Company as set forth in this Agreement are true and correct as
of the Representation Date, (ii) the Company has performed such of its
obligations under this Agreement as are to be performed at or before each such
Representation Date, and (iii) the conditions set forth in paragraphs (a) and
(b) of Section 6 hereof have been met. The certificate shall also
state that the Shares have been duly and validly authorized by the Company, that
all corporate action required to be taken for the issuance and sale of the
Shares has been validly and sufficiently taken, and that the Company’s Board of
Directors or any other body with authority has not revoked, rescinded or
otherwise modified or withdrawn such authorization or corporate
action.
(g) The
Manager shall have received an opinion of DLA Piper LLP (US), counsel to the
Manager, in form and substance satisfactory to the Manager, required to be
delivered pursuant Section 4(p) hereof on or before the date on which such
delivery of such opinion is required pursuant to Section 4(p)
hereof.
26
(h) All
filings with the Commission required by Rule 424 under the Act to have been
filed by the Settlement Date shall have been made within the applicable time
period prescribed for such filing by Rule 424.
(i) The
Shares shall have been approved for listing on the NYSE, subject only to notice
of issuance at or prior to the Settlement Date.
SECTION
7. Indemnification and
Contribution.
(a) The
Company and the Operating Partnership, jointly and severally, agree to
indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Manager and its affiliates, its and
their directors, officers, employees and agents and any person who controls the
Manager within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the
Exchange Act, and the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons,
from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the
reasonable cost of investigation) which the Manager or any such person may incur
under the Act, the Exchange Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar as such
loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon (i) any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended by any post
effective amendment thereof by the Company) or arises out of or is based upon
any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except
insofar as any such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or
is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material
fact contained in, and in conformity with information furnished in writing by or
on behalf of the Manager to the Company expressly for use in, the Registration
Statement or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to
state a material fact in the Registration Statement in connection with such
information, which material fact was not contained in such information and which
material fact was required to be stated in such Registration Statement or was
necessary to make such information not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement
or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any Prospectus (the
term Prospectus for the purpose of this Section 7 being deemed to include the
Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus and any amendments
or supplements to the foregoing), in any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, in
any “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Act) of the Company
or in any Prospectus together with any combination of one or more of the
Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, or arises out of or is based upon
any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact necessary in order to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading, except, with respect to such Prospectus or Permitted
Free Writing Prospectus, insofar as any such loss, damage, expense, liability or
claim arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with information
furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Manager to the Company expressly for
use in, such Prospectus or Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or arises out of or
is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in such
Prospectus or Permitted Free Writing Prospectus in connection with such
information, which material fact was not contained in such information and which
material fact was necessary in order to make the statements in such information,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading.
27
If any
action, suit or proceeding (together, a “Proceeding”) is brought
against the Manager or any such person in respect of which indemnity may be
sought against the Company pursuant to the foregoing paragraph, the Manager or
such person shall promptly notify the indemnifying party in writing of the
institution of such Proceeding and the Company shall assume the defense of such
Proceeding, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to such
indemnified party and payment of all fees and expenses; provided, however, that
the omission to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any
liability which the Company may have to the Manager or any such person or
otherwise except to the extent the Company was materially prejudiced by such
omission. The Manager or such person shall have the right to employ
its or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such
counsel shall be at the expense of the Manager or of such person unless the
employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by the Company
in connection with the defense of such Proceeding or the Company shall not have,
within a reasonable period of time in light of the circumstances, employed
counsel to have charge of the defense of such Proceeding or such indemnified
party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses
available to it or them which are different from, additional to or in conflict
with those available to the Company (in which case the Company shall not have
the right to direct the defense of such Proceeding on behalf of the indemnified
party or parties), in any of which events such fees and expenses shall be borne
by the Company, and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that the
Company shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel
(in addition to any local counsel) in any one Proceeding or series of related
Proceedings in the same jurisdiction representing the indemnified parties who
are parties to such Proceeding). The Company shall not be liable for
any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent but if
settled with the written consent of the Company, the Company agrees to indemnify
and hold harmless the Manager and any such person from and against any loss or
liability by reason of such settlement. Notwithstanding the foregoing
sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested the Company
to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as
contemplated by the second sentence of this paragraph, then the Company agrees
that it shall be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without
its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 60 business
days after receipt by the Company of the aforesaid request, (ii) the Company
shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request
prior to the date of such settlement and (iii) such indemnified party shall have
given the indemnifying party at least 30 days’ prior notice of its intention to
settle. The Company shall not, without the prior written consent of
the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened
Proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or may be a party and
indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless
such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from
all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding and does
not include an admission of fault or culpability or a failure to act, by or on
behalf of such indemnified party.
28
(b) The
Manager agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Company and the
Operating Partnership, its respective directors, officers, employees and agents,
and any person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the
Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the successors and assigns of all of
the foregoing persons, from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or
claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which, jointly or
severally, the Company or any such person may incur under the Act, the Exchange
Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar as such loss, damage, expense,
liability or claim arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in and, in conformity with
information furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Manager to the Company
expressly for use with reference to the Manager in the Registration Statement
(or in the Registration Statement as amended by any post effective amendment
thereof by the Company), or arises out of or is based upon any omission or
alleged omission to state a material fact in such Registration Statement in
connection with such information, which material fact was not contained in such
information and which material fact was required to be stated in such
Registration Statement or was necessary to make such information not misleading
or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
contained in, and in conformity with information furnished in writing by or on
behalf of the Manager to the Company expressly for use in, the Prospectus
Supplement or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, or arises out of or is
based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in the
Prospectus Supplement or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus in connection
with such information, which material fact was not contained in such information
and which material fact was necessary in order to make the statements in such
information, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading.
If any
Proceeding is brought against the Company or any such person in respect of which
indemnity may be sought against the Manager pursuant to the foregoing paragraph,
the Company or such person shall promptly notify the Manager in writing of the
institution of such Proceeding and the Manager shall assume the defense of such
Proceeding, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to such
indemnified party and payment of all fees and expenses; provided, however, that
the omission to so notify the Manager shall not relieve the Manager from any
liability which the Manager may have to the Company or any such person or
otherwise. The Company or such person shall have the right to employ
its own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel
shall be at the expense of the Company or such person unless the employment of
such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by the Manager in connection
with the defense of such Proceeding or the Manager shall not have, within a
reasonable period of time in light of the circumstances, employed counsel to
have charge of the defense of such Proceeding or such indemnified party or
parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to
it or them which are different from or additional to or in conflict with those
available to the Manager (in which case the Manager shall not have the right to
direct the defense of such Proceeding on behalf of the indemnified party or
parties, but the Manager may employ counsel and participate in the defense
thereof but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of the
Manager), in any of which events such fees and expenses shall be borne by the
Manager and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that the Manager
shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (in
addition to any local counsel) in any one Proceeding or series of related
Proceedings in the same jurisdiction representing the indemnified parties who
are parties to such Proceeding). The Manager shall not be liable for
any settlement of any such Proceeding effected without the written consent of
the Manager but if settled with the written consent of the Manager, the Manager
agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and any such person from and
against any loss or liability by reason of such
settlement. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an
indemnified party shall have requested the Manager to reimburse the indemnified
party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second sentence of
this paragraph, then the Manager agrees that it shall be liable for any
settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such
settlement is entered into more than 60 business days after receipt by the
Manager of the aforesaid request, (ii) the Manager shall not have reimbursed the
indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such
settlement and (iii) such indemnified party shall have given the Manager at
least 30 days’ prior notice of its intention to settle. The Manager
shall not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect
any settlement of any pending or threatened Proceeding in respect of which any
indemnified party is a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by
such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release
of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject
matter of such Proceeding and does not include an admission of fault or
culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of such indemnified
party.
29
(c) If
the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable to an
indemnified party under subsections (a) and (b) of this Section 7 or
insufficient to hold an indemnified party harmless in respect of any losses,
damages, expenses, liabilities or claims referred to therein, then each
applicable indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by
such indemnified party as a result of such losses, damages, expenses,
liabilities or claims (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the
relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Manager, on
the other hand, from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation
provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred
to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one
hand, and of the Manager, on the other, in connection with the statements or
omissions which resulted in such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or
claims, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The
relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Manager, on
the other, shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total
proceeds from the offering (net of commissions paid hereunder but before
deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total commissions received
by the Manager hereunder, bear to the aggregate public offering price of the
Shares. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and of
the Manager, on the other, shall be determined by reference to, among other
things, whether the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material
fact or omission or alleged omission relates to information supplied by the
Company or by the Manager and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to
information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or
omission. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the
losses, damages, expenses, liabilities and claims referred to in this subsection
shall be deemed to include any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably
incurred by such party in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or
defending any Proceeding.
30
(d) The
Company and the Manager agree that it would not be just and equitable if
contributions pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation
or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the
equitable considerations referred to in subsection (c)
above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, the Manager
shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of commissions received
by it under this Agreement. No person guilty of fraudulent
misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be
entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation.
(e) The
Company and the Manager agree promptly to notify each other of the commencement
of any Proceeding against it and, in the case of the Company, against any of the
Company’s officers or directors in connection with the issuance and sale of the
Shares, or in connection with the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus,
the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.
SECTION
8. Representations and
Agreements to Survive Delivery. The indemnity and contribution
agreements contained in this Section 7 hereof and the covenants, warranties and
representations of the Company contained in this Agreement or in certificates
delivered pursuant hereto shall remain in full force and effect regardless of
any investigation made by or on behalf of the Manager, its partners, directors
or officers or any person (including each partner, officer or director of such
person) who controls the Manager within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or
Section 20 of the Exchange Act, or by or on behalf of the Company, its directors
or officers or any person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section
15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and shall survive any
termination of this Agreement or the issuance and delivery of the
Shares.
SECTION
9. Termination.
(a)
The Company shall have the right, by giving written notice as hereinafter
specified, to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any
time. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to
any other party except that (i) with respect to any pending sale, through the
Manager for the Company, the obligations of the Company, including in respect of
compensation of the Manager, shall remain in full force and effect
notwithstanding the termination and (ii) the provisions of Sections 5, 7, 8, 10,
11, 12, 17 and 19 hereof and the terms of that certain letter agreement dated
the date hereof among the Company, the Manager and the Alternative Manager shall
remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(b)
The Manager shall have the right, by giving written notice as hereinafter
specified, to terminate the provisions of this Agreement relating to the
solicitation of offers to purchase the Shares in its sole discretion at any
time. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to
any other party except that the provisions of Sections 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 17
and 19 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such
termination.
31
(c) This
Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to
Sections 9(a) or (b) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties;
provided that any such
termination by mutual agreement shall in all cases be deemed to provide that
Sections 5, 7 and 8 hereof shall remain in full force and effect.
(d) Any
termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such
notice of termination; provided that such
termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of
receipt of such notice by the Manager or the Company, as the case may
be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for
any sale of the Shares, such sale shall settle in accordance with the provisions
of Section 3(a)(vi) hereof.
(e) Unless
earlier terminated pursuant to this Section 9, this Agreement shall
automatically terminate upon the issuance and sale of all of the Shares through
the Manager on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein except
that Sections 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 17 and 19 and shall remain in full force and
effect.
SECTION
10. Notices. Except
as otherwise herein provided, all statements, requests, notices and agreements
under this Agreement shall be in writing and delivered by hand, overnight
courier, mail or facsimile and, if to the Manager, shall be sufficient in all
respects if delivered or sent to KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Attention: Equity
Capital Markets, 000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000, Fax No.
(000) 000-0000 and, if to the Company, it shall be sufficient in all respects if
delivered or sent to the Company at the offices of the Company at Education
Realty Trust, Inc., 000 Xxx Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000,
Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Fax No.: (000) 000-0000, with
a copy for information purposes to Bass, Xxxxx and Xxxx PLC, 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxx,
Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000, Attention: Xxxx X. Good, Fax No.
(000) 000-0000. Each party to this Agreement may change such address
for notices by sending to the parties to this Agreement written notice of a new
address for such purpose.
SECTION
11. Parties at
Interest. The Agreement herein set forth has been and is made
solely for the benefit of the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Manager
and, to the extent provided in Section 7 hereof, the controlling persons,
directors and officers referred to in such section, and their respective
successors, assigns, heirs, personal representatives and executors and
administrators. No other person, partnership, association or
corporation (including a purchaser, as such purchaser, from the Manager) shall
acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement.
SECTION
12. No Fiduciary
Relationship. The Company hereby acknowledges that the Manager
is acting solely as sales agent and/or principal in connection with the purchase
and sale of the Shares. The Company further acknowledges that the
Manager is acting pursuant to a contractual relationship created solely by this
Agreement entered into on an arm’s length basis, and, in no event, do the
parties intend that the Manager act or be responsible as a fiduciary to the
Company, its management, stockholders or creditors or any other person in
connection with any activity that the Manager may undertake or have undertaken
in furtherance of the purchase and sale of the Company’s securities, either
before or after the date hereof. The Manager hereby expressly
disclaims any fiduciary or similar obligations to the Company, either in
connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters
leading up to such transactions, and the Company hereby confirms its
understanding and agreement to that effect. The Company and the
Manager agree that they are each responsible for making their own independent
judgments with respect to any such transactions and that any opinions or views
expressed by the Manager to the Company regarding such transactions, including,
but not limited to, any opinions or views with respect to the price or market
for the Company’s securities, do not constitute advice or recommendations to the
Company. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest
extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the
Manager with respect to any breach or alleged breach of any fiduciary or similar
duty to the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions.
32
SECTION
13. Press Releases and
Disclosure. The Company may issue a press release in
compliance with Rule 134 under the Act describing the material terms of the
transactions contemplated hereby as soon as practicable following the date
hereof and may file with the Commission a Current Report on Form 8-K describing
the material terms of the transaction contemplated hereby, and the Company shall
consult with the Manager prior to making such disclosures, and the parties shall
use commercially reasonable efforts, acting in good faith, to agree upon the
text of such disclosure that is reasonably satisfactory to all
parties. No party hereto shall issue thereafter any press release or
like public statement (including, without limitation, any disclosure required in
reports filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act) related to this
Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated hereby without the prior
written approval of the other party, except as may be necessary or appropriate
in the opinion of the party seeking to make disclosure to comply with the
requirements of applicable law or Commission or NYSE rules. If any
such press release or like public statement is so required, the party making
such disclosure shall consult with the other party prior to making such
disclosure, and the parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts, acting in
good faith, to agree upon the text of such disclosure that is reasonably
satisfactory to all parties.
SECTION
14. Adjustments for
Stock Splits. The parties acknowledge and agree that all
share-related numbers contained in this Agreement shall be adjusted to take into
account any stock split effected with respect to the Shares.
SECTION
15. Entire
Agreement. This Agreement, together with the letter agreement
dated the date hereof among the Company, the Manager and the Alternative
Manager, constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes all other prior and
contemporaneous agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, among the
parties hereto with regard to the subject matter hereof.
SECTION
16. Counterparts. This
Agreement may be signed by the parties in one or more counterparts which
together shall constitute one and the same agreement among the
parties.
SECTION
17. Law;
Construction. This Agreement and any claim, counterclaim or
dispute of any kind or nature whatsoever arising out of or in any way relating
to this Agreement, directly or indirectly, shall be governed by, and construed
in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York.
33
SECTION
18. Headings. The
Section headings in this Agreement have been inserted as a matter of convenience
of reference and are not a part of this Agreement.
SECTION
19. Submission to
Jurisdiction. Except as set forth below, no Claim may be
commenced, prosecuted or continued in any court other than the courts of the
State of New York located in the City and County of New York or in the United
States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which courts shall
have jurisdiction over the adjudication of such matters, and the Company
consents to the jurisdiction of such courts and personal service with respect
thereto. The Company hereby consents to personal jurisdiction,
service and venue in any court in which any Claim arising out of or in any way
relating to this Agreement is brought by any third party against the Manager or
any indemnified party. Each of the Manager and the Company (on its
behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its
stockholders and affiliates) waives all right to trial by jury in any action,
proceeding or counterclaim (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in
any way arising out of or relating to this Agreement. The Company
agrees that a final judgment in any such action, proceeding or counterclaim
brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and
may be enforced in any other courts to the jurisdiction of which the Company is
or may be subject, by suit upon such judgment.
SECTION
20. Successors and
Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Company and
the Manager and their successors and assigns and any successor or assign of any
substantial portion of the Company’s and the Manager’s respective businesses
and/or assets.
SECTION
21. Miscellaneous. Securities
sold, offered or recommended by the Manager are not deposits, are not insured by
the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, are not guaranteed by a branch or
agency, and are not otherwise an obligation or responsibility of a branch or
agency. Lending affiliates of the Manager have or may in the future have lending
relationships with issuers of securities underwritten or privately placed by the
Manager. Prospectuses and other disclosure documents for securities
underwritten or privately placed by the Manager may disclose the existence of
any such lending relationships and whether the proceeds of the issue may be used
to repay debts owed to affiliates of the Manager.
34
If the
foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Company and the
Manager, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose,
whereupon this Agreement and your acceptance shall constitute a binding
agreement between the Company and the Manager. Alternatively, the
execution of this Agreement by the Company and its acceptance by or on behalf of
the Manager may be evidenced by an exchange of telegraphic or other written
communications.
Very
truly yours,
|
||||||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
|
|||||
Name:
|
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxx
|
|||||
Title:
|
Executive
Vice President, Chief
|
|||||
Financial
Officer, Treasurer and
|
||||||
Secretary
|
||||||
EDUCATION
REALTY OPERATING
PARTNERSHIP,
LP
|
||||||
By: Education
Realty OP GP, its general
partner
|
||||||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
|
|||||
Name:
|
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxx
|
|||||
Title:
|
Vice
President and Secretary
|
|||||
ACCEPTED
as of the date
|
||||||
first
above written
|
||||||
KEYBANC
CAPITAL MARKETS INC.
|
||||||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
|
|||||
Name:
|
Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
|
|||||
Title:
|
Managing
Director
|
Schedule
A
PERMITTED
FREE WRITING PROSPECTUSES
Schedule
B
Authorized
Company Representatives
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx, President and Chief Executive Officer, (000) 000-0000, (000)
000-0000, xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxx, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and
Secretary, (000) 000-0000, (000) 000-0000, xxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx
J. Xxxx
Xxxxxxx, Chief Accounting Officer, Vice President and Assistant Secretary, (000)
000-0000, (000) 000-0000, xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx
B-1
Exhibit
3(a)(i)
From:
|
[
|
]
|
Cc:
|
[
|
]
|
To:
|
[
|
]
|
Subject:
|
At-the-Market
Offering
|
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
Pursuant
to the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the Equity Distribution
Agreement between EDUCATION REALTY TRUST, INC., (the “Company”), EDUCATION
REALTY OPERATING PARTNERSHIP, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating
Partnership”) and KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. (“Manager”) dated June
2, 2010 (the “Agreement”), I hereby
request on behalf of the Company that the Manager sell up to
[ ] shares (the “Shares”) of the
Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share, at a minimum market price of
$_______ per Share between [__], 20[__] and [__], 20[__]. [There
shall be no limitation on the number of Shares that may be sold on any one (1)
day.][No more than [__] Shares may be sold on any one (1) day.][other sales
parameters]
Very
truly yours,
|
||
By:
|
||
Name:
|
[ ] | |
Title:
|
[ ] |